Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I told you not to worry about it. You should never have—”
“Liam, you need to know what really happened.”
“I already told you everything I remembered.” I didn’t want those memories back.
Val ran his hand up and down my legs, trying to soothe me. “I know you told me exactly what you saw, and I knew there were possible explanations for the driver’s behavior. He could have been drunk or lost control, then gotten scared and ran.”
I didn’t want any of this to be true, but I saw how serious Val’s expression was. “You’re sure that’s not what happened?”
“I am. We don’t have to talk about the accident itself, but I need to know what happened then to protect you now.”
I leaned into the couch and closed my eyes. “None of this makes any sense. My father was never gone at night. He never….”
“Give me a chance to explain what I know, then we can see if we can piece together anything else.”
I didn’t want to wait. I was full of so many questions, but it would be good to know the facts first. I sat up straighter and looked at him. “Okay.”
“After I realized the man who attacked you had been watching you before you started dancing at the club, I knew we needed answers, so I asked my people to look into your past.”
“Without telling me?”
He sighed. “Yes. If we have people connected to the Irish coming onto our turf, trying to take out someone who’s working for us. I need to know about it.”
“Did that mean you had to keep it from me?”
He rubbed my feet as he replied. “I didn’t want to freak you out if I was wrong.”
“Or you were hoping I wouldn’t find out.”
Val shook his head. “I was always going to tell you if I learned that my suspicions were true.”
It was going to take me a long time to process all this, if I ever could. “My family seemed like a regular family.”
“Your parents were trying to protect you by sticking to their new roles. Let me tell you the rest of what I know.”
I nodded. As crazy as this was, I couldn’t actually hide from it.
“Your father is related to the O’Keefe family. He was known as Sharps before you were born. Back then, the O’Keefes ran things in Irish territory. There was a power grab when you were a baby. A lot of people were eliminated, some disappeared with no one knowing if they were dead or somewhere in hiding. Some just kept a low profile and stayed quiet.”
“You’re saying that’s what my dad did?”
Val shook his head. “I’m saying that’s what John O’Keefe did. He helped your father change his identity, because the McConnells—the family that took over—would’ve wanted to track him down. Your father was a talented assassin. He changed his name and everything about his identity, then worked in some capacity for the O’Keefes, possibly actually doing something clerical like accounting.”
“Was he still…did he still kill people?”
“I don’t think so, not at first at least.”
Was this all true? I had been horrified at the easy way Val killed when my whole childhood I was living with an assassin. “He must’ve been being paid for something. I mean, we always had enough money.”
“Enough to look like you lived on accountant’s salary, not like—”
“We were rich.”
“Right.”
Except where did the money go if my parents had been rich before? And why did they leave me and Ava out of their wills? “So the McConnells found out who my father really was?”
Val reached for my hand, and I was thankful to have something to hold on to. “Someone did, and they staged a car crash to eliminate him, probably thinking it was the best way to prevent any connection to them.”
“But there was no guarantee anyone would die in the crash.”
“That’s right, but the McConnells would eventually have seen to things one way or another. You didn’t cause the accident. There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent it.”
“Maybe my father could have. Maybe he could not have done what he did for the family. Maybe he could’ve left Boston.”
Val frowned. “If any of those maybes were true, then you wouldn’t be here with me now.”
I let out a long breath. There were so many thoughts running through my head. Everything I’ve ever known had suddenly shifted. Part of me really wanted Ava there. “Tell me my sister isn’t some super spy working for the Irish.”
Val smiled. “Not that we know of. I think she’s trying to make it through college and really worried about her brother.”
“Have you been spying on her too?” Would she tell me if she thought someone was following her?
“I’m making sure she stays safe, that’s all.”
I didn’t love that, but I was thankful for his protection. “Why would these people come after me now?”