Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
She kisses my neck gently. “Whatever you want.”
Chapter 32
Casey
The vibe at the Whelan house is very bad after the funeral.
Declan meets with his mother and his brothers about what happened with Donnell. I’m allowed to sit in on the meeting when Declan insists, but I get the feeling the siblings would prefer I wasn’t there. It isn’t like they have anything against me personally, but more that I can tell it’s unusual for a spouse to be a part of these discussions.
Nobody knows what Donnell’s going to do from here. Seamus thinks they should roll him up and break his knees. Cormac suggests outright killing him and making him an example. Finn and Siobhan are much more level-headed. Declan tends toward a more moderate response, and in the end they all decide to keep a close eye on Donnell and to wait and see.
The meetings dry up almost immediately.
I notice it over the next few days.
Before the funeral, Declan was speaking with several Whelan clan members every day. Now it feels like everyone’s forgotten about him. We show up at the office and he’s doing actual office work instead of tending to real family problems.
He acts like it’s no big deal, but I can tell it’s a problem.
And I don’t know how to help.
I try to be there for him. At night, when he’s stressed, I happily give my body over to him. When he gets bossy, I play meek and obedient. When he’s stressed, I curl up in his lap and try to help him get through it. Mostly I’m moral support, but I wish I could do more.
During this time, Sheila moves into an empty guest suite at the far corner of the house.
“It’s really generous,” she says one night about three days after getting settled. “My place is currently one big black ash pit. I was going to have to get a hotel for God knows how long.”
“Declan’s happy to help.”
She smiles to herself. We’re sitting out back on the porch. It’s almost nine at night, and the bottle of wine is nearly empty. I take a long sip and think about poor Declan strategizing with his brothers again. All their talk and stress, and it doesn’t seem like anything really matters. Donnell is riling up some of the smaller members against them, but so far, he hasn’t made an outright move.
It’s nice having her around, though. She’s my connection back to my old life before all this crime syndicate insanity, even though she was a part of that world from the very start.
“I always knew we’d end up here, but I never pictured it would look like this.” She smiles to herself and stares out into the night.
“Really? You knew a crazy murderer would try to burn down your house?”
“Well, that part was a nice surprise.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m not sure if nice is really the right word.”
“Okay, good point. I didn’t think we’d end up here like this, but I knew Declan would get his way with you sooner or later.”
“Do you think it’s a bad thing?”
“I wasn’t sure what to think at first. Declan’s very… intense.”
“You’re really good at using all the wrong words tonight.”
“You know what I’m trying to say. Declan comes off like he’s a controlling asshole without any substance, but…” She trails off with a slight frown.
“But there’s more beneath the surface.”
“It’s the pressure his family puts on him, I think, but I don’t know the man well enough to say.”
She’s right about that. Declan’s been the heir to his family’s empire for a very long time, and that has molded him into a certain shape. While his younger brothers all have a kind of selfish streak to them, doing whatever they want and living however they see fit, Declan has been steady. That’s what they expect, and that’s what he lives up to.
But there’s a whole ocean underneath his skin. There’s more emotion in that man than he lets on. I think the longer we’re together, the more likely it is that we’ll finally unlock it all, but I’m still worried about what the weight of this succession battle might do to him.
“That’s the thing with this whole crime world,” Sheila says quietly, shaking her head. “There’s what you see on the surface and there’s everything else. All the lies they tell. All the truths they keep buried away.”
“You told me one time that my parents kept secrets.”
“More than you realize.”
“I was looking into them, and I haven’t been able to find many of their old associates. And those that are still around won’t talk to me.” I don’t mention my little Senesi mistake. That would only upset her. “Do you know why?”
“I have guesses. Nothing concrete.”
“Give me something. I’m getting kind of desperate. If I’m going to help Declan with Senesi, I need everything possible.”