Page 39 of Fix You

“Yep. It sounds like being from Northern Ireland. Even though we belong to the UK, our hearts are forever and always Irish.”

A moment of silence passed between us before Maeve questioned, “Did you really come out here to get away from all the Irishmen?”

Chuckling, I waved the cigarette and lighter in my hand at her. “I needed a smoke.” When Maeve wrinkled her nose, I cocked my brows. “Is that judgment on your pretty face, Miss Kavanaugh”

She ducked her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I was only teasing you.”

“It just reminds me of my father. But cigars were his passion.”

“From what little I’ve heard about him, I don’t owe you any condolences on his loss.”

Maeve laughed bitterly. “That’s right.”

After I took a long drag on my cigarette, I mused, “Is there some unwritten rule that all mafia leaders are absolute bastards as fathers?”

“That’s been my experience.”

“Mine as well.”

Her face softened. “But when his time comes, Callum will be a kind, loving father.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

“How can you be so certain?” When Maeve cocked her brows at me, I held up my hands. “I’m not trying to be argumentative. I’m just curious how you can be so certain. Since he’ll be the father to Caterina’s children, I certainly want to believe you.”

“My father was a true textbook psychopath. One trait of a psychopath is taking sadistic pleasure in causing pain to others. You would imagine that would do him well in his line of work.” A shudder ran through her. “But he never turned that side of himself off even when he was home. He beat my mother, he beat my brothers–” she swallowed hard, “and he beat me.”

My eyes widened at her declaration. “Jesus, Maeve, I’m so sorry.” As I stared into her wounded eyes, I couldn’t begin to wrap my head around the physical pain she’d been forced to endure. Shaking my head, I replied, “My father might’ve cuffed the back of my brothers and my heads or shoved us when he was pissed, but he never, ever laid a hand on my mother or Caterina.” With a grimace, I added, “I mean, I guess the fact he had his men fire on her car when she and Callum were escaping negates that last comment, huh?”

She gave me a rueful smile. “While that’s pretty horrible, I still think I won the Biggest Bastard for a Father award.”

“Yeah, I’d have to agree.” As I extinguished my cigarette, Maeve’s declaration sent a different unease prickling along my spine. One that involved Caterina’s safety. “You say Callum will be a good father, but in light of what you just told me about your father, will he be a good husband?”

Maeve vehemently nodded her head. “I swear to the saints that Callum isnothinglike my father. He doesn’t have one psychopathic tendency. He has the biggest heart, and he would do anything for the ones he loves.”

“Maybe you’re biased.”

“Maybe I am.” Her expression became haunted. “In the end, all I know is he killed our father for me.”

I stared at Maeve in disbelief. Everyone in the underworld knew that Callum had blown his father’s brains out. Regardless of how big a bastard Hugh Kavanaugh was, Callum’s act of patricide had alienated many in our world. No one had ever questioned the reasons why. It was assumed he’d done it in a grab for power.

“Did he kill your father to stop him from abusing you?”

Anguish flickered in Maeve’s emerald eyes. Her hands trembled as she brought her arms up to crisscross them over herchest, hugging herself tight. Staring out at the city, her voice was barely above a whisper. “You could say that.”

There was so much more I wanted to ask her about what had happened with her father. But I stopped myself. The last thing on earth I wanted to do was hurt Maeve, and there seemed to be so much pain where her father was concerned.

After surmising her for a few moments, I pronounced, “You’re right. Callum will make a good husband.”

She jerked her gaze back to mine. “You really mean that?”

“As long as he’s capable of loving Caterina.”

“Why wouldn’t he be?”

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