Page 6 of Cillian

“That’s the thing, we’ve been meaning to tell you something,” Paddy interrupted.

“And you're not gonna like it. Might be best you have another drink—” Bellamy insisted but I had had enough.

“What the fuck is going on with the lot of you? Every time I mention being with a woman, you change the subject or say it's not a good time. You've all been acting mad all night.What are you not telling me?” I asked in a winded whirlwind.

“Cillian, you know we love you, right? We weren't gonna let you rot in some fucking prison cell for ten years like Pa fucking intended,” Bellamy spat with an anger infused with hate.

“What does that have to do with anything?” My impatience growing thinner by the second.

“There's a reason you're out seven years ahead of your sentence. And it sure as hell ain't good behavior,” Paddy chimed.

“I don't understand.”

“Your key witness recanted,” Tadhg finally admitted. “We've been quietly setting things into motion. Bought a judge. Fished through the best attorneys or loopholes we could find. But what really got you out was the witness recanting. Sadly, a deal like that don’t come around for free.”

“You’re still not making sense to me.”

“You asked about the cocaine and gun connect. Officially, we don’t do business with the Callahans no more. No one does.” If the Callahans were off the table, that meant technically we were the biggest plate on the table. Only family giving us a run for our money was the Callahans, what could have made them lose favor in three years?

“What does that have to do with me?”

“One of our connects has relations with the witness’ people. When they came to us with a promise to recant, our ears were open. But we have reason not to trust each other. So as an act of good faith, someone on their side is to be arranged to be wed with someone on our side to ensure the peace between both parties.”

All of a sudden it began to register why I was met with silence whenever it came to me being with a woman. “Hell fucking no?—”

Any attempt at running was thwarted by Paddy and Bellamy holding me down. “You don’t have a choice, Cill. The wedding’s the last stop,” Tadhg concluded.

“That’s why you wasted the day, because you promised me to some hag?” I looked to them accusingly.

“If we had told you, you would have tried to run?—”

“You damn right I would have run. Why it gotta be me?”

“Because,” Tadhg hit me with his stoic blue eyes. “The lass was just as reluctant. Wouldn’t even consider it if the arrangement wasn’t to someone closer to her own age. That left Bellamy and me out. Paddy would’ve been too much for a lass like that. You’re the right age, it’s done.”

“Plus,” Paddy lips curled into sinister smile. “You did shoot a priest out in the open, so in a wicked sort of way, it kinda has to be you,” he ended in a laugh.

“She must be hideous,” I accused, trying to outpace my beating heart and shortness of breath.

“We don't know what she looks like but…there's something else we have to tell you. And this is the hardest part. It’s understandable if there’s a little pushback.”

“As opposed to marrying someone I don’t know?”

“Yeah, and you might need another drink for it,” as Paddy handed me the flask again.

“The lass in question. She’s a Colored woman.”

Trying to study my brother's reactions, I hoped a smile would crack to convince this me with this was a prank. “You gotta be codding me?”

“We're afraid we're not.”

It all took a second from my calm madness to become downright livid. “I ain't marrying no fucking Black girl.”

“What's done is done. It's already arranged, so if you go back on it now, there'll be consequences.”

“Why can’t you get Bellamy to do it? He's got his cock buried deep in one of them every other week!”

“We already offered Bell, but they were clear on the terms.”

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