Marty pauses for a second. This time, he’s not as hesitant to speak as he had been about Adnan. No doubt, Ava’s ex-husband intrigued him enough to rattle hisgub.
The glare I toss over gives Marty the courage to add, “It’s uh . . . Tuesday, Kier.”
Aye, a secure connection to chat with my wee sister was in the plans. With mylifestyle, one should never set a routine; however, Kiera forced my hand. She prayed rather loudly one day while clutching my shirt and begging me not to go. So, I promised her every Tuesday. But all she does these days when I call is cry and beg to come home. She begs for Nan MacKenzie, says the Clan MacKenzie matriarch is like a mother to her.
“There’ll be other Tuesdays.” I wave him off. Ten minutes later, all I can hear are my departed mother’s sobs until Marty’s standing to attention at the office entrance. I nod as he silently begs admittance.
The wraith that resembles Mam prods me to ring Kiera.Or you’refeckingcrazy, Kier.
Ignoring Mam, I ask, “Last visual you had on the girl?”
“The man guarding her says she hasn’t left her room since you drug her back home this afternoon.”
“No! My sister,” I hiss.
“Oh. Safe and sound, Kier. Last visual, Little Kiera took a walk within the gates of her compound, sobbed too.”
“Marty,” I test. The perceptive bugger has a knack for condemning me over Kiera. Just like how he bled his own heart, challenging my wrath by mentioning Adnan. His words stick with me. Despicable . . . how? The bully in me runs various scenarios through my mind.
Despicable as in they were in a relationship and the lad wasn’t faithful?
Or despicable as in . . . he hurt her?
I cease musing and take the secure line Marty creates.
“How’smycity,” I say the second Blythe answers.
“No, first things first. Who’s the hot, little number you took back to Ireland?”
“Oh,” I groan, dropping my head. “Brody’s running his gub like a lassie now, eh?”
“Like he’s paid for it,” Blythe chuckles. “No, really. Last I recall, after a one-night stand, you were the one to skedaddle off. This girl have a cunt blessed by a leprechaun spell?”
“I’m Irish, you ain’t!Onemore joke, I’ll have your head,” I warn the bastard I attended primary school with.
“Okay, boss. On that note, I’ll return to the all-important topic. I toured the mortuary. The renovations are complete. To accommodate demand, the representative is designing the?May I use a leprechaun reference here? It’s a good one.”
“No.”
“Okay, the Cadillac of caskets. How’s that for an analogy?”
I sit back in my chair, swiveling around slowly. “Blythe . . . you in training?”
“I can do both, Kier.”
I slowly pour myself another round of vodka. I worry about Blythe. Normally, I’d not second guess the decisions I made if it weren’t for a soft, warm, ready body about a hundred yards away from me. I knew Blythe’s commitments to minor league baseball before I suggested he act as a liaison. I remind myself that he’s spread thin working for MacKenzie Freight during the off-season. I shouldn’t be concerned.
“Aye, you can do both. You’ll tell me when it’s too much.” I hang up the phone.
14
Ava
A few weeks later
I’ve mastered the art of comparing Kieran to Adnan and warning myself that they share the same irredeemable flaws. However, Kieran continues to amaze me with his wildcard and somewhat schizophrenic ways. There’s no denying the unpredictable, formidable force, yet Adnan ran through my life like a wrecking ball. And so far, I feel I’m comparing apples to oranges. But I wait for Kieran to change because Adnan sure as hell wasn’t the man I married.
Adnan presented the perfect illusion in the beginning. A savior I desperately needed. A narcissist cloaked in sheep’s clothing. He rescued me on one cold, dark night. He protected my virtue, my innocence, my vanity. While I finished my last year of high school, I was a kept woman who hadn’t yet splayed her legs wide for a man over ten years her senior. I lived in a rented apartment where he could keep me beneath his thumb. Adnan came over one day, using a spare key heforgotto disclose. Maybe he was expecting a horny teenage boy to be there, that I’d used him. And I sure did. First bubble bath in ages. A warm, cozy bed. Soundless sleep. So, yeah, I used him.