When he left the next day, I put on a brave face and refused to cry. It’s temporary, I told myself. He’s making a better life for us. He’s working hard toward our future.

None of my affirmations gave me any sort of peace.

I missed him the minute he left the house.

Chapter 24

Patrick

Life fell back into a familiar rhythm, but everything felt off kilter.

I wanted to be home.

I ached constantly for Amy, which made me feel like the biggest fool who’d ever lived. I knew she was back home waiting on me, but our marriage seemed to have caused a new and stronger sort of possessiveness to take hold. I was jealous of anyone who came in contact with her when I couldn’t. I found myself calling home more often than I could afford just to hear about her day and to listen for any mention of other men. I knew it was completely asinine for me to do so, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.

I was driving myself crazy. That must have been why I hadn’t seen the writing on the wall. I’d been so caught up in my wife that I’d let my guard down. Nothing had changed just because I’d gotten married, even though it felt that way for me.

“Patrick Gallagher,” a man called out behind me as I started to open the door to the building I lived in. His voice sounded friendly enough, but the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I braced as I slowly let the door fall shut and turned to face him.

I recognized Malcolm first. He was standing just slightly behind the man who’d called my name, and as I took in the four men before me, my stomach clenched in fear. They must have found out about the girl.

“Found yer Da,” Malcolm told me with a nod. My stomach sunk. Not the girl.

“An interestin’ man, yer fadder,” the short man mused, looking me over. “Loyal as a bloodhound and about as smart as one. Odd dat his son spends his days inside a classroom.”

My fists clenched at my sides, but I knew there was no way I could hit him the way I wanted to. I was outnumbered and unarmed. It would be suicide.

“What can I help ye wit’?” I asked calmly.

“We have some t’ings we’d like to discuss wit’ ye.”

“I’m not interested.” I glanced at Malcolm, but his stoic expression didn’t move.

“Ye haven’t heard what I’d like to discuss.”

“I know exactly what ye’d like to discuss. I’m not interested.”

“Yer fadder will be…disappointed.” The inflection in his words made my back break out in a cool sweat.

“Where is he?” I asked, even though I knew that was exactly what he wanted.

“He’d like to see ye,” the man replied jovially.

He hadn’t answered my question.

They began to move away, as if it was a foregone conclusion that I’d follow them. They’d cast the bait, and I bit. When I reached the sidewalk, Malcolm fell into step beside me.

“I heard ye’ve married.”

“Yes.” I absolutely was not going to talk about Amy with these men.

“Kevie says she’s beautiful.”

I didn’t reply.

“I’ll have to introduce meself next time I’m home,” he prodded.

“Stay away from me wife,” I replied sharply.

“No time for an old friend, den?”

“We were never friends.”

We climbed into a small truck, Malcolm staying by my side in the back, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they killed me. Would Mum know to take Amy and leave? Malcolm’s interest in my wife made me so livid I envisioned killing every one of them before we reached our destination.

The man driving would be easy to take out, just a quick snap of the neck and he’d be gone. Malcolm’s pistol was in his jacket on the side closest to me, and I wondered if I’d have enough time to pull it and kill him and the short man before they retaliated. I clenched the hand resting on my thigh twice, trying to calm my breathing. It wouldn’t work. If I killed the driver, we’d crash. And even if the plan worked, more would come. They were like rats in a sewer, kill a few and the rest followed in a huge wave until you were overwhelmed.

I sat silent until we reached an older building across town. From the outside it looked like a bakery, but I knew we weren’t there for pastries.

Inside the store, the men didn’t stop to speak to the man behind the counter. With a quick nod in passing, we strode straight by him into the back, where a stairwell led us into a finished basement with a steel door.

My Da was sitting at a table with a couple other men, and he stood in surprise the minute I cleared the door.

“Patrick?”

“I told ye I’d bring him,” the short man said. His tone was cheerful, but it was an eerie sort of glee.

“What’s dis about Da?”

He shook his head slightly at me.

“Well, now. I only believed dat two men are better den one. And who better to work wit’ ye den yer son?”

“He’s made his own choices, Michael.”

“He’s made no choice,” the short man replied. “Yer eider wit’ us or against us.”

My heart began to pound at his words. It was exactly what I’d been running from, and I should have known that eventually they would catch up to me. My Da had made this choice for me before I’d been able to wipe my own ass, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Christ, if Mum hadn’t kicked him out, he probably would have filled my head with propaganda and I would have been eager to take my place in the ranks. No matter the course that got us to that point, it was always going to happen.