Chapter 12
”Jessie,”my uncle Jerry calls, and I tense, knowing he”ll want to find out about why Dad hit me. ”Are you okay?”
I nod. ”Yeah, I”m grand.”
His eyes narrow. ”Grand my ass. Your da has always been an asshole, but never thought him to be stupid, girl,” he mutters. ”You know you can call me any time.”
I nod like I should. I wouldn”t call my uncle if he was the last man alive. He”s the reason my ma is dead. Him and his stupid feud. He”s not stopped doing his stupid shite. In fact, he”s in business with the very men who killed Ma, and for that alone I”ll never forgive him.
”Jessie,” he says quietly, his hand clamping around my wrist and pulling me toward the door to the library. This time of the evening, everyone is in the ballroom having fun and dancing. ”Talk to me, girlie. What”s going on?” he asks once he’s checked the library and found it empty.
The room is barely lit, the light on the wall dim. The deep red walls make the room even darker, but it also has a homey feel about it. The carpet hasn”t changed since I was a child, yet it”s still fluffy. I used to love walking barefoot in here. I move out of his grip and take a seat. It”s been a while since I”ve been in here. It used to be my safe haven, where I”d come when Dad was on the warpath, but he found me in here and I haven”t been back since.
”Talk to me,” Jerry demands, and the harshness of his voice has me sitting up straighter. ”What”s on your mind?”
I swallow back the fear. I know what he”s done and what he”s capable of. ”You and the Kellys. How the hell are you working with them after what they did to Mam?”
He frowns. ”Jessica, what are you talking about?”
”The Kellys killed Mam, Jer. They shot her dead, and you”re best fucking friends with them!” The anger in my voice is unmistakable. I”m never disrespectful to him. I”m usually quiet, nod along, and do as I”m told.
His eyes widen for a fraction of a second before they narrow. ”Who the fuck told you that?” he snarls at me, his jaw clenched.
”Dad,” I fire back. ”He told me. I had every right to know what the hell happened to Mam.”
He shakes his head. ”Fucking Thomas,” he growls. ”Jessica, your ma wasn”t killed by the Kellys. Do you honestly believe that I”d make deals with the bastards if they had killed my sister?” His lips curl in disgust as he paces. ”Christ,” he spits, and the word is filled with anger. ”You really believe I”d work with the fucking animals who killed my Patty? That I wouldn’t slit their throats in the beds they lie in?”
I shake my head. What the hell is going on? ”What?” I hiss, needing answers.
”Jessica, loveen.” I shiver at the word. It”s what Mam used to call me. ”I need to have a talk with your father, that”s for fucking sure. The Kellys weren”t the reason your ma died.”
I glare at him, the anger that I”ve held inside for years bubbling to the surface. ”Then who”s responsible for her death? Hmm? You?”
He sucks in a sharp breath, and the rage that builds behind his eyes is enough to have me take a step backward. ”No, I”m not the fucking reason. I always thought I was, but no one is stupid enough to go against me. Fuck, I”ve got the backing of both the Kellys and the Gallaghers for whenever I find out who the fuck shot her.” His smile is sinister, and I shudder at the sight. ”When I do, there”s nothing in this world that”s going to stop me from taking their life. I promise you that, Jessie. I promise you your Ma”s death will be avenged.”
I believe him, though I shouldn”t. Everything in my mind is screaming at me that he”s lying. But I look at him, and I see the sincerity in his eyes, the pain and suffering he”s felt since we lost Ma, and I know he’s telling the truth.
Everything is starting to make sense now. Why no one seemed to know how Mam died or who killed her. But Dad told me it was Jer, and my anger and hatred has been boiling up since then. Now I find out it was all a lie. God, my dad’s a fucking asshole.
”Then why did Dad lie?” That”s what I”m unable to wrap my head around. Why would he lie?
”That”s what I”m going to find out. Don”t worry, Jessica, I”ll find out what the hell is going on.” He gives me his megawatt smile, the one he used to give me when I was a little girl and he”d sit me on his knee and tell me stories about Mam. ”Now, the real reason I”m here. How long has that asshole been hurting you?” Darkness enters his voice again.
I stand tall. There”s no way I”m telling him. Some of his men know as they”ve participated in the heinous things that were inflicted on me.
”I don”t know what you”re talking about. Dad was just stressed today.” The lie slips easily from my lips. It”s something I”m used to. Lying in this world comes as easily as breathing.
He glares at me. He doesn”t believe me, but he doesn”t say anything. ”Call me if you need me, Jessie.”
Never going to happen. ”I will,” I lie once again.
He tuts. ”You’re as stubborn and as beautiful as your ma. You remind me so much of her.”
I smile, and this time it”s a real one. ”I”ve heard that a time or two,” I comment. It”s not often that people talk about Patricia Grace.
He grins at me. ”Well, it”s true. You”re the image of her. Swear to Christ, Jessie, I walked into the house today and did a double take. I thought Patty was standing there.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. I never thought that Jerry and I would have a conversation that wasn”t filled with anger or hate. Yet here we are, and I”m actually softening toward the old man.
He moves closer to me, his hand lifts to my face, and he cups my cheek, the callousness of his palm rough against my skin. ”Jessica, remember that I”m here if you ever need me. Any time of the day, call me.”
I nod. ”I will,” I promise him, and this time I actually mean it.
His hand tightens on my cheek somewhat. It”s not sore but it”s enough to get my attention. ”Your da hits you again and I find out that you never told me, then we”re going to have a problem. Do I make myself clear, young lady?”
”Yes, sir,” I respond immediately.
He kisses my cheek, satisfied with my answer. ”Okay, loveen. Go back to the party and enjoy yourself.”
I smile. I guess he”s going to continue to call me that. I move toward the door, the sound of my heels masked against the fluffy carpet. When my hand touches the door handle, I stop and glance back at him. ”Uncle Jer?”
He lifts his head and glances at me, a smile on his face, his brow raised. ”What”s Stephen Maguire like?” As soon as the question leaves my mouth, I regret it, especially when a dark look comes over Jer’s face. But I need to know and Jer knows him better than most.
”Mr. Maguire is unlike any man I”ve ever encountered, Jessica. He”s a man without a soul, one who would destroy someone like you. Be very careful how you tread, Jessie. Because a man like Stephen, he”ll own you completely and there”s no way he”ll ever let you go.”
I swallow hard. That”s something I had considered. Stephen has an aura around him that is completely and utterly dark. The man himself is as evil as can be. I”ve heard the stories of the Eraser. I know there”s only one man in the Houlihan Gang that has the capability to be as merciless as the Eraser, and that man is Stephen.
The way Jerry talks about him, it”s only further proof that Stephen is who I believe him to be. The dangerous vibe that comes off him in waves should act as a deterrent but it only acts as a magnet. I thought I was done with him after what happened the night Mallory and I went out. What he did was everything I”ve been trying to get away from. But today, all those feelings I”ve felt over the years came flooding back. I”m drawn to the man. There”s something about him that calms me.
”Just tread carefully,” Jerry warns me again.
I leave the library and return to the ballroom, the conversation I had with Jerry replaying over and over in my mind. I can”t get over the fact my father lied. I shouldn”t be surprised, but I bloody well am. He”s lied to me for years, and I thought the only honest thing he told me was about Mam. Now I know that”s a fucking lie.
I hate him. More than I would ever admit.
”There you are,” Mallory says with a smile as she links her arm through mine. ”Want to tell me what”s going on between you and Maguire?” The glee in her voice makes me wince. She”s too happy about this, and I”m seriously wondering what her game is.
She knows everything about what’s gone on between Stephen and me. She knows exactly how I feel about him—well, felt—but she’s worried about it. She knows what he’s like. We both saw firsthand what he’s like. It’s hard to ignore. But the look on her face now makes me wonder if she’s team Stephen again.
”Nothing”s going on with me and Mr. Maguire. He asked me about what happened with Dad. I didn”t answer. The end.”
She pulls on my arm. ”You”re full of shite, but whatever. I”ll deal.”
I roll my eyes at her. She”s ridiculous. ”What”s Dad been like?”
She huffs. ”He”s been a bloody asshole. The prick has been practically growling at everyone. The dressing down he got from Jerry has turned him into an even worse bastard than usual.”
Great, just what I need. It”s time to steer clear of him. There”s only one thing worse than my dad being angry, and that”s him being angry and drunk, and right now, he”s downing a glass of whiskey like it”s holy water.
* * *
”I warned you,” Dad snarls in my face, and my nostrils fill with the smell of whiskey.
Fuck, he smells worse than a brewery. He must have drunk his weight in whiskey.
”You and that fucking mouth of yours. Always getting in the way, always spouting shite to the wrong person. You need to learn, Jessica. Learn that what I say is fucking law.” He fists his hand into my hair and pulls.
Tears spring to my eyes at the sheer pain of the grip he”s got on me. Things are worse tonight. It”s been a long time since he started that shit about his word being law. He truly believes he”s important in this life. He has no fucking clue. My uncle hates him, especially now that dad’s hit me. There’s no way Jerry’s going to let him get away with it.
I thought I was safe. I had made it to my room without seeing him. But he followed me, and now he’s here, angrier and drunker than I’ve seen him in a while.
”Dad,” I whisper, but I know it”s no use. The look of absolute hatred in his eyes has me trying to pull away from him, but the grip he has on my hair just tightens.
The first punch I manage to dodge, but I don”t see the second or third one he throws. I fall to my knees and release a strangled groan. I”m unable to right myself before he gives me a swift kick to my ribs.
”You are the fucking bane of my existence.” He sneers as he lands yet another punch to my face. My vision blurs as I try to grip hold of something to keep me upright, but I”m reaching for air. ”You”re done, Jessica. Fucking done. I”ve had enough.”
He kicks me once again, and pain explodes in my chest. I”m slowly losing consciousness.
”You”ll be out of my hair soon enough,” he tells me as he lifts his foot above my head. He brings it down against my face, and his words are the last thing I hear before the blackness takes over.