“It’s nice to see you again.”
“Aye, and ye’ve brought my lad back,” Da tells her with a chuckle.
I shut the door behind me just before Da surprises me and pulls me into a hug. He’s never been overly affectionate with me. I wonder if old age has finally hit him and now he wants those lost moments.
“It’s good to see ye, Son.”
“Aye,” I reply. “It’s good to be back. I wanted Einin to see her ma’s grave.”
I know there’s some explainin’ we’ll need to do. He’ll want to know why she didn’t come home fer her ma’s funeral. But fer now, we settle in the lounge while he insists on makin’ us drinks.
Coffee fer me, hot chocolate fer Einin.
The house hasn’t changed. It’s as if I’ve walked back in time. Da joins us and settles himself in the large armchair he used to favour when I was a kid.
“Ye ma’s passin’ was a sad one in the town,” he tells Einin. “She always spoke of ye, told us ye were so busy.”
“Well… Something happened when I left. I was on my way to school when the bus was hijacked. I was taken.”
Da’s face falls, and he turns ashen at the news. “What?”
“Yes. I was held captive for seven years,” Einin explains, but she doesn’t go into too much detail. “But then, a day before Christmas, Tye found me.”
Da’s questionin’ gaze falls on me. “Ye found her?”
Noddin’, I say,” Aye, there’s some shite goin’ down with the mob.”
“Ye gettin’ involved in all this now?” His brows furrow, and I know it’s out of concern rather than a tellin’ off.
“I need to help these girls, Da,” I insist. “I’m doin’ somethin’ good. Isn’t that what ye wanted?”
“Aye, but I don’t need my boy gettin’ killed. Ye hear me.”
“I won’t,” I promise, but it’s difficult to assure him. He, of all people, knows it’s not easy when you’ve committed to somethin’. Da was in the army for years after he’d turned eighteen. He’s been on the front line, seen shite go down that no human being should.
“I just want yers both safe.” The concern in his voice is evident.
“We will be,” I tell him, and that’s the end of that conversation.
One thing about Da, he never lingers on anythin’ fer too long. It’s one of the reasons I always found it easy to talk to him. He’d offer his advice, and that would be the end of it.
EPILOGUE
EININ
Happiness is no longera fantasy or a fleeting moment. It’s my life. The rain has cleared up for the time being, and I wonder if we’ll have some sunshine this weekend for the celebrations.
The club wanted to do something fun, and when we suggested a St. Patrick’s Day party, everyone was on board. The months of darkness have passed. Even though the threat of the mob boss returning to Belfast is still hanging over our heads, there is a sense of calm.
We all know he’ll be back. But for now, we’re focusing on the present day. Tye has tracking software running to make sure we know the moment Patrick Bragan lands in the country. If he’s here, we will know. Even the peelers are working with us to make sure he’s arrested.
Opening the curtains, I watch the city hustle by. When Tye asked me to move in with him, I couldn’t refuse. We have known each other for most of our lives, and there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t want to be near him. Even though it’s been a few months since he saved me, there are times I’m still anxious, nervous to go out alone.
Therapy has helped, and being with the club has given me a sense of family. My heart still hurts that I lost my ma and I couldn’t be there to say goodbye to her. That kind of sadness will never go away, but slowly, I’ll learn to live with the ache in my chest. She was good to me. She never stopped loving me. Even when I became a bratty teen, she would always offer advice.
Now that she’s gone, I miss it. I swipe at the lone tear that trickles down my cheek, and I smile. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here, and I plan to make the most of the life I’ve been given. To honour her memory, we plan to head back to Ballycastle soon and clear out the house and turn it into a safe haven for girls we manage to free from trafficking.
Tye is supporting my efforts, and with his expertise, we’ll be able to find girls and women who go missing. Now that he’s focused on the task, the rest of the brothers have stepped up and said they’ll do anything they can to help.