Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
I sank deeper into my armchair, and emptied half of my glass. I knew this was coming. Father had called me five times when he found out I’d sent Aislinn back to Dublin.
Balor slanted me a look over his glass. I hadn’t told any of them the truth about Aislinn. Only Timothy and Seamus knew the details of her betrayal, and I intended to keep it that way. But Balor knew something was up. He couldn’t possibly guess what it really was.
Aislinn was my business and still my wife. I would handle her, but if my father and brothers knew about her cooperation with the police, they’d get involved.
“I’m getting old and none of my five sons have considered giving me grandchildren.”
I looked over at Aran but he didn’t say anything. He seemed content to let Father drone.
“Many marriages fail. That’s why divorce rates are so high,” I said.
“Divorce!” Father muttered and shook his head in disgust. “In my time, that word would never cross anyone’s mouth.”
“Even then, people got divorced. You’re not ancient,” I muttered. “Aislinn just wasn’t the right woman for me.”
“Maybe you just weren’t willing to give it time. A good marriage needs work, time, and patience. You gave yours neither and then you sent your wife back like an unwanted package. It’s a disgrace.”
“I’m sure Lorcan had his reasons, Father,” Aran droned.
Father made a dismissive sound.
I had a very good reason.
“You shouldn’t file for divorce,” he insisted. “You should give this another chance.”
“You were against my marriage with a Killeen.”
“I was, but now she’s your wife before God, and that’s a bond you shouldn’t take lightly.”
Gulliver had spewed that same nonsense, said I should discipline her and submit her to my will. Of course, I could easily break Aislinn in mind and body. But for what? It wouldn’t make me trust her. I didn’t want a wife that didn’t have a will of her own, who cowered at my feet. I wanted a wife who wouldn’t stab me in the back.
Still, I hadn’t found it in me to start the divorce process. I couldn’t forget what Desmond had said, that Aislinn was useless because she didn’t have access to my office and the warehouse. Those were the places where he’d wanted the bugs placed. Aislinn had been to my office and the warehouse after their fateful meeting and yet she’d never planted a bug there and even lied to the police. To some degree, she had protected me. The police had played her skillfully, played on her greatest fear: that I was involved in her sister’s death. I was still pissed that Desmond didn’t know who had informed the Miami contact about my visit on Maksim’s yacht. Someone on the Russian side must have spilled the beans.
I wanted to kick myself because I still hadn’t moved on. The fact that Aislinn was only a two-hour drive away didn’t help either. It was her birthday today. I’d tossed the necklace with a clover-leaf pendant into the Hudson in a fit of rage after sending her away. I had half a mind to pay her a visit in Dublin, just to get a taste of her.
“Father, eventually you’ll have to accept that it’s over.”
I could feel Balor’s eyes on me. One of his men was keeping an eye on Aislinn and reporting back to me directly at the end of each day. Balor didn’t approve of it. He probably suspected something more than her flightiness was the reason why I had sent her away.
Maybe I’d keep an eye on her the day after Christmas. I knew it would be a mistake but I wouldn’t be able to resist.
On my way to the bedroom, Balor stepped in my way.
I sighed. I could only assume what this was about. “If this is about Aislinn, drop it. Father has been talking about the holy bond of marriage enough for one night.”
“You obviously haven’t quite given up on your marriage yet either, or why do I have to give you one of my men.”
I gritted my teeth. Balor had enough men. Having one of them watch Aislinn did hardly count as a bother.
“Let my marriage be my problem. And we both know we sometimes hold on to women for longer than is healthy and clever.”
His expression tightened like it always did when someone mentioned his first love.
“My man noticed someone watching Aislinn. He couldn’t find out who it was, because the person was too careful, but it seems someone else has intense interest in your wife.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? This isn’t a new discovery, is it?”
“He noticed two days ago but we wanted to confirm this was a common occurrence. She’s being watched 24/7 by at least one of my soldiers. No reason to worry.”
Fuck. I knew Aislinn would get herself in trouble. She hadn’t stopped stirring up dirt after returning to Dublin. Her calls to the jetty office hadn’t gone unnoticed. The question was why someone didn’t want her to stir up dirt. I knew Imogen was on Maksim’s yacht. Or was this about more than Imogen? What if someone was interested in Aislinn because she was my wife and now away from my protection?