by J Haney
“Jesus!” Onóra drops her head against the seat. “He can take us back and let us I don’t know, change.”
“No time.” I say looking at my watch. “Tea service begins in ten.”
“If ya need new clothes there are always servants uniforms. Though I do not think ya be likin’ the maid's uniforms.” Devon quips. “A lot of ass shows.”
“Men are such pigs!” She snaps. “Let’s just get this over with and get the hell out of Ireland.”
We walk into the manor, and it’s not as opulent inside as out. It’s lived in, almost homey. While guards were posted outside the inside is without all the bells and whistles. Much like when I was at Antaine’s, we are taken through the house. Taken to a vast garden with so many flowers, one could spend all day and not count them all. Iris, daylilies, and of course, roses, just to name a few. All colors and petal count. Amongst it all is a table set with Dermot O’Sullivan, Antaine and Paití Ó Mainchín, Antaine’s right hand. Beside the old man is Finn.
All three men stand as we approach, lookin’ like somethin’ the cat dragged in after playin’ with it for a good day and a half.
“Are you two a’right?” Antaine asks as Finn snorts.
“Did she hit you?”
I touch my face. “I may have had it comin’.”
The old man clears his throat, puttin’ out his hands as he comes round to me. “Rónán Donnelly. I’m sorry fer Rory. he was good people.” He reaches up and smooths my hair back; I’ve got about three inches on him. He turns to Onóra, and takes her hand, kissing the top. “It’s a pleasure. I always enjoyed talks with yer pa. He always spoke highly of you, now come to find yer joining the family. You are most welcome in my home.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t meet on better terms.”
“Ah, was never good when yer pa came, but we would have tea and make the best of a difficult situation. It’s what we do.” He motions to the chairs. “Please sit. Have a bite; young Finn has been indulging in the finger sandwiches and deviled eggs.”
“He’d eat himself to death if we’d let him.” Onóra laments.
“Aye, leave it to a growin’ boy to eat ya outta house and home.” He laughs as we sit.
As the tea is poured I help myself to a scone with cream and jam. Catching a look from Onóra, I ignore her.
“So, I understand you wish to ask something of me?” Dermot says, looking at Onóra. “Somethin’ that these two felt they needed to be here to hear.”
“It’s no secret my mother was Irish and father Italian. What I never knew is that she was Antaine’s sister. I’ve been to see Giovanni to get him to let go of the ties he had over Finn and myself. I’m here to ask the same of you. I’d like Finn to grow up differently than I had to. He deserves better, and I want to be the one to finish raising him. I’ve been doing it this long I should get to continue.”
Dermot looks at Antaine and then Onóra. “I’m confused. I thought that this young woman was not affiliated with the family. Michael, your pa, said it was so. Why then are you making her feel boxed in? She may have been born one of us, but she knows nothing of us.”
“Sir-” Paití tries to speak, but Antaine stops him.
“Yer right. I have also seen the girl and offered to give up familiar claims. I only wish to know her and Finn.” He looks at his nephew. “I couldn’t do right by their parents, but maybe I can do right by them and theirs.”
Dermot looks back to us. “And you. Rónán, while I’m pleased to see you. Why? What could have possibly dragged you back into the fray? You said you were done.”
I hear Onóra’s teeth grind. Just fuckin’ perfect. “I met a girl.”
“Aye, a beautiful one.” Dermot nods. “I assume you plan to take your knowledge with ya wherever ya end up?”
“May I?” Onóra asks. These men would never know how pissed she is with the way she sounds right now. She gains a nod then pulls the satchel up to her lap that was by her feet. “See, I’ve learned a thing or two over the years with the Italians. You can never be too prepared. This is purely to keep us out of harm's way.” She says as she’s pulling the documents from the bag. “As you see here we’ve got everything from accounts, to people who are hidden, safe houses. You get my point. It can all stay buried as long as we’re left alone. This is just one of many copies not counting the server he has everything uploaded to. If we; we being Rónán, Finn and myself, do not put in a code every twenty-four hours all information goes straight to the FBI and Interpol. We don’t want to start wars we just want to be safe as we’ve already had one visit that shouldn’t have happened.”
“Visit?” Dermot asks.
“Senan Ó Heanraig, she worked for me. Purely freelance. Seems I now know what happened to her.” Antaine finishes.
“Ah. Well, I think we can all agree enough blood has been shed over this whole matter. Yes?” Dermot looks to Onóra.
“I would hope so, but one can never be too careful.”
“Antaine, will we be having cause to show up in Chicago?”
“No. Sir.”
“Good. Now drink your tea, it’s getting cold.”
41 Onóra
We didn't stay in Limerick as long as we should have. I will take that on me. There was too much going on. It also didn't help Rónán’s black eye and the cut on it. Also, thanks to me. We got back to Kentucky late and just crashed. Everything about Limerick was a mess. Everything that happened and what was talked about. I've yet to speak to Rónán since finding out he was out. The idiot got back in for us. I am still sleeping in bed with him because to be without him is just as hard on me as him.
I’m up now trying to find food, but we have nothing. Guess I’m going to get stuff. Back to the bedroom, I go to get something on other than a tank and a pair of booty shorts. I’m in the closet pulling out a sundress while it’s still warm enough for me to wear them.
“Jeans may be more appropriate. If you plan on leaving me.” I turn, and Rónán is leaned against the closet door frame.
“Have I left yet? If I planned on leaving, Finn and I would have been gone in Limerick.”
“Just figured ya’d come to the conclusion this-” He points between us. “Was gearin’ up to be more than ya signed up for.”
“Just because I’m not happy with you doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you. However, I am leaving the house as there is no food in the kitchen.”
“Just wait there will be in about an hour. I put in for a delivery before we landed it will be here by eight.” He turns and walks away.
“You were out! You should have stayed that way. You could have been killed!” I’m letting my emotions get the best of me again, but at this point, I don’t know what else to do. If something would have happened to him, it would have been my fault.
“Ya needed help that only a handful of people could provide. Sure I could have turned ya away, but you’d be dead or worse by now if I had. Ya came lookin' for Rory. Rory was gone, I was left. I couldn’t let his debit be left open. Then… It was more than just a debit.”
“If something would have…” I trail off in a whisper; I can’t finish the words aloud. He turns to me.
“Look, I’ve been in this life, one way or another since birth. I got out once, and now twice. Helping ya was never a question of safety for me. I can well enough take care of m’self. Obviously, It was seeing this young woman that ya are, in need that made me wanna help. Just something about ya called to me. Come hell or high water I am here. My choice. I chose ya.”
I drop my dress on the dresser and go to him. “If you ever do something so stupid again, a black eye and baseball bat will be the least of your worries. Got me?”
He grabs my ass. “I got somethin’.” He grins impishly.
***
“Rónán, would you please decide what you’re packing and quit putting it off?”
Packing what’s going with us to Arizona was easy for Finn and myself. Rónán has been taking his sweet time for the last week. His black
eye has finally started to fade, but he’s working up to getting another at this point.
“Ya know if ya helped as much as ya bitch and moan at me, I’d be done by now?”
“Every time I’ve tried to help you tell me you’re not taking that or whatever I have doesn’t go in that box. You know we do have a kid that needs to start school sometime this year.”
“He ain't’ complain’, now is he? As for the stuff? You wanted to put a vibrator in with kitchen wares!”
“Does it really matter? We use it in there, don’t we?”
He rubs the bridge of his nose. “I’m gonna have to start really- forget it. Yes, it matters. You want the boy to unpack a ten-inch vibrating cock while lookin’ for a juice cup? He’d be scarred for life!”
“You think we haven’t already scarred the kid? It was just yesterday he caught us out back.”
“Yeah but he doesn’t need to know his sister likes a little DP while makin’ gnocchi.”
“And you come as har-” I’m interrupted by a knock at the door. “You expecting someone?”
He pulls the kitchen knife from the block. “Nope.”
We both go for the door together, Rónán with his knife and me with Finn’s bat. Rónán opens the door, and I ready the bat. I stop mid-swing when I see Tiberio.
He raises a brow. “Do I look like a ball coming down the centerline?”
“Sorry, we don’t normally have company. Plus we’re in the middle of packing.” I look behind him to make sure he’s alone or at least as alone as he can be. There's nobody coming after us, so I put the bat down. “Go put the knife away, Rónán.”
“I’m gonna put on the kettle.” He nods to Tiberio and palming the knife kisses my cheek before walking away.
“I apologize for my unannounced visit. I felt these things need to be delivered by hand.” He motions to the crates behind him.
“Thank you. Please come in but ignore the boxes in every room. Rónán is taking his sweet time on packing.”
He nods, and the men with him roll the crates in on dollies. “Where do you want a couple more boxes?”
“You can just leave them, and we’ll move them to the storage for now. Nowhere to add crates that big in here at the moment.”
“Put them down, leave the dollies, and get out.” Tiberio orders. The men do as they are told, closing the door behind them.
“So, you’re here now?”
He presses his fingers together like a steeple, as he sits on the couch. “It was needed. The Chicago family. It needs new management, what with what has happened.”
“I’m sorry to have caused so much trouble.” I sit across from him.
“Wasn’t all you, it seems someone called for Venanzio’s head and got it. The family is in an uproar. Scrambling and broke, the kid is not equipped to wrangle them all.”
“He wasn’t ready. They didn’t train him enough. Though with a little guidance, he could do the job as long as he stays far away from me.”
Tiberio nods. “It’s agreed. I’m to aid in his transition to Head of the Chicago family, and to guide him away from you. He so far has no interest in you, Finn or the things that his father wanted from your father. He wants to take us in new directions. I’m eager to see what he can do.”
I go to speak when Rónán comes in with a tray. He places it on the coffee table, “We’ve got more to pack.” I smile at Rónán. I’m sure he’s ready to kill me.
“I have tea and coffee; I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer. Also, the scones are fresh.” He sits beside me. The teapots, cups, and saucers all match. I swear he unpacked them, for this.
“Thankfully, Rónán is like Betty Crocker or Finn, and I would be obese or starved by now.”
“I'm not sure that’s a compliment.” Rónán shakes his head.
Tiberio laughs. “When did you marry?” He points at the rings.
“We haven’t; I just haven’t taken them off. We’ve not really talked about it much, actually.”
“It’s been a busy week and a half since we got engaged.”
“A whirlwind romance?”
“You could say that.” Rónán smiles.
“No time to rush things. We’ve got all the time in the world.” I pat Rónán’s leg. “Of course, that is if he ever gets packed. I’m about to leave without him.”
“Yeah, yeah. But who would help you make the gnocchi?” He licks his lips, and I turn bright red at the thought.
42 Rónán
How do you pack a life? How do you decide what to take and what to keep? I mean we are moving to a place sight unseen, for the most part. Sure we’ve talked to Sonny and Rose the caretakers, who gave us the video tour but it’s just not the same. I wanted to fly out before we make the move, but Onóra just wants to be done with it. With all that's happened in the last five months, I don’t rightly blame her; I just wish we had more time.
Everything has been packed, and the truck has been reserved. Most of the furniture here is antique, so it’s going up for auction this weekend. I figured if I'm selling out, I may as well go all the way. The property will get me an easy seven million, and I’m keeping the little house to rent as I don’t want to put out the girls. I’m also keeping the building where my business was, though I’ve cleaned it out. I’m done there. Only one thing left that I want to deal with.
“Wee bird?” I ask as she’s going over the car guru site for Arizona.
“Hey, I think I know what I want.” She says, looking up at me.
“Yeah? Show me.” I lean over her shoulder.
“It’s a twenty nineteen chroma crystal Lincoln Navigator. The first two rows are bucket seats with a third-row bench seat and still plenty of room in back for storage. It’s going to be roughly one hundred and twelve thousand, or we can make payments of fifteen hundred a month for thirty-six months to build my credit.”
“Ya realize I’d hafta co-sign for that?” I smile. “We’d be locked in, and ya’d really hafta be marryin’ me then.”
“It’s only thirty-six months; I can be rid of ya after that.”
“Aye, if ya think ya can handle it. Speakin’ of handlin’ things ya wouldn’t want to. How do ya feel about Zyrtec?”
“Why?” She asks curiously.
“I was doin’ a wee bit of research, and it’s good for allergies, especially dander, and is less likely to put ya down for the count like the Benadryl.” I say weary of her reaction as she realizes what I'm getting at.
“So you want to kill me? Is that what you’re getting at?”
“I don’t want to kill you, I just- I’ve had Fred since I was your age. I love him, fat arse that he is. If I don’t have to leave him, I don’t want to.”
“I see, you want to bring along the beast that tried to kill me.” She crosses her arms over her ample chest. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“I’m listening.”
“First, we don’t sell this place. We keep it for summers and maybe holidays. It’ll be something different. Second, the beast is an outdoor cat. He likes it outdoors. I know because Finn played with him outdoors. You can build him his own little kitty home.”
“If I agree to that then he has to be allowed a friend. He’s always had a person to sleep with at night. If he has to sleep outdoors, he needs someone or thing to cuddle with that breathes.”
“As long as it stays outside, I’ll agree. And leaves me the hell alone. I will run if it comes at me. I swear, I will.”
“Yer too cute.” I boop her on the nose. “Men with semi-automatic weapons pointed at yer head don’t make ya flinch, but let a cat scratch an ear, and you run for the fuckin’ hills!”
“CAT SCRATCH FEVER! It’s no fuckin’ joke!”
“The girls let him get fleas! I won’t let that shit happen. If it rains too hard or we get really bad weather, they come in, but not the bedroom, okay?”
“We can designate a room for him. Then when he can go back out you will clean the room, top to bottom. Or he can sleep with the horses.�
��
I put out my hand, spitting in my palm. “Deal.”
“Seriously? If you’re going to do it right, get a knife and let’s slice our hands.”
I lick my lips. “I know a funner way to swap fluids.”
“Well, then what’s taking you so long?”
I spin her in her chair, grabbing her up to kiss her. Legs wrap my waist, and I go to deepen the kiss when I hear a throat clear.
“Really?” Finn deadpans. “Movers outside and you two are gonna what? Do it right there?”
“It’s a just little show as payment.”
“Um- Shouldn’t they be paying us?” I snicker.
“Oh, bother!” Finn smacks his head, walking away.
“I think we’ve traumatized the kid, again.”
***
Three days, twenty-four hours of driving and two shady hotel rooms later, and we are finally approaching the property that we are to call our forever home. Onóra has been a sport seeing as bringing Fred meant bringing Fred. He has been sedated for most of the drive and stayed in Finn’s room when we slept but is in the Highlander, nonetheless. Granted he’s in the way back, in a carrier under a blanket, but he’s here.
It’s about four in the afternoon as we come upon the property. Both Onóra and Finn are sound asleep, so I get to experience it alone. It’s vast and beautiful. Trees encompass brush and grassy areas with thickets and wild greenery. I’m going to have to learn what the plants are here as I have no idea. As I pull up the winding drive, I’m met by a bridge to cross a river, then up away come to see the lake and the house proper. Across a cobblestone drive past a center fountain, I park in front of the garage. The house is two stories of stone and brick, with two little terraces right off the front. The smell of the late summer foliage is intoxicating as I roll up the window and nudge Onóra to wake her.
Onóra rubs her face, yawning. “Do you need me to drive some?” Her eyes barely open.
“No, wee bird. We’re home.”
She sits up stretching and looks around. “How far are we from the road?” She's twisting to see behind us.
