Chapter Fourteen
Caity
Three days.
That was how long I had been locked in this apartment. I’d been through every inch looking for a way out. But Cian had everything locked down with biometrics.
You needed a code to get through the elevator and even to open the windows. The man was paranoid.
The first night I hadn’t come out of my room after he barged in.
When he wrapped his arms around me, I wanted to stay there.
I wanted to give in to what we both wanted.
But I couldn’t do it. My stubborn pride got in the way, and when he walked out, I locked the door again, knowing he could open it any time he wanted to.
Hoping that he would.
The following morning when I woke up, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, believing it was all a nightmare. The files, the call from Sinclair, the strange men breaking into my house. Cian leaving me alone all night.
But as the day went on, I realized this was my life. I’d never been in charge of my own life; I didn’t know why I thought things would be different if Nolan were dead. I simply gave up one jailer for another.
First my father, then my husband, my brother, and now Cian. I was fifty-one years old and I’d never made a decision for myself until I chose to redo my father’s house.
I never should have opened the office. Sal was right. Secrets needed to stay secret. Stay hidden. Only, they never did.
I moved freely around Cian’s apartment until I heard the elevator. Then I went back to my room and stayed there until I heard him leave the next morning.
The following day wasn’t any different from the first. I didn’t know how long he planned to keep me here, but I knew I was once again living my life according to the whims of a man.
This time was worse because I loved the man who controlled me. A part of me wanted to let him have control. Let him dictate everything about my life from here on out. But the other part of me wanted to know what it was like to make my own choices. My own rules.
That was the real reason I’d gone into my father’s office.
I made the choice to open Pandora’s Box, and now the choice to fix it had been taken away. Maybe I should have given the files to Sinclair. Let him deal with the repercussions.
I waited until I heard him leave before I rose from my bed this morning, just like every morning since Liam dropped me off here. And just like the last two mornings, I picked up the plate of food he left for me and threw it in the trash.
I made breakfast for myself, ignoring the fact that what I made was identical to what I had thrown away. It was the principle. He didn’t get to kidnap me, hold me hostage and pretend like he knew everything about me.
I’d just finished cleaning up when Cian stormed in, followed by Liam. He stomped over and grabbed my wrist, dragging me down the hall.
“Cian, what are you doing?”
I stumbled over my feet trying to keep up with him, but if he noticed, he didn’t slow down. Not until we reached his office. He pushed me down into his desk chair and hit a few buttons on the computer before the screens came to life and I was staring at my house.
“You already showed this to me,” I complained, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Look again,” he growled.
With a huff of breath, I leaned forward and looked at the screen. This video appeared different from the one he showed me the night I came here.
“When was this?” I asked as men ransacked my home more than it had been.
“Two nights ago.”
I listened as they spoke to each other, talking about the woman they worked for.
“Who are they? Who are they working for?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet; I need to see if I can follow them when they leave.” Cian leaned against the desk, facing me. “Now do you understand?”
I looked up at him. “No, I don’t fuckin’ understand. I don’t understand any of this.” I stood up to leave, and he grabbed me around the waist, pulling me to stand between his legs.
“Liam is out there. You can’t touch me like this.”
“Why? You aren’t married anymore, Caity.”
“He doesn’t know that,” I argued.
Cian smiled. “He knows, Caity. He was there.”
I pressed my hands against his chest, trying with everything I had not to grab onto his shirt and pull him forward.
“Still, this isn’t right. The world thinks I’m still married. How would it look?”
“No one knows you’re here, Caity. No one but Liam.” He ran a finger across my cheek, tucking my hair behind my ear. I stared into his eyes once again, wishing things could have been different. Wishing the past thirty years had been spent with him.
He leaned forward, and I pushed against him, taking a step back out of his arms. “How do we find out who these men work for?”
Cian sighed but let me go. “That isn’t the biggest concern right now. Maddie thinks you’re missing.”
“What?”
“She went to your house this morning to see you and found the place like that. She ran to me.”
“Oh God, you have to tell her I’m okay. Bring her here.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I need everyone to think you’re missing.”
“What? Why?”
“Hey, boss? You got company,” Liam called from down the hall.
“Who is it?”
“Sal.”
Cian moved off the desk and grabbed my wrist. He dragged me down the hall and pushed me into my room. “Stay here.”
“You can’t be serious,” I gasped.
“Caity, Sal knew about the files.”
My body froze. He knew? My brother knew what was there, and he let me move into that house? Let me move my daughter into that house?
“Please, just stay here.”
I sank down onto the bed. He was no better than my father. All this time I thought he was different. That he cared about me. That he would never put me in danger. That he would never put my daughter in danger.
“Will you stay here?” Cian asked, crouching in front of me. His hand cupped my cheek tenderly. I nodded, afraid to speak. Afraid that if I said anything, it would come out in a sob.
Cian left the room, locking the door behind him. And I sat staring at the floor, wondering how my life had turned out this way. When would my life be mine to live?
I heard Sal and Cian yelling, and once again my curiosity got the better of me. I opened the door and stepped into the hall. I leaned against the wall and listened to them argue, wondering if I should just tell them all the truth.
“Have you fuckin’ found her yet?” my brother asked.
“No. I followed the men through the street cameras until they left the city. I have no idea who they work for. I’ve got facial recognition software running on the pictures I took, but it takes time.”
“She’s my baby sister, Ci.”
Guilt washed over me, knowing my brother was suffering in my absence. How could I think he was anything like our father? Family meant everything to Sal, especially since finding his son. I wondered how he would react to finding his daughter.
I’d given Brian the information I found about Morgan Delany in Rosewood, Virginia. I hadn’t heard back from him, but I knew he’d tell Sal eventually. Maybe I should tell him the truth. Maybe coming from me, it wouldn’t hurt as much.
I straightened away from the wall, set on walking out there, when I heard a whispered hiss, “Don’t do it, Caity.”
I turned around and found Liam glaring at me.
“He deserves to know I’m okay.”
“He deserved to know what you found when you found it.”
“Better late than never.” I took a step, and Liam grabbed my arm. “Now is not a better time. Cian has a plan; you need to trust him.”
“Maybe it’s time they trusted me,” I snapped. I wrenched my arm from Liam’s grasp and sprinted down the hall. “I’m right here, Sal.”
Sal’s head snapped in my direction before he looked back at Cian. Without warning, he punched Cian so hard that it knocked him on his ass. He pulled the gun he always carried and pointed it at Cian.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t fuckin’ kill you right now.”
“SAL, STOP!” I rushed over in front of him and pushed the gun out of the way. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Caity? We thought you’d been fuckin’ kidnapped.”
“Sal, put the gun away.”
“No, I haven’t decided if I’m gonna use it yet.” My brother glared at one of his best friends. “I told you to stay the fuck away from her.”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “You don’t get to dictate my life. I’m fifty fuckin’ years old and can see who I choose.”
Sal’s nostrils flared as he seethed. He turned to me and said, “I may not have the right to dictate your life, but I sure as fuck can dictate his.”
“You’re an asshole. To think I felt bad that you were worried. I wanted to ease that worry and tell you I was okay. I should have listened to Liam.”
“Liam?” Sal asked and looked behind me. “You fuckin’ knew?” Liam nodded, and Sal barked, “Maybe I should shoot you.”
“You aren’t shooting anyone.” I sighed and turned to Cian, who was still on the floor. “Are you planning to stay there all night?”
“I am if he’s gonna shoot me. Bullets hurt enough; I don’t need to fall on my ass again.”
“Get off the floor, you big baby.” I turned back to Sal. “Tell Maddie I’m fine, but she can’t come see me right now. I don’t want her to worry.”
“Too fuckin’ late,” Sal snarled as he glared at Cian.
I walked over to the couch and sat down. Why was I here? I should have just given Sinclair the files. I should have given Brian more than just the file on Sal’s daughter.
I turned and looked over the back of the couch at my brother. “You have a daughter, Sal.” His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. I didn’t want you to be blindsided again. But I gave the file to Brian, and then I asked him not to tell you. I’m sorry.”
“Tell her,” Cian snapped.
“Tell me what?” I asked. Sal moved around the couch and sat down beside me.
“I know about my daughter, Caity. I’ve always known. She lives in Virginia, where I put her and her mother.”
“WHAT?” I shouted, jumping up from the couch. “You knew you had a daughter and didn’t tell me?”
“I couldn’t. I didn’t want the old man to know.”
“Well, he knew! He had a file on her.” I walked into the kitchen and pulled out the coffee. I really wanted something stronger, but I needed something to keep my hands busy before I strangled my brother. “Does Brian know about his son, too? Does everyone know about the secrets Dad kept, except me?”
“What?” Sal and Cian said at the same time.
I looked over my shoulder and smiled. “I’ll take that as a no.
Well, at least you two didn’t know. I wonder if Brian does.
” I turned around and went back to making coffee.
“Though I suppose he would have been in his son’s life if he had known.
He won’t live forever, and he’ll need someone to take over for him.
Though I can’t see a college professor taking over the IRA.
Maybe one of the other two would be more suited. ”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Caity? Brian doesn’t have any kids,” Sal said.
“He does. It was in Dad’s files.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Cian argued. “I read through them all.”
“The ones you found weren’t all of them.”
“What fuckin’ files?” Sal shouted.