Bronagh Chapter 6 #2
“Yes, she was. Now, I answered your questions. Answer mine. You’re not getting off the hook,” I warned.
Dad took a deep breath, then exhaled forcefully before he answered me.
“Okay, don’t go crazy. We went to the airfield to fly out.
Everything looked normal. We were almost to the plane when they swarmed out of the hangar.
I don’t know how they knew we were coming.
I move the plane to different airfields all the time, you know that.
And I don’t maintain a pattern. They spit bullets at us like they were angry bees.
I don’t know how no one else was hurt, but I was the only one. ”
As he said that, I tensed, but Dad hurried to continue.
“It was in the calf, and it went all the way through. I couldn’t run worth a shit, but my guys got me back into the car, and we got the hell out of there. We went to one of the safe houses. It’s in your best interest not to know which one, Bronagh. I’ll be moving tomorrow anyway.
“I need time to figure out who is behind this. They went after you, then after me. Somehow, they either figured out you’ve been helping me or they thought that by taking you out, it would destabilize me or something and make it easier for them to pick apart our businesses and territory.
” I heard the fury he was trying hard to hide. I felt the same.
“I understand that. I suggested to Cathal that it might make more sense for me to go hide out in France. I have places I can lie low,” I reminded him.
“No! Absolutely don’t do that! Yes, you have people and places there, but it’s too far away. I want you to stay with the O’Sheerans. They’ve been gracious enough to extend the offer. I assume it’s still on the table?” Dad directed the last part to Darragh.
“Yes, it’s still on the table. And as I indicated in our earlier talk, we’re willing to go further.”
“I don’t want them to be pressured to protect me in any way, Daidí. I appreciate what they did by coming to the hospital and bringing me back to their home. Still, by harboring me, they bring attention and possible retaliation to their doorstep,” I reminded them.
“If it brings heat to us, we’re more than capable of handling it. We agreed to assist your dad in this transition. By not helping him when things get rough, we’d be breaking our word,” Patrick stated.
“You signed up to give him business advice, not hide his daughter and be shot at!” I cried back.
“Faolán, despite Bronagh’s worries, we’re not changing our minds. And I want to marry her. You know that more than our public offering of regular protection will make her safer,” Cathal told Dad.
I opened my mouth to object, but I got a look from my dad I knew well. He wanted me to let him speak. It was hard, but I closed my mouth.
“I offered my daughter to your family as a temporary patch that would allow me time to strengthen my defenses. Darragh declined it. Now, you’re saying you’ll do it. What changed your mind?”
“What changed my mind was meeting her. She was an abstract picture when my cousin told us about the offer. However, when we went to the hospital and I met her, I knew that marrying her was the way to go,” Cathal answered. It was a simple reply, but it lacked substance.
“He felt protective, but that’s no reason for us to get married, even if it’s only temporary. We’ll barely get married, and it’ll be time to divorce. It won’t take you a year to strengthen your stance,” I predicted.
“Yes, I feel protective, but it’s more than that. And I don’t see it as something we go into with the mindset that it’s temporary. We marry and work to ensure that it becomes a real marriage that lasts,” Cathal countered.
“A real marriage?” Dad jumped in, his tone speculative.
“No, I won’t marry to give you a tie to the O’Sheerans so it helps our family long-term. I’m no better than a gold-digging slut if I do that. I won’t do it,” I snapped.
I’d been seated, but I came to my feet. I was walking out of here. I wasn’t listening to any more nonsense.
“Bronagh, wait!” Dad shouted.
There were similar murmurs from the O’Sheeran men, except for Cathal. He shifted to block my exit. I glared up at him.
“Cathal, move!” I demanded.
He shook his head.
“I said move. There’s no reason for us to marry and remain that way,” I challenged.
Suddenly, he had his arms around me. He brought me flush against his body, lowered his head, then captured my mouth with his. I tried to wiggle away, but within seconds, the feel and taste of his lips on mine made me stop, and I did something I shouldn’t have. I responded by kissing him back.
Instantly, the kiss became mutual and urgent. Everything and everyone faded away. It was Cathal and me kissing. Without conscious thought, one of my hands came up, and my fingers clutched the back of his short hair to hold him in place. I didn’t want him to break it.
Though Cathal held me close, his hold didn’t hurt my bruises.
Our tongues got in on the action. It was the loud clearing of throats and a deep chuckle that figuratively threw cold water on us and broke the clinch.
As his lips peeled off mine, I gasped. I tried to step back, but Cathal’s arms stayed around me.
All he did was turn us as one to face the video screen. I knew my face was red.
“Faolán, I believe that should answer your question and your daughter’s as to why I changed my mind.
But I can assure both of you that it’s not just physical attraction on my part.
As for Bronagh, my hope is she’ll grow to see that it’s more for her than that, too.
” Cathal stated calmly, though his voice was slightly breathless.
The way he turned us, my back was to his front. And the closeness of our bodies allowed me to feel his erection pushing into me. God, I wanted to wiggle against it, but I didn’t.
“So I see.” Dad chuckled, then grew serious before he continued.
“I’ve always wanted my daughter to marry for love.
I know in our world that’s not the way it is, or at least not for most of us.
The other families and even ours always laughed about how you O’Sheerans married not for territorial gain or alliances, but for love.
You believe in soulmates. The truth is, I feel the same way.
My Riona was the love of my life. She still is.
I want Bronagh to have that kind of marriage.
“I was desperate when I asked Darragh to consider a temporary one. I was reacting out of fear for her rather than for the family or me. I told myself it wouldn’t matter if it weren’t a love match, because it would be only in name and temporary.
You’ll divorce as soon as I get my house in order, and she and her husband will be free to find and marry the one they truly love.
However, I’ve been thinking that was wrong of me to suggest.”
As Dad fell silent, my heart jumped at the thought of not marrying Cathal, but not in a happy way. It hurt. God, it was back to my secret crush.
“I can’t promise you that we’ll end up soulmates, but I can promise that I will honor, protect, and cherish Bronagh.
I won’t cheat on her, and I expect her not to do that to me.
I believe we can build a good life together.
And with time, we’ll feel true affection if not outright love.
That’s more than a lot of people get. She needs to remain here and let me marry her.
It’s the safest thing to do. And we won’t go into it with the mindset that it’s interim,” Cathal tacked on.
“Faolán, I believe we should let our children speak of this in private. However, know that our family is willing to help in any way we can, even if it’s not as in-laws,” Patrick said, after he looked at Darragh and got a nod.
I went to open my mouth, but Cathal’s hot breath on my ear as he whispered, “Shh, let him speak,” shut it.
I didn’t know what it was about him. No man had ever made me obey, except my dad, and that was only sometimes.
“I’m willing to agree, but only if Bronagh agrees without coercion and not just to save me. I’ll call her tomorrow morning, privately, to get her answer,” Dad stated.
And just like that, I was roped into making one of the biggest decisions of my life in less than twenty-four hours. The call lasted only a few more minutes, and then everyone said goodbye. My eyes stung when Dad told me goodbye, and he repeated that he’d call me tomorrow.