Page 65 of Vow of Revenge
His face was ashen like an apparition appeared out of the woodwork. Clearing his throat, he dropped his arms, holding out his hand.
“A pleasure to meet you, Freya. The ladies are in the library if you would care to join them. Gentlemen, a word in my study, if you please.”
Freya shook his hand, turned to me and kissed my cheek before walking off to rescue her sister from my aunt Angie.
Brett patted my bicep. “Look at you, smiling like a happy asshole.”
“Has Tilly been in touch?” Before I left Dublin, I arranged for her to stay with her best friend for the night.
“She’s having fun at her sleepover. She didn’t like leaving Champ alone at your house. I told her the housekeeper would give him plenty treats. Right now, I want to know what you’re up to. Have you finally worked out what’s going on here?” He poked my chest. “You better not fuck things up between Syrah and I.”
“The study, now!” Uncle Sean interrupted, his voice strained and his footsteps fast and heavy.
The hefty wooden door slammed shut. Brett strode to the long window, his hands in his pockets. “What’s all this about, father?” he asked, propping himself on the walnut writing desk.
“You brought, Syrah Beaumont here!” He spun to face me with his forehead furrowed.
“And you, Kaleb, you brought her! I can guarantee you both that, Calvin Beautmont has not a fucking clue his girls are in Hanley,” he snarled, running his hands through thick greying hair.
Brett spoke first while I tried to read Uncle Sean’s misplaced anger. “Syrah wanted to meet you both first before she told him.”
“Oh, fucking hell!” he yelled, slamming his fist into a chocolate brown wing back chair. “Of all the women in all the world you had to bring home a Beaumont... and her.”
I was utterly lost in this conversation. Uncle Sean was being totally irrational. “What have you got against, Syrah?” I asked, shaking my head.
Brett caught my eye. “Not, Syrah. Freya is the problem.”
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on here?” My shoulders arched and a stabbing pain spliced between my ribs.
“You need to stay the hell away from Freya, Kaleb. You boys have opened a massive fucking can of worms. Beaumont is the head of Vertus Circulo, for heaven’s sake. You know, the same society of rich men that you aren’t allowed into because…” He paused. “I legally changed your surname from Kingston to De Courcy to see if that would be enough for Cal to forgive and forget. It’s not your fault your father was…” Uncle Sean squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “Cal didn’t want a living blood relative of your father’s anywhere near the club, or his family.”
“I don’t understand. You told me I could join the club in a few years? What the fuck is his problem with my father?”
“Oh, for Christ sake, I can’t even talk about this now.” Uncle Sean began to pace, clutching his heart for either comfort, or because he was going to have a heart attack. “He has the power to ruin all of us with one phone call. He knows things, from the past. You won’t understand. Neither of you will.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked, keeping the swell of irritation at low tide. “I’m not going to end things with her until you tell me why.”
“With your track record? Are you serious, Kaleb? All of Ireland knows how you treat women. Do you even need to ask that question? Brett perhaps has more redeemable qualities, but you’ve always used and abused women. We tried everything to get you help growing up, but you fuck women and throw them out with the rubbish. You’re just like him.”
Was he the same? “I don’t understand?”
Uncle Sean sighed heavily, the events of the last half hour showing on his creased face. “Look, Kaleb, I love you as if you were my own son. I’m telling you to stay away from Freya, please, for all our sakes. Beaumont will ruin me. Everything we have will go up in flames if you fuck about with the girl.” He scrubbed a hand over his face.
My jaw twitched. “What does he have over you, Sean?” I demanded answers. This was crazy talk.
Uncle Sean turned away, avoiding the truth. “He knows enough. Concrete evidence of something the members did a long time ago. Kaleb, please, I beg you – get rid of the girl. She’s no different to any of the others you’ve tossed away.” His head lowered.
My chest tightened. I didn’t want to let go, but I knew, I just knew we never stood a real chance anyway. And now, standing before my uncle, the man who took me in without question, I was in no doubt that any hope of being with Freya was a mistake.
“I need to know what the fuck is going on, Sean.” I paced the room. My hands balled when I thought about leaving her behind. “Why does Beaumont hate my father?”
“I can’t talk about it with those girls in this house. Please, Kaleb, don’t mess around with her.” He faced Brett. “As for you, son. I can deal with Calvin if he calls about Syrah. Cool things off for now until he hears it from his own daughter’s mouth. Then we can gauge where this is going. I can tell you both right here, right now, there is no way on this planet he will let Kaleb anywhere near Freya.”
His voice spun a web of words that clung to my skin, each of them biting and grappling to find my heart and squeeze it to death.
“Why?”
“Jesus Christ, Kaleb, don’t fight me on this.”
