Page 72 of The Past

His nostrils flared, his voice ice cold.“Then ye leave me no choice.”His next words stole the air from my lungs.“If ye won’t marry Brian, then Siobhan will.”

The world tilted beneath my feet.I could feel the blood drain from my face and my ears started ringing.“What?”

Seamus stepped closer, lips curled in a vicious smile.“Ye don’t care about my authority or Glenhaven.But do ye care about yer sister?Do ye care enough to save her?”

The bastard.I am not prone to violence but Jesus have mercy on my soul, I wanted to punch him square in the nose.

“Ye wouldn’t,” I whispered.

His head tilted slightly.“Wouldn’t I?”He exhaled, feigning disappointment.“Siobhan is of age for an arrangement.Sixteen is the legal age for parental permission in Northern Ireland and I’ll gladly give it for the right match.It would only take a quick phone call to Michael Kavanagh.”

Bile rose in my throat.I couldn’t even believe he would think of doing that, but then again, he was ready to auction me.I honestly didn’t know if I could bear it if Siobhan inherited my mess because I refused.

Tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall.I kept my mouth shut because my mind was spinning far too fast for me to speak with any competency.

My father exhaled through his nose, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.“Ye think about that.”

Then he turned, disappearing into the mist like a ghost I wished I’d only imagined.I stood there, frozen, my breath shallow for I don’t know how long.I rubbed at my arms, staring at Conlan Manor with its glowing lights just visible through the fog.It would only take for me to walk across the field and into that home, agreeing to do everything my father asked and Siobhan would be free to live her life as she wanted.

Warm hands settled on my shoulders and my entire body relaxed under Tommy’s touch.

“Fi?”His voice was soft, concerned.“Are you okay?”

I shook my head.“My da was just here.”

Tommy came around so he could look me in the face.“What the hell did he say to you?”

“He told me to come home.”

Tommy’s head whipped toward my house.“Like hell you are.”

I was silent and he looked back to me.“You’re not thinking of going back, are you?”

I gaped at him in desperation.“I don’t want to.But… he said he’d make Siobhan marry Brian if I didn’t.”

A torrent of curses came out of Tommy’s mouth.I wanted to comfort him and assure him that I’d never do as my father demanded, but I just didn’t know.

I had no clue what to do.

CHAPTER 25

Tommy

Ipressed thephone tighter against my ear, my free hand gripping the back of the chair as I listened to my dad’s steady voice.The kitchen in Rory’s cottage was quiet except for the occasional clink of silverware against plates as Fiona and Kathleen finished dinner at the table, but I knew they were both listening.

“So, who’s running things now?”my dad asked.

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my forehead.“That’s the thing—no one really knows.Rory’s foreman has the training going, and the horses are being cared for, but past that?It’s a mess.The staff is still showing up, still working, but there’s no real leadership.No one’s stepping up to make decisions because no one knows who has the right to.”

“What about Rory’s brother?”

I glanced back at Fiona, focused on her plate.I didn’t want to say anything about him or the things he had said to her after the funeral three days ago.

I merely said, “He hasn’t been around.”

And I had no idea if that meant he had given up on pulling Fiona back in and had auctioned off Siobhan, or if he was merely giving Fiona time to come to the right conclusion.I hoped to fucking God it was to marry me, but I had no control over this.Fiona had to do what was best for her and her conscience, and the unknown of it was killing me.

Dad exhaled through the phone, the crackle of a radio in the background.He must’ve still been at the barn.“And what about you?What are you planning?”

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