Once he’s out of sight, I let out the breath I was holding, unbelieving that my baby brother pulled the trigger on me. If his aim was straight, he would have wounded me, and it seemed as though he didn’t give a fuck about that.
He’s in deeper than I thought.
Placing the gun at the small of my back, I look at Connor’s grave. “I’ll save him. I promise ya that.”
I decide not to tell Cian what happened at the cemetery but send him a text asking if he can bring over some guns and other weaponry as soon as he can. He said he’d bring them over tomorrow as he’s busy tonight.
I spend the rest of the day buying a bunch of cleaning supplies as I want to commence work on the castle as soon as possible. As I’m picking up the endless rubbish from what was once the dining room floor, I hear Darcy call out from the front door.
She was supposed to call on me last night, but I sent her a text, asking if we could postpone. I didn’t give a time when, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Darcy wants something, and I wonder what that is.
“I’m in here.”
Her high heels announce her arrival.
I don’t stop cleaning, which is no deterrent for Darcy. “How are you?”
“Ach, I’m all right. Sorry I didn’t have a chance to tidy up before ya came over,” I tease while she smiles.
She takes the place in, not hiding her horror at the castle’s state. “This place is a right mess,” she says, placing her hand over her brow as she looks at the ceiling, which is caved in.
“It’s looked worse,” I counter, sweeping the broken bits of glass from the floor. “I mean, did ya see the fucking awful décor Fiona fitted this castle with?”
Darcy looks at me before bursting into laughter. “I suppose yer right. Yer gonna need some help restoring it.”
“A’ll be fine,” I say, not wanting anyone’s help. “Why are ya here, Darcy?”
She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “I need ya to sign some paperwork. As Hannah told ya, this is yours. Connor left it to ya. He also left money for ya. Fiona was given the majority, but she spent that awful quick.”
Hannah told me this. But Fiona no doubt blames me for having “nothing” when Connor died.
Darcy opens her briefcase and offers me a pen and papers as I lean the broom against the wall. “Sign here, here, and here,” she instructs, her sweet perfume lingering as she gets in close to show me where I need to sign.
I quickly scribble my signature, but I pause when I notice the date the will was drawn up. “This is the right date?” I ask her, pointing the pen to the date.
She nods. “Aye. That’s when this last will and testament was drawn up. Is there a problem?”
Looking at the date, I see that Connor finalized this after he found out I wasn’t his son. Yet he still left everything to me. No wonder Sean wanted us both dead. He gains nothing with me being alive.
Did Connor know Sean was corrupt all along? Did he have his suspicions that his own brother was the one stabbing him in the back? I’ll never know, but what I do know is that Connor left all of this to me, knowing I wasn’t his son.
I don’t know how to feel.
My entire life, I hated the aul’ lad, but I can’t now. Not after everything I know.
“No problem,” I reply, signing on the dotted line.
“Congratulations then,” she says, shaking my hand. “The castle is officially yers. So is Kellys’ Aluminum.”
“Getawaytafuk,” I say as Hannah failed to mention anything about that.
Our front was this business—a company that manufactures aluminum casting products for the automotive industry. This was how we could import and export our product—which has nothing to do with cars—without detection.
“Aye, no word of a lie. It’s yours. It’s not operational, but the piece of land it’s sittin’ on is very valuable. Ya can sell it and make yerself a grand profit.”
But I shake my head. “Naw, I’m not sellin’ it.” And the reason for that is because I plan on picking up where Connor left things.
That’s where I’ll base myself—in honor of the man who left it behind. This will be a secret for now, as I can’t have Brody knowing of this plan, but like a smart predator, I’ll wait and strike when my prey is unaware.
Darcy doesn’t ask questions and points to where I need to sign the deed. Once signed, she puts everything back into her briefcase. “I’ll organize getting the keys to ya then. The money should be in yer bank account within a week.”
I didn’t even ask how much. But it matters not. I don’t want his money. I will make my own.
Darcy hints she has something else she came here to see me about when she doesn’t leave. “I’m happy yer home. I missed ya.”
Her comment confuses me. “Ya did? Why?”
She smiles, appearing amazed I asked her this. “I couldn’t stop thinking about ye. I know it’s silly, but I really liked ya.”
“Oh,” I reply, unsure what to say because she’s caught me by surprise.
“You probably think I’m stupid.”
“Naw, Darcy, I don’t think that. How could I?” And I mean it. “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be locked up. I owe ya everythin’. As soon as I get the money Connor left me, I’ll pay ya—”
“I don’t want yer money,” she quickly interrupts.
“Then what do ya want?” I don’t like owing anyone anything, but the truth is, I don’t know how to pay Darcy back.
When she steps forward, I can guess what she wants. “Will ya come with me tonight? To a party?”
Folding my arms across my chest, I arch a brow. “I don’t really do parties. Or people.”
“I don’t either. We can be miserable together then.”
“I don’t have anythin’ to wear.”
She smiles, taking another step toward me. “I’ll organize that. All ya have to do is turn up as my date.”
There is no such thing as no strings attached in this world, which is why I nod. “All right. I can do that.”
Darcy’s face lights up as I know this means more to her than she’s letting on. I don’t bother asking whose party it is. “I’ll have someone drop off yer suit this afternoon.”
So, it’s a black-tie affair. The last time I wore a suit, things turned to shite. I hope tonight is different.
“I’ll come pick ya up around half seven?”
“Aye. I’ll be ready.”
Darcy smiles, and with an apprehensive touch, she cups my cheek.
I try my hardest not to recoil because I know she means no harm. But physical touch is something I need to pace myself with.
“Y’ve always stolen my breath away, Puck Kelly.”
My mouth parts as she stands on her toes to kiss my cheek, before leaving me alone, wondering what the fuck I just agreed to.
Whistling, I bend low to look out the windscreen as Darcy drives toward a grand mansion. This private country estate has a Gothic vibe, adding to the mystery this night holds. The gardens are vast, and there is no denying this estate’s beauty.
A valet gestures he will park the car. No expense is spared, it seems.