Mafia King (Young Irish Rebels #2) - Vi Carter Page 0,84
the back of her chair, and she leans into me until she’s almost resting on my shoulder. I tilt my body, so I’m facing her as my da enters the room.
His gaze hardens on Emma, but he doesn’t say anything about her being here. His limp from the shooting is still visible as he sits down at the table.
“Your da went by your place earlier.” My ma sounds nervous as she puts on the kettle. I want to tell her we won’t be staying long, but it keeps her busy as I stare at my da.
“I took Emma out for food.” Emma sinks closer to me as my da’s gaze lands on her, and I’m surprised at the level of protection I feel. “What did you want? To apologize?” I grin at him, knowing like fuck he did.
“Yeah, your ma was upset, and I didn’t want that.”
What a backhanded apology. I often wondered what my ma would think if she knew the things he did? What would she do if she knew the things I did?
“I don’t want that either,” I speak the truth.
Ma places a pot of tea on the table and pauses.
“We are heading back to Meath, but we just wanted to put all this behind us.”
My ma smiles. “Of course.”
“You’re going back already?” My da is asking if I’m going to fix things with Liam.
“Yeah, Emma is eager to finish planning the wedding.” Emma looks up into my face, and all the lies crash and burn. She looks at me with so much hope. Her eyes dance as she looks into mine, and my gut tightens. She was too good. I lean in, not thinking, and place a kiss on her red ruby lips. The tenderness she brings out in me has me feeling itchy. I look up to find my ma beaming at me like I’m the best thing ever. Her happiness pours out of her eyes and her smiles, and I tell myself that’s why I just kissed Emma. To make my story stick. I would marry Emma, I needed to in order to be King of the South, but afterward, I would let her go. I would set her free with divorce papers.
My gut twists again, and I refocus on my da. “Uncle Liam has some work for me,” I say.
“Give me the date.” My ma sits down at the table, still swimming in her happiness.
“Two weeks from today,” I say quickly, and this time when Emma looks up at me, I don’t look down at her.
“I can’t wait.”
I refocus on my da. He nods his head. “We’ll be there.”
I have a cup of tea as my ma and Emma talk about the wedding. My da sips his while watching me. I want to tell him what I found out about Frankie, but maybe it’s time to let them bury it. Maybe it’s time to cut the cord.
My ma is smiling as she talks to Emma, and for now, she deserves her happiness.
“Can I have a word?” I say to my da as I stand and take my cigarettes out of my pocket.
“Just going out for a smoke,” I say to Emma like I need to explain myself, but she’s looking like someone pulled the chair out from under her. She composes herself quickly, and I head out the back where I light up a cigarette.
The minute my da steps out, I offer him a cigarette, and he takes one.
“I found out what happened to Frankie.” I blow the smoke into the air. “Amanda didn’t like losing money on the fights. So she decided by killing Frankie, it would keep us away.”
I don’t blame just him; I put myself in that bracket.
Turning to him, I see the pain along with the guilt that flashes across his face.
He doesn’t speak for a moment. “She had asked me to stop fighting. But I laughed at her.”
“You didn’t think she would kill Frankie, Da.”
My da faces me. “Is she dead?”
I nod and throw the cigarette on the ground. “Yeah, I shot her in the head after her confession.”
My da grips my shoulder and squeezes it with his head bent. “It’s over, Da. Frankie can rest.”
“Thanks to you.”
I pick up the cigarette butt and take out the silver flask that Emma got me. My father watches as I place the butt in the flask and reseal it.
“I’ll fix things with Liam,” I say as I place the flask back in my shirt pocket.