“Don’t wait so long to call us next time, child. You are a part of our family, always will be.”
“Thank you, that means…more than you’ll ever know, both of you.”
“He would have made an excellent father, and you…” She tried to hide her sniffle. “A deserving mother. I’ll keep you in my prayers, Odie.”
Now, it was my turn to hide my sorrow. “Goodbye, Mom and Dad.”
I took a few moments to gather myself before approaching the door. If they waited this long to see me, another few minutes wouldn’t hurt. The lounge pants and camisole I wore covered all of my lady bits, so I didn’t bother with a robe.
“Who is it?” I yelled before releasing the locks.
No answer.
Strange.
I made a show of unlatching the six deadbolts. “There better be a Publishers Clearinghouse representative with a big fucking check, banging on my goddamn door this time of night. Do you know…”
Whatever else I felt like shouting was caught on a panicked gasp and morphed into a strangled scream. I corralled my beating heart long enough to read the message written across my doorway in blood.
Dirty Slut.
Off to the left, a dead fish hung from the outside light, its eyes glazed over and staring right at me. A wave of nausea gripped me by the throat as my body broke out in a blast of sweat. Motherfucking, shit-ass fuck. I knew the person responsible for this mess. Somehow, someway, he was the cause. I grabbed my phone and purse and ran blindly towards my car, not bothering with important stuff like a pair of shoes. If Mac thought he could get away with this shit, he had another think coming. It was time I went to the mattresses on his ass.
CHAPTER 23
MacCabe
I MET WITH Ferdi inside my office an hour later. Otelia had fled by then, much to my disappointment, or perhaps it was for the better. Another second with my hand on her tits while her ass was grinding against my cock, and I would’ve embarrassingly come in my pants. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected her to show up here, at an underground fight club, looking like a walking wet dream. It had been three weeks since the bout at the junkyard and the last time I’d set eyes on her. Pissed as hell, spouting bullshit about how much she hated me and wished my dick would fall off. The feistiness in her tone after the thrill of victory made my balls tighten to the point of explosion. I’d released her with a single kiss, a farewell, or so I’d thought. Watching her flirt shamelessly with Ferdi bought it all back like a tidal wave—the need, the want, the fire. Her escape didn’t help my mood any. Leaving me with a hard dick and no outlet was not conducive to the bad news Ferdi reported. One name was all it took for the bottom to drop out and for shit to go nuclear.
Kallum O’Brien.
“He started making moves about six months ago, slow at first, undetectable,” Ferdi shared. “Now, he’s balls to the wall, throwing cash around like Skittles. If that doesn’t work, he’s spreading rumors, plans to put us out of business by any means necessary. That said, he’d be the only game in town once we’re eliminated, no other choice but to go his way.”
“What makes him think it’s that fucking easy?” I growled. “We’re just supposed to bend over and spread our ass cheeks for the fucking?”
“No clue, but the fighters are getting restless. Don’t wanna lose their roids, tax free income, fresh pussy, or whatever else that keeps them coming back to the ring.”
“Find out who’s on the fence that might be considering jumping. Convince them of the health risks associated with that decision, Ferdi. We break ground on our new facility in a few days. The last thing we need is bullshit rumors fucking with our expansion.”
“I agree, Darragh.” He rubbed a hand down his stubbled face. His brows pinched together, shoulders hunched in concentration. Something else was on his mind.
“What is it?” I snapped.
“Wanna tell me what the fuck Bella O’Brien was doing here? Could be why her old man is on the war path, gunning for our piece of the underground fights.”
I did not want to have to get into this with him. “It’s handled. She won’t be coming back.”
“Please tell me you did not fuck that man’s wife, Darragh. Jesus fucking…do you have any idea the kind of shit storm something like that could bring if word got out?”
Ferdi was too perceptive for his own good. Of course, he would know about Bella’s unexpected visit. Nothing happened within these four walls that he wasn’t privy to or acquainted with. His ass was on his shoulders for a reason, one I couldn’t exactly blame him for, but still, what was done was done. I didn’t need him to tell me how badly I’d fucked up.
“I said it’s handled. Sack up and handle business, end of.”
Lying to each other was against the rules, but lying to myself? Well, that was another story. Truth was, I hadn’t handled a damn thing pertaining to Bella. Filling her with my hard cock didn’t count. Had she confessed her longing for me to her husband, and that was the reason for his newfound interest? Were they working together to distract me long enough to steal my hard work right from under me? Was it all just a bunch of fucking bullshit, the apology, the promise of everlasting devotion? Whatever the motive, it still amounted to the same fucking thing. My business was being threatened, and that, simply, would not do. A strange look crossed Ferdi’s brooding features before he shook his head as if to clear it. Frustration evident in his harsh gaze and biting words.
“Otelia seems nice,” he nudged. “Does she know you’re fucking a married woman? No wonder you were all up in my shit because I was talking to her. Your invited guest, my ass. You got a thing for her.”
“What the fuck is this, Ferdi? Do your fucking job and stop worrying about shit that doesn’t concern you, and that includes Otelia. It’s none of your business where I stick my dick.”
I endured Ferdi’s surly mood, antagonistic scowl, and combative retorts every time we tried to navigate our way through this minefield of invading enemies. We prided ourselves on working as a team—two men, one collective brain, acting in tandem to further our agenda. No secrets, no lies, and loyalty above all else. We were not functioning on the same vibe at the moment, which sucked big, hairy dick. Attendance at the fights had gone down twenty percent in a matter of days, which I explained away as coincidence. Ferdi thought differently.
Things had to be handled delicately and with the Boston family in mind. You didn’t just go up against a boss with your dick in your hand. There were rules, expectations. It wasn’t unusual for mafiosos to expand their interest into other money-making endeavors. I didn’t hold the monopoly on underground fights, but that didn’t mean I had to share either. Remington was my territory, my fucking hard work. I wasn’t about to give it up under any circumstances. I’d been kicking this shit around in my head for days and coming up empty. I preferred to be alone with my thoughts, so I sent Ferdi to question the remaining fighters about O’Brien’s offer. They needed to know that disloyalty would be met with swift retribution.
The private intercom buzzed inside my penthouse, which was hella strange this time of night. I walked over and pressed the button, ready to tear into someone’s ass for disturbing me.