15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Declan

A s I walk upstairs, readying for the shower, I can hear her on the phone. At first, it sounds casual, but then I hear her shouting, and I tear down the stairs, thinking that her da is after her again. She glances at me, terror in her eyes, as she sees me appear in the kitchen. The second she sees me, she places the call on speaker, so I can overhear.

“Callum, look, I know you’re my brother, and I know that you’re angry with me for not helping da, but you know that I had my reasons.”

“Don’t be daft, Moira. That’s no excuse for what you did to him just now. The man is dying. And you didn’t even tell granny where you were going, you witch! Nobody trusts you anymore!’

“I didn’t want to tell her, Callum. She’s an old woman, and she’d try to stop me.”

“Bullshit! That’s why she gave me your number right away, is it?!”

She exhales quickly. “And, just how did you find her, Callum? And why did you, anyway?”

“I told you, Moira. I came into some money a while ago, and I’ve been thinking it over. And now that da’s sick, I don’t want to see him rot in jail until death. The fact that you abandoned him at a time like this sickens me. Granny gave me your number because, like a fool, she thought that you were in trouble. And from what da told me, you’re here fucking someone, and to all but spit in da’s face!”

I’m about to intervene, fist balling up, but Moira lifts a hand, to stop me. “Look, Callum, you don’t understand. Da is lying. He’s not even sick!”

“Bullshit! Why would he make up such a thing!”

“Because Richard is dead, Callum. Da can get out much easier now. He just needs my testimony.”

He sneers. “You think I’m stupid! Of course I knew that! The fact that you left the man hanging for so long is beyond me, Moira!”

“You’re no different, Callum! And you’re a fool! He’s lying through his teeth! And if you help him, he’s going to take you for everything you have and more!”

“I can’t believe you, Moira! I can’t believe what you’ve done!”

Moira draws in a deep breath and releases it, and then she tries to level with her fool hearted brother. “Callum, I know that there was a reason why you and the others wouldn’t help da while he was in prison. Please...please don’t lose sight of that.”

His voice is low, guttural. “Moira, you’ve always been a selfish wench. The money that granddad left you turned you into a heartless, gutless, two-faced bitch. Nobody wanted to help da because they couldn’t , not because they didn’t want to. We’re not cold-hearted like you.”

“If that’s true, then why didn’t you help him when you first got the money, Callum?”

He hesitates for a moment. I sense that he’s been caught. “That’s none of your business. All you should care about is that you’ve been sitting on granddad’s money for years and you did nothing to help your own flesh and blood. You should be ashamed of yourself. Not to mention, that lad that you’re fucking, he’s worth more than the goddamn state of North Carolina, where you’re hanging your hat! Did you know that, Moira?! Huh?! Or is that half the fucking reason.”

That’s when it’s time for me to step in. “Callum, is it?” I ask directly, voice even.

“Who the...oh, it’s Declan Harris there, right?”

“Aye. And I suggest you show a little more respect for your sister, lad. If she were after my money, I wouldn’t be fool enough to go near her, so you can back off.”

He chuckles mirthlessly. “You’re a fool just like her. You know that my sister is the most cold-hearted wench there is, hm? She let her da rot in prison, refusing to provide testimony to free him, or to help get him a decent attorney, on account of her selfishness. And now our da’s days are numbered, and she couldn’t care less. She’s got her money, and that’s all that she cares about. That’s why she ran, the coward. That’s why she’s in hiding.”

I try to ignore the unfair jibes and get straight to the point, not entertaining this asshole any longer. “Look, Callum. I know that you’re upset about your da, but take it from me, he’s lying. He’s as healthy as you and I. I had my top investigator look into it before I let Moira set foot in that prison. He’s a lying sack of shit and you’d be wise to steer clear of him if you know what’s good for you.”

Another snicker. “You don’t know shit. All you rich people think you know everything, but I know my da, and I’ve seen him. He’s as thin and frail as a dying man.”

“That could easily be achieved, Callum. Anyone can lose weight.”

Moira interjects. “He’s right, and Callum, if he had terminal pancreatic cancer, he would be too weak to put up the fight that he did while we were there, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, because you’re a fucking gynecologist, you think you know it all, is that it?” He sneers.

“Callum, I know you’re upset.” She tries for maternal. “I know that things have been rocky since da went to jail, and that’s why I left. You know how da was with me, Callum. I had to get away from that. And granny wanted me to get away, so I had to respect her wishes, as granddad would have wanted.”

“Convenient.” He sniffs. “Aye, I suppose if I was offered all that money, I’d do whatever I was told, too, but there’s one problem. Da suffered. You could have helped him, Moira, and you chose not to. That’s the undeniable fact.”

“Richard would have gone to jail for the rest of his life, for something that da did, Callum. Don’t you get it?”

“So, you would rather have seen da rot in jail over Richard then, huh? A measly assistant over your own flesh and blood. That’s rich. Oh, pun intended.” He adds coldly, and then adds. “And don’t you think that they would have figured it out? Oh, no, Moira wanted to exercise her own take on vigilante justice. Jesus Christ, Moira! Chances are, Richard would have had much better legal support than da could!”

“If you’re so sure of that, my brother, then why didn’t you all pool your money together and hire him a decent lawyer, hm?” She points out aptly.

“We had our reasons.”

“So, you can have your reasons, but I can’t? That’s just like you and the others, with your double standard.” She scoffs. “I don’t even understand the purpose of this call, Callum. If you’ve got the money to hire him a decent lawyer, then why are you calling me? What, do you want my blessing? Go and help him, you fool! What are you bothering me about it for!”

“I want you to know how much I fucking hate you for this.” He says lowly, like he’s a con man addressing an errant pimp. “You could have got him off, Moira. You and your nosy ways knew exactly what went down that led to da’s arrest.”

“Of which crime do you speak, Callum? Da’s in for several. More than a common criminal could achieve in a lifetime. Did you ever stop to think about that? He’s not just in there for murder. He’s in for a battery of other charges, things that he’s been convicted of, things that are still under investigation. Did you know that, Callum, hm? You think you’re so smart, but you don’t even know the facts, you idiot!”

“How dare you!” He growls. “You sitting there, fucking a billionaire, living off granddad’s blood money, while your da, the man that raised you, stands on death row, when all this time, you could have stopped it? You...God, there are no words for you, Moira.” He practically whispers, voice so laced with ire, and then he clicks off. I look at Moira and see her face is as pale as a sheet.

As I kneel in front of her, hands on her knees, looking into her eyes, I say. “Don’t let anything he said to you go to your head, lass. He’s just hurting. In his eyes his da is dying and now that he knows this, and knows that he has money to help him, he’s probably at odds with himself. He doesn’t want to waste whatever money he has to bail his da out of jail, but since the man is dying, he doesn’t see how he has the choice. And he’s blaming you because you didn’t bail your da out first. That’s all that’s going on here, Moira. Don’t give it a second thought.”

Her hand is over her mouth, like she’s trying to prevent herself from saying something regretful. All she does is shake her head in disbelief. As she removes her hand, she says. “I’ve never heard Callum speak to me like that before. He’s usually very level-headed. My other brothers must be pressuring him to help da now that he’s dying. Or that they think he is, anyway.”

“You did what you could, lass. He wasn’t willing to listen to rhyme or reason. You warned him. That’s all you can do. If he chooses to pursue anything with your da, then that’s his business. I’ll make sure that you have protection in case either your da or Callum comes after you.”

She lifts a hand. “That’s not necessary, Declan. My da isn’t capable of doing much more than what he did. Not behind bars, anyway.”

“Aye, but that could change, Moira. If your brother means what he says, then who knows how quickly they can get your da out of jail. I can have Cullen look into Callum’s bank accounts and see how much money we’re talking about, and take it from there, but if I know his kind at all, they’re going to come after you.”

“I think I’d worry more that they’ll come after you, Declan. You heard him.”

“Aye, but I’ve already got protection, lass. You don’t, but it’s high time you did. Not just from your family, but also from that video that was posted. Everyone who cares will know that we’re together now, and that makes you a target, just like the rest of us.”

Her hands rake through her hair as she exhales. “You better go get showered. I’m assuming Rory is waiting for us?”

I nod. “Aye. I will. Just as long as you’re okay.”

God, this woman is so strong. “I’m fine.” She smiles weakly. “It’s...nothing I’m not used to, Declan. That’s why I left Scotland. That’s why I hid from them all. That was my life. A vicious circle of da committing crimes, looking for a way out, lying, conniving, making more deals with devilish people, me falling for all of the above, my brothers making me the butt of it all, and then doing it all over again.”

“Then I don’t blame you for leaving, Moira. It sounds like the unhealthiest way to live your life. It’s no wonder your granddad left you with all that money and gave you his wishes for you to get the hell out of there. He knew there was a spark in you. He knew what you were capable of if you could just break free from them all.”

She leans forward and kisses my lips. “God, I love you.”

I smile against her lips. “I love you, too, lass. Now, I’ll go shower, so we can get over there, and get on that plane home.”

“Okay.”

The trip home is long but productive, with me catching up on calls and emails, and Moira doing much the same, only reading through documents and charts that Shana sent to her. We stop to rest at about the halfway point. I pull down the arm rest that separates us, and we snuggle in the seat together, sleeping for about five hours, before Rory comes on the speaker, alerting us that we’ll be landing shortly. “Come, lass. We’ll need to get you over to see your granny.”

“What time is it?” She asks, groggily.

“It’s about six o’clock in the morning. We have just enough time to go see her before going to work.”

That’s when her phone beeps with a text message.

“It’s Steph. She wants to meet me before work. She says it’s important.”

“Aye, your brother probably got to your granny, and she panicked and went to Steph.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

And that’s when my phone beeps. It’s Malcolm, in a panic himself. “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my cousin, Malcolm. He says that once I land, I better get my ass over here and quick.”

A ‘v’ forms between her brows. “Does he say why?”

I shake my head. “Na, we never put detail in a text, especially if it’s something serious.” I lick my lips. “Are you going to be okay with Steph, or do you need me to come with you?”

She gives me a look. “Declan, I hardly think that I can’t handle my own cousin. That would be like me saying the same to you, that you can’t handle Malcolm.”

I swallow. “I’m sorry, lass. I didn’t mean to come off that way. It’s just that you’re sleep deprived, jetlagged, and you’ve had an emotional couple of days.”

She smiles. “My love, you just described every day in my entire childhood, less the jetlag, although I was that way often. There isn’t much I can’t handle, Declan, but thanks for your concern.”

I lean in and kiss her, as the light comes on for us to buckle up, to land safely. It’s tough to say goodbye to her as we land on solid ground, but there isn’t a choice in the matter. Malcolm’s got something important to tell me, and Moira has her own responsibilities to look after. “I love you.” I whisper in her ear as I embrace her.

“I love you, too.” She responds, equally gratifying. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Definitely. You call me immediately if you need me, okay?”

With a nod and another quick kiss, she’s off, having a driver take her home, so she can pick up her car. Although, she does give me a look when one appears as if from nowhere, but I give her another look, conveying that she better get used to it. I drive off, to the office, where Malcolm says he is. It’s still early, and I feel like my head is swimming from the jetlag, but it’s nothing that I’m not used to. When I arrive at the office, Malcolm is in his own office, waiting. “What’s going on, man?” I ask him casually, used to the urgency, used to everything always being an emergency in this family.

My cousin has his face in his laptop monitor, busying himself with the usual, which is always the family business. As he sees me close the door behind me, he closes the lid on his laptop. “Dude, where do I start?” He says on exhale. Point for him for showing restraint and not being dramatic.

“How about at the beginning?”

“God, it’s such a fucking mess.”

“Malcolm...” I warn. “I’ve just flown to Scotland and home again in less than two days. I’m not in the fucking mood.”

“Okay, fine.” He says, blowing out a puff of air. “You might not like this, but I figure it’s best just to rip it off like a fucking band aid, man.”

I scrape a hand through my hair in frustration. “Malcolm, what the fuck!”

“Fine. Okay, okay.” He says, lifting a hand. He licks his lips. “Look, you know how Maverick and I...we sort of...set you up with Moira, right?”

I nod. “Aye. Go on.”

“And Lana and Steph helped us do it, right?”

“Get to the point, Malcolm.”

He draws in a deep breath. On exhale, he says. “So, I’ve been...sort of...seeing her cousin Steph...”

I lift a brow. “And I’m supposed to care...why? Is this the big fucking emergency?”

He looks annoyed, like he wanted me to be pissed off more about this than about his drama and his urgency that made me race all the way over here, when I could have went with Moira.

“No, it’s not, you asshole!” He sneers. “Some big fucking toluga asshole came looking for you, thought Maverick was you and tried to slug him one last night! Your da and Cullen have been trying to figure out who the fuck he is all night!”

I lift a hand. “Wait, someone was looking for me? Was it that goddamn camera asshole that shot me and Moira at Mike Wilson’s murder scene?”

He waves. “No, Maverick would have recognized that loser. This was some Scot dude. Pissed right off. Not sure if he was drunk.”

I’m racking my brain trying to figure out who the hell else it could have been. And that’s when my cell phone rings. I look at the display and see that it’s Moira calling me, and my heart skips a beat. She wouldn’t call me for nothing, it’s not her style, so I know that something is wrong. “Moira. What’s wrong.” I say as more of a statement than as a question.

She says three words to me that help me put the pieces of this puzzle together.

...”My granny’s dead.”