My hope, p.11
My Hope, page 11
“Little Brother, you’ve made a big mistake. You killed our father, but he was the only reason I didn’t kill you, to begin with. And now, thanks to you, I am head of the Kavanagh Family.”
“And what about mother, what about justice for her?” I asked.
“She was a traitor, trying to take you with her. I would’ve killed her too. She doesn’t need justice.” He spat out.
“Quinn. Just as I expected. That is exactly what I thought you would say. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” I made my way down the steps and Ronan followed behind me into the basement. “You remember our grandfather, Ronan.”
I saw the shock register on his face, as he looked between me and Ronan. “He was quite interested, and disappointed, to hear the story of Kathryn Kelly.”
“What have you done, Wilder?” Quinn questioned.
“Everything I needed to. I will have a life. And I will have Anna if she will have me.” I turned to Ronan, “I will leave you to it, grandfather.” I left Quinn in the basement of the house; I had agreed to let Ronan and his men have their own retribution for my mother. It was something I could give up in exchange for my future.
Stepping into the cool, silent night air, I called Levi.
“Where is she?”
“I dropped her off with Alexis. Are you okay?” He wanted to be there, but he had gotten out of the family. I didn’t need to be the one to drag him back in.
“I will be. Thank you, Levi.” My heart felt sure. No matter what happened from now on, my life would be my own. I wouldn’t have to hide behind secrets.
“Are you going to go to her?” Levi asked.
“Not tonight.” I wouldn’t go to her. She needed space away from me and from the darkness I represented. When I go to her, I want to be the man she deserved.
30
Chapter 30
ANNA
Today was overcast and dreary. The storm clouds had rolled in by early afternoon. I took Luna for a walk along the lake. As I was sitting on the shoreline and throwing a stick for Luna. I thought about what my parents would think about Wilder. They’d want someone hardworking and kind. Someone I could trust to take care of me and be honest.
I was put in danger because of Wilder. My father would also say, a man deserves a chance to do what’s right. Wilder came for me. I wanted to give him a chance to be honest. I had texted him earlier asking to meet. If anything, I wanted to know what would happen with him now, what had happened to Quinn that night.
I thought about what I wanted in my future as I walked Luna toward Wilder’s apartment. My life had changed so drastically in the months since Wilder saved me at the club. I experienced being in love and being hurt both emotionally and physically. I experienced fear, but the fear that I might let true love slip through my fingers still clung to my heart. Could I look past the hurt that Wilder had caused to others, was he still going to leave his family? The doorman greeted me and used his card to allow me access to Wilder’s floor.
I took a deep breath before I stepped off of the elevator. Wilder stood in front of the big windows overlooking the Chicago skyline. I was reminded of the first time I saw him at the club, it was the first time that I got to really see him. He held his broad shoulders back, and I could see the strong jaw and arms that imposed power upon people. But this time there was concern and love etched on his face.
Rain streaked down the window as I go to stand beside him. I watched as the Centennial Wheel slowly spun around on the Navy pier.
“I’m glad you texted, I was worried about you,” he said, still looking out the window. “I didn’t know if you would want to see me again.”
“I didn’t know either. What happened, Wilder? What made everything go so bad?” I turned to him, my voice cracked, tears already threatening to spill over.
Wilder’s embrace enveloped me, and amidst the scent of whiskey and earth, there was a comfort I had forgotten. I looked down at my hands in his and waited for him to start.
“My mother left me when I was merely four,” he began, his words carrying the weight of a lifelong narrative. “That’s what I’ve been told for as long as I can remember. My father raised me and my brother, with help from nannies. But it was clear that my brother was being prepared to inherit the family legacy, while I was molded into my father’s personal enforcer.”
As Wilder shifted uncomfortably, his shuffling movements and avoidance of eye contact hinted at his unease. It became evident that this was a side of him he had rarely shared.
“Anna, I have a very bad side to me. It is dark, secretive, and violent. And for a long time, this is all I was. I did not particularly enjoy it, but I was what my father needed me to be, and I was very good at it.
“And then I met you. You were everything I wasn’t. You were kind and giving, you unveiled a different side of me that I didn’t have access to before you. To have something so pure in my life, I would’ve given anything to keep you from finding out who I was.” Wilder kept talking, as though once he started he was afraid to stop.
“About a month ago, I accepted a job from my father. One of our accountants, who had stolen from us, had gone into hiding and my father asked me to find him. I did, but when I was there he told me some things about my mom, things that were different from what my father had told me.
“I wanted to get more information from him. I’m being honest with you, I was probably going to kill him regardless because that was my job, but he pulled a gun on me and I was given no choice. I shot him before he could finish telling me what happened the night my mother left.
“I started asking around. It led me to Levi’s father. The night my mother left, he was there. He told me that my father killed my mother after she had tried to escape with me. He had been abusive and she wanted to go home to her family, a powerful partner of ours in Ireland.
“My father couldn’t let the Kelly’s know that he had killed their daughter, so he made a story up about her running off.”
Wilder looked to me, his eyes soft and searching for understanding. I didn’t know what to say. “How did all of this lead to me being taken?”
“I’m so sorry, Anna. I should’ve been able to protect you. I would’ve given anything to protect you.” Wilder’s face fell with pain. “Someone informed Quinn that I was asking these questions. They told him that Levi’s father had talked to me.
“You see, when my mother married my father, the Kelly’s gave him control of their business in the US. The Kelly’s are a powerful family in Ireland. In the US, at the time, they were starting to expand here. If they had known my father had murdered my mother, they would take their men back and it would have begun a war between the families. And we would’ve lost.”
“By asking these questions, I was threatening the well-being of the family, and my brother’s future rise to the head of the Kavanaghs. He knew his power and wealth were at stake. He came to see me that night, to threaten me maybe, I don’t know what. But he saw you and he saw that you could be important to me. So he took you to control me. He didn’t know what I was going to do with the information I had, hell, I didn’t know. But he thought that I would roll over if your life was at stake.
“What happened to Quinn?” I whispered.
“My grandfather, Ronan, in Ireland. He was pissed when he heard what had happened to his daughter, my mother. He flew over that night and went with me to get you. He provided men that I could trust to provide cover against Quinn’s men.
“I had my father killed that morning, while he slept. I left Quinn with Ronan. I assume he is dead too. I am the last in line to take over as a Kavanagh.”
Wilder sat down at the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Everything that had happened to me, all the new information that had come to light. I walked up behind him.
I met his gaze, searching for answers in the depths of his eyes. “So, you’re the new head of the Kavanagh family?” The question hung in the air, the weight of our future hung in the balance.
His response was a gentle shake of the head, a silent confession. “I made a pact with Ronan. In exchange for his assistance in bringing you back, I agreed not to oppose him taking control of the business here in America. I sent word to the men the next morning. They are now a part of the Kelly family.”
“So what does this mean for you? For us?”
His eyes softened, carrying a glimmer of hope and determination. “I told you, Anna, I would leave that life behind. I would change—for you. You have been my guiding light, leading me away from the dark life I led before to the hope that I could have an honest future. I still own Aideen, which was never a part of the family business. I still have money for capital. I was thinking of taking a break and then maybe opening a new business.”
Hope surged within me, and desire bloomed in my chest. “So. What does that mean for us?” Could I possibly have a future with Wilder?
A vulnerable smile graced his face. “You are my hope, now and always, Anna. I love you,” he confessed, the sincerity in his voice washing over me like a comforting embrace. “Could you love me again?”
“I never stopped. I love you, Wilder.”
Find Me!
Hey there, lovely readers! I’m Rhea Dawson, your resident daydreamer and hopeless romantic. First off, a massive shout-out to my family for putting up with my absent-minded “I’m in the zone” moments and my plot line daydreams. A round of applause for my amazing online community. They have been my cheerleaders, my sounding boards, and the reason I haven’t resorted to pulling my hair out during the editing phase.
I can’t wait for you all to dive into the world of my characters. So grab a comfy blanket, a cup of your favorite beverage, and dive into this rollercoaster of emotions. Remember that the best stories are the ones we live and the ones we create. Cheers to the magic of love and the joy of a well-deserved happily ever after!
You can find more from me on Instagram @Rheadwsn
SNEAK PEEK
*****SNEAK PEEK*****
EMMA
“I’m going to be a cat lady. I hate cats.” I groaned and tossed my jacket and purse on Caroline’s table and flopped myself onto the couch. Caroline lifted my legs and sat on the couch beside me. Setting my legs on her lap, she handed me a glass of wine and said, “I told you he was an ass.” If Caroline could get her I told you so’s into a conversation, she would. She was the closest person in my life, my ride-or-die, my person.
“Thanks for the support, bestie. This wine won’t cut it. I need something stronger.” I grumbled through a Snicker’s bar that I had pulled from my purse, chocolate flakes falling down my stained tee. “You don’t even know what happened.”
“I don’t need to know. I know how sleazy Paul is. And I am supporting you. I was supporting you when you came crying to me the first time you caught Paul cheating, and the second time. You didn’t listen to me when I said to drop his ass for good.” Caroline was always honest. I could count on her for that. It was just one of the perks of having the same best friend since you were five. “Listen, come out with us tonight. We’re going to the club. James is the DD. We can get really drunk.” Caroline giggled. “Maybe you can even find someone to help you forget you know who.” Caroline supported the philosophy of getting over someone by getting under someone. I envied her ability to allow herself to be free and unburdened by how others might view her.
“Ew, Caroline. One, He’s not Voldemort, you can say his name, and two, I don’t do one-night stands. You know that. Besides, I have to work tomorrow.” She wasn’t going to get me to go out tonight. I wanted to feel miserable because she was right. I had let Paul walk all over me, and she had told me to drop him and I refused to listen. I deserved to wallow in my tears and ratty PJs for at least 3 days.
Paul’s name popped up on my phone as he called, again. I caught him in bed with some girl and he had been texting and calling nonstop since I walked out of his apartment. He probably thinks that I will come crawling back. Like I have, every other pathetic time. Why was I like this, I didn’t want to be the girl who would let someone treat her this way.
“Don’t answer that.” My wine threatened to spill as a couch pillow came barreling toward me from the kitchen. “You’re coming.” She threatened me with another pillow. I swiped ignore on the phone call and resigned myself to a night out with my drunk friends.
“Why am I like this?” I whined to my best friend.
“Because. You believe in love and fairy tale endings. You refuse to give up on people and you think everyone should get second chances.” She consoled me. “That’s not a bad thing, but it means you can get a broken heart easier.” There was a safe and secure feeling when you’ve known someone your whole life. I knew her strengths and weaknesses just like she knew mine. I loved her and she loved me. She would tell me when I was making a mistake but she would be there to pick up the pieces regardless.
Another text from Paul chimed through.
Don’t ignore me, Emma. You are mine and you will realize that soon enough.
“Was that Paul again?” Caroline peeked her head around the door of her bedroom.
“Nope, just my mom checking in.” I didn’t like lying to Caroline. But I didn’t want to admit to her that Paul may not just be sleazy. He had slowly started getting more possessive and the longer I ignored him the darker the texts had become. The heavy feeling in my stomach grew.
I don’t know how I fell so deep and so fast for Paul. He was charming and I was blinded by his lavish lifestyle. He never worried about how much money he was spending, always telling me that “I deserved to have the world.”. But I’d known for a while that Paul was not the most honest. His work was shady, never giving me too much information about what he did or where he was. And he became so possessive of me, while he also pursued other girls. He liked to call the shots and be in control. He had never gotten physically aggressive but my brain had started fearing that I wouldn’t put it past him. Every other time our relationship was on the outs, I went back and fell for his smooth talking. Not this time. This time, I was cutting him out, cold turkey.
I didn’t want to hear another lecture from Caroline, so I deleted the text and turned my phone off. I poured myself another glass of wine while I searched through Caroline’s closet for a dress to wear.
The club was busy when we got there. I had expected it because I worked there. It was located in the downtown area of Ashfell and was a hotspot for weekend nightlife. The DJ was perched up high above the crowd, illuminated by pulsating lights and a pounding beat. I tended the bar and served drinks 4 nights a week. It’s where I met Paul. Some creeper kept grabbing my ass when I served him drinks. Paul swooped in and saved the day. He was like a knight in shining armor, he spoiled me with gifts and attention. He never asked me to pay for things or to cover his bills like my list of loser exes had before him. Caroline was right, I believed in love and fairy tales and that allowed me to overlook all the bright fire engine red flags. Maybe I needed to take a break from men in general. It didn’t seem like I had a radar for the good ones. Or maybe I needed to let my mom set me up on that blind date she wanted to. It couldn’t be worse than the guys I had picked.
“I’ll get us some drinks,” I said as I made my way to the bar, while the rest of the group pushed their way through to a table. The club itself had a pretty typical layout, with a couple of bars on opposite sides of the vast building, booths along the walls, and high-top tables surrounding the center of the room where the dance floor was located. The DJ was loud, blaring house music and sending neon lights flying across the dance floor. It wasn’t somewhere that you go to for a nice conversation. It was set up for lots of alcohol and sweaty, dancing bodies.
“4 shots of tequila,” I yelled over the music. “And a water,” I added for James. I paid for the drinks and carried them back to the table, dodging the mass of people. My love life may be shit right now, but I was going to try to have some fun tonight.
“Shots everyone!” Caroline squealed, as I handed them out. I downed a few shots before Caroline grabbed my hand and we all went to the dance floor. I felt the alcohol make its way through my body as I moved to the music. My arms were held up high, and all four of us swung around and gyrated and twisted against each other. I closed my eyes and forgot about my life.
