Page 177 of Deceived Wrath

“There’s a brother-in-law.”

“I’m aware. From what Fiona has said, he’s an ass. He’s refusing to let her see her nieces.”

“He’s got opinions, that’s for sure. And a lot of resentment. If anyone’s going to fill in the blanks that Fiona hasn’t, it’s him.”

This is the part I’ve been dreading.

“I want his number.”

“You sure? Once you make this call, you can’t unhear what he tells you.”

“I’m already past that.”

“Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you hear what he has to say.”

The line goes dead, and a second later, a message pops up with a number.

I stare at it for a beat, wondering if this is a door I want to open. But if I have any chance of a future with Fiona, I need to know what I’m getting into, not just for my own sake but for Scout’s too. I just hope that my instincts were right and that she is the person I think she is.

I hit dial and suck in a breath as I wait for the call to connect.

“This is Joe,” a gruff voice answers almost defensively.

“Joe. Cormac Sullivan.”

There’s silence while my name registers.

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk about Fiona.”

A bitter laugh crackles down the line. “Why am I not surprised she managed to bag herself another one? A Sullivan… Even for Fiona, that’s impressive. She must be seriously good at sucking?—”

“I’m not interested in being your sounding board.”

“Then what do you want?”

I close my eyes and lean back against the desk in Kieran’s office, my fingers tightening around the phone.

This was a long shot. People don’t like revisiting their ghosts. Believe me, I should know.

“She’s been worried about her nieces. About Amber. I thought?—”

“You thought wrong. And if you’re calling to tell me she wants back into our lives, save your breath. She made her choices.”

The words land heavier than they should.

“What choices?”

Another pause, though it’s longer this time. I can almost hear him debating whether to hang up.

“You really don’t know,” he finally says.

Something cold settles in my gut.

“Know what?”

Joe exhales hard. “Jesus Christ. She didn’t tell you any of it, did she?”