Chapter 8
Niamh
FOUR YEARS AGO
‘Cernunnos,’ I read on the wrought-iron arch over the drive.
‘You sure this is where you want to go?’ the driver asks.
‘I’m sure,’ I say, swallowing as the electric gates slide smoothly open and he pulls off Great Western Road into a tree-lined drive that ends at an ornate red sandstone mansion.
Rose told me it’s named after the Celtic god of the hunt and given that her name is Hunter, I guess it’s a clever choice.
I look down at my outfit, which now feels rather shabby.
The burgundy trousers were stylish when I bought them two years ago, and the floral top with the sweetheart neckline is pretty, but through the large window I can see that most of the women are in dresses – short, tight, shiny dresses that show off more skin than they cover.
I didn’t realise I should dress like I was going clubbing – not that I ever dress like that.
I’d feel so exposed. I pull off my cardigan and stuff it into my bag. No one needs to see that.
The driver loops round the turning circle and pulls up at the front door of the mansion.
And it truly is a mansion. I honestly never believed that people actually live in houses like this.
Wow, this girl is rich. I’ve only known Rose for a few weeks and I know she comes from a different world than me – no way could I miss all the designer labels she wears or the brand-new tech she carries – but this …
this house was built with serious money.
The carved wooden door has been left wide open, music spilling out from somewhere deep within the walls and I breathe a sigh of relief when Rose comes rushing down the stairs with a smile on her face.
‘Put it on Mr Hunter’s account, please,’ Rose says to the driver as I get out. ‘Plus ten per cent. Oh my god, Niamh, I’m so glad you made it!’
I smile at her, knowing I had no choice given she’d insisted on sending a taxi for me.
Grabbing my hand she all but drags me inside. My jaw drops. I thought the exterior was grand, but the interior… Well, let’s just say that every single thing in it is a valuable antique – worth at least seven figures, maybe priceless. This is Rose’s house?
‘You can leave your things in here for now.’ Rose pushes open a small door, almost invisible in the mahogany-panelled walls, with Cloakroom on an engraved plaque.
Inside, there are rows of coat hooks adorning the walls, and a bench seat with space underneath for shoes.
I didn’t know people had rooms like this in their houses.
‘Butter’ by BTS starts to play as I’m still staring around the front hall. The sound of chanting interrupts my thoughts, the noise coming from the same direction as the music.
‘Come on,’ Rose says, taking my hand. ‘Let’s go see my friends, you’ll love them. Then I’ll introduce you to my brother and his friends. They’re old. And boring.’ She rolls her eyes.
She takes my hand and pulls me into the largest room I’ve ever seen. It’s beautifully decorated, of course, and I catch my breath when I see a grand piano sat in front of a floor-to-ceiling bay window. Despite its size, though, it looks small in the grandeur of this room.
The chanting stops suddenly as people turn their heads in our direction – twenty strangers who look a lot more sophisticated than I think I could ever be.
I survey the room, seeing couples sprawled on sofas and standing close together.
My cheeks heat when I notice one guy sitting on the piano stool with a woman straddling his lap, her dress has ridden up around her waist, a flash of lace peeking out from underneath.
His hands cup her butt as he stares into her eyes.
Two men are tucked into the bay window, their arms around one another and their tongues down each other’s throats.
‘Rose,’ I whisper, suddenly shy. I take a step back and she grabs my arm, stopping me from running away.
‘You’ll be fine. Come on. Let’s get you a drink.’
‘Does Cillian know you invited a hu— a friend, Rosebud?’ A tall burly guy standing at the drinks table turns to face us. He looks familiar but I can’t quite place him. Maybe I’ve seen him around university.
‘You know Sean, don’t you Niamh?’ Rose says and I shake my head. ‘Oh, I thought you’d realised that he follows me everywhere.’
‘You know your brother just wants to keep you safe,’ Sean says, but at least he smiles. ‘Drink?’
‘Just a Coke, thanks,’ I say jumping when someone presses up against my back and runs a hand down my arm.
‘Hey, Matt. Hands off my friend,’ Rose says, as I pull away. Being here has me on edge.
‘Sorry,’ Matt says putting his hands up as if to surrender before moving beside Rose. She smiles and leans back against him, twisting her head to kiss him.
Sean makes gagging noises and reaches for a bottle of Stox. I’ve never tried it – and given that I’m not used to drinking alcohol at all, trying one with allegedly hallucinogenic properties is not a good idea. Although I can’t deny I’m curious.
‘See what I have to put up with? Maybe with you around they’ll kiss less.’ Sean takes a long swig from the bottle and winks at me. ‘Might get to see something better drinking this. Want one?’
‘No, thanks.’
‘Try it,’ Rose says. ‘You might like it. It’s not as bad as people say.’
Sean opens a new bottle for me, and I take a couple of sips, the sharp taste tangy in my mouth. I grimace, ‘I’ll stick to Coke, thanks.’
‘Sure you won’t have a splash of vodka with it?’ Then he frowns. ‘You are eighteen, right?’
‘Erm, yes, but no, thanks.’
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Sean. We’re in the house.’ Rose snaps.
‘Yes, and your family makes its money from licensed venues and we’re not going to risk losing those licences by being accused of giving booze to underage kids.’
‘She’s not a kid. She’s in my class at uni. And yes, she’s eighteen.’
‘I … I have ID. But I just want the Coke,’ I mumble, but Rose shakes her head and leads me to sit on an empty sofa, Matt on her other side.
I’ve not met him before, but she’s talked about him a lot.
They’re an interesting couple – her auburn hair, green eyes and curves contrasting with his tall, toned physique and dirty-blond hair.
I know they’ve not been a couple all that long, but I haven’t seen her smile like she is now since I met her.
A pang of jealousy hits me as I watch them together, him sliding an arm easily around her shoulders, her leaning against him, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.
The way he looks at her … I’d love someone to look at me, just like that.
‘Seriously, though. Did you clear it with Cillian?’ Sean says, pulling a chair over beside us. Rose sighs and I frown at him. I expect him to be joking, but his expression is serious.
‘Not yet,’ Rose says. I frown. She actually has to ask her brother if I’m allowed to come to the party? That’s weird. But I guess with all the valuables lying around they need to be careful.
‘Rose,’ Sean says, the warning clear in his tone.
‘It’ll be fine. Seriously, Niamh, my brother knows how to suck the joy out of absolutely everything.’
‘Be nice, Bud. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.’ Matt strokes his fingers up and down Rose’s arm and leans in to kiss the side of her neck. She giggles. ‘Now, Niamh, tell us what you’re studying? What do you want to be when you grow up?’
I glance at Rose. Surely, they’ll expect me to be doing the same as her? But it’s a big university there’s lots of places we could have met.
‘I’m going to be a lawyer,’ I say, and I could swear there’s a sharp intake of air around the room.
Nervous, I start to babble. ‘There’s so much crime in this city and people’s lives get messed up and it’s difficult to get justice sometimes.’
Sean searches my face for something, then turns to Rose. ‘You have definitely not cleared this with Cillian, have you?’
This is getting distinctly weird.
‘Rosebud—’
‘It’s Rose, Sean. I’m not a baby anymore.’
‘You let Matt call you Bud,’ Sean points out.
‘I let him do a lot of things,’ she sasses back. ‘Fine we’ll go visit the boss. Get his approval. Sake.’
‘Want me to come?’ Matt asks, standing as we do.
‘No.’ Rose steps into him, kissing him for longer than is comfortable to watch. ‘If he’s in a mood, he might decide to throw you out.’
‘Can’t have that,’ he says. I turn away awkwardly when I notice his hands start to roam across her body. Intimacy like that has always made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe if I’d had the chance to experience it, I wouldn’t mind so much.
Leaving Matt behind, Rose directs me out of the room and down a number of corridors to another area of the house. ‘Does your brother really vet all your friends?’
She takes a deep breath, then sighs. ‘Sort of. The city’s liquor licences are strict. And our money sometimes attracts the wrong sort of people.’
‘Am I the wrong sort?’
‘Don’t be silly, Niamh. What on earth would make you the wrong sort?’
‘Because I … I don’t think we come from the same world,’ I say quietly. Her eyes narrow and she searches my face for … something. Then she smiles and shakes her head, throwing her arm around my shoulders as she leads me back to the hall. ‘And your friends seemed upset about me being a lawyer.’
‘No one likes law enforcement, Niamh, and lawyers also fall into that category. You’ll need to get used to it. And that’s not what my brother is worried about. I promise you.’
There’s something about her words that reassures me.
But even though they make me feel somewhat better, I still feel totally out of place here.
By the time we’ve crossed the hall, the feeling of reassurance has gone, and I hold my garnet necklace for luck.
The warm stone calms my nerves immediately.