‘You fuck things up, Daniel. You always did, that’s why Dad never involved you in the first place.’
Nancy hit a nerve.
‘The reason why I never got a look in, was because you always stole the limelight, Nancy. Little Miss fucking perfect. You’re so stuck up your own arse it’s a wonder you can see daylight. Dad didn’t give me a chance because he was too blindsided by you. His precious little fucking Nancy!’
‘Oh, shut up, Daniel. Dad didn’t give you a chance because he knew you were a fucking liability,’ Nancy shouted back, sick to death of her brother’s ‘poor-me’ attitude. ‘That’s the real reason. Now he’s dead and this business will only survive if I’m in charge. I know what I’m doing, Daniel. I’ve let you come on board, but if you keep insisting on fucking things up, and not doing as I ask, then you’re going to be out.’
Daniel nodded, letting Nancy know that he heard her loud and clear. But the twisted smirk on his face seconds later told her that her threat had been in vain.
‘See. There you go again. “You’re in charge. If I don’t do as you ask.” When are you going to get it, Nancy? You don’t tell me what to do. You don’t tell me jack shit.’
Daniel sat back in his chair, full of confidence as he glared back at his sister. ‘He fucking underestimated me, and so are you!’
Nancy had heard enough
‘That’s just it though, Daniel. I’m not underestimating you. I know exactly what you’re capable of. Exactly the lengths you’d go to save your own arse.’ Nancy’s eyes flashed with fury as she finally laid her cards out on the table, hoping her brother would just put an end to all this lying and deceit and admit what he had done.
She’d had enough of all the pretence.
‘I know all about you. All your filthy little secrets,’ she spat. ‘I know what you did!’
Their eyes locked then.
Nancy could feel her heart beating erratically in her chest, her ribcage tightening, waiting for her brother to put his hands up and admit it: that he had killed their father.
But Daniel was a coward until the end.
‘That’s why you had me followed, isn’t it? So you could shut me up. The attack the other night. It was you, wasn’t it? Go on, admit it! I fucking dare you!’
Daniel laughed then, his face crinkling in amusement.
‘Fucking hell, Nancy. That must have really put the shits up you! You’re fucking paranoid, love! Maybe you should go and see someone about that!’
He was mocking her now, and they both knew it. Skirting around the truth, just like he always did. Her brother was completely gutless.
That only made Nancy hate him even more.
‘You are going to pay for what you’ve done, Daniel. I promise you that.’
‘Is that so?’ Daniel said, getting up off his chair, not intimidated by Nancy’s threat in the least. If anything, he found her threat highly amusing. If his sister was so intent on making him pay, she would have done it by now.
‘What are you going to do, Nancy? Kill me? We both know you haven’t got the balls for that. So what then? The police. Only, there’s no evidence. No witnesses, only your word.’
Daniel shook his head and made a sad face, pouting his lips. ‘Oh Nancy! Please! You’re not well, Nancy! Your head’s all fucked up. The police will say that too. How the poor little rich girl isn’t coping. You think they give two shits about a murdered gangster’s daughter? You think they give two shits about him? Someone did them a favour.’ He smirked once more.
‘So, the way I see it, Nancy. We’re in this together for the long haul. Only this isn’t just your business to run and I won’t be answerable to you. So stay off my fucking back. I mean it,’ he said, before finally storming out of the kitchen.
Leaving Nancy Byrne standing there alone.
A lump in her throat.
Wishing to God that she’d shot her bastard of a brother when she’d had the chance.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Well, this is just fucking handsome, Colleen. I tell you what, this girl can’t half cook!’ Michael Byrne piped up at the end of the dining table as he happily swigged his beer. ‘As much as I love my Joanie’s cooking, don’t get me wrong, Colleen here isn’t far off. She’s a blinding cook.’
In his element, Michael sat at the table with a pint in his hand and a huge grin on his face. He was unaware that his granddaughter Nancy was glaring at him, trying her hardest to bite her tongue before she said something that she’d regret. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d seen the man happier.
Her grandad seemed to be permanently drinking and glued to the TV these days. It was like someone had finally let the man off his leash. It sickened her that he could be so insensitive to carry on, jovial and full of life, when everyone around him was clearly struggling. Though her grandad probably hadn’t picked up on the tension around the table, especially between her and Daniel.
‘Do you want some more potatoes, Sam?’ Colleen said, as she passed the plate over to Sam Miles, pleased to get the chance to finally meet one of Daniel’s friends. She couldn’t recall her son ever bringing anyone home before now.
‘Oh, no, I’m good, thank you, Mrs Byrne.’ Sam grinned. ‘There’s enough food on my plate to keep me going for the rest of the week.’
Colleen smiled at the young man’s politeness. He wasn’t the type that Colleen would have seen as Daniel having much in common with. Sam was quiet and easy-going, the complete opposite of Daniel. In fact, her son’s behaviour lately was starting to worry Colleen; in particular, his excessive drinking.
Watching him as he downed his third glass of wine, already half-cut, Colleen had a sneaky suspicion that he’d been drinking long before lunchtime too. He and Nancy hadn’t spoken a single word to each other either, and Colleen knew there was an undercurrent of hostility between them. She just hoped that Daniel didn’t take it upon himself to make matters worse today.
The whole point of cooking this meal for everyone had been to restore some normality within the family. Though Colleen knew that, with the Byrne family, there really was no such thing as normal.
‘This is a lovely roast, Mum!’ Daniel said in agreement with Sam, as he rudely shovelled a huge slice of roast beef in his mouth before pouring himself another glass of white wine. ‘A bit fancy for a Saturday lunchtime though, isn’t it? What’s the occasion?’
‘Thanks! No occasion. I just thought it would be nice for your nan to have us all together around the table. You know, after everything that’s happened,’ Colleen said modestly, glad that someone was enjoying her efforts. Unlike Nancy, who was sitting there pushing her food around the plate in silence. She hadn’t eaten a single bite.
‘You not hungry, Nancy?’ Colleen asked, trying her hardest not to look offended that her daughter wasn’t even going to attempt to eat the food that she’d spent the past two hours cooking.
She’d been so looking forward to today. In her head she’d envisaged how it should have been all those years ago; cooking a proper family meal, with her son and daughter sitting at either side of her. All talking and laughing and enjoying each other’s company. In reality, the tension in the room was palpable – everyone sitting at the table with their own personal crosses to bear.
Though if Colleen was being really honest with herself, she was simply glad that Nancy had even accepted her offer of dinner at all. Colleen knew why she’d agreed to it though. The same reason they all had. For Joanie’s sake. The woman needed her family around her more than ever right now.
‘No. I’ve not got much of an appetite. You know, after “everything that’s happened”.’ Her tone full of sarcasm. Finding it hard to swallow even a mouthful of the food that Colleen had cooked, Nancy pushed her plate away.
Jack shot her a knowing look, warning the girl to go easy on her mother. Clearly Colleen had gone to a lot of effort today, he thought, looking at the beautifully set dining table. Joanie’s best china plates and the freshly cut flowers every
where. The food was delicious too. Roast beef with all the trimmings. He knew how hard it was for Nancy to be in her mother’s company, but Nancy just didn’t seem to want to give the woman a chance.
Nancy shrugged back at him, before taking a big swig of her wine.
Boy, she needed a drink. She was finding this all so much harder than she expected. Sitting here at the table with her family all around her. Trying to act normal, to pretend that everything was okay, when it was anything but.
Daniel. Her grandad, and now Colleen. All of them fake as fuck. Sitting around the table playing happy families.
Especially her mother. Who was the woman kidding? Colleen making out that it was all for her nan Joanie’s benefit.
It was sickening to watch. Acting all holier than thou. Colleen making herself indispensable to them all, out of the sudden goodness of her heart. Well, Nancy could see straight through her.
‘Well, if you’re not eating it. I will. Waste not want not! Huh. That’s what you always used to say, Nan, isn’t it?’ Daniel said, putting on a fake Irish accent to mimic his nan as he leaned over with his fork and grabbed a big slice of meat off his sister’s plate, before shoving it into his mouth and continuing his sentence with his mouth full. ‘This is well tasty, Mum! Almost as good as yours, Nan!’ Daniel winked at his nan then, catching the small smile that he’d hoped she’d give him.
Nancy bristled.
Mum.
For the past twenty years, she and Daniel had never called Colleen ‘mum’. No one else at the table seemed to notice the familiarity between Colleen and Daniel, or at least, if they did, no one reacted.
‘Ah, you’re a toerag, Daniel.’ Joanie grinned, her grandson’s humour breaking her trance. She’d been sitting at the table in silence up until then. Her head had been pounding for days. ‘This is a really lovely dinner, Colleen. We don’t get together as a family often enough,’ she said, staring at the seat at the head of the table where Daniel sat. The place where her Jimmy used to sit.
‘Are you sure you’re all right, Nan?’ Nancy said, sensing the tears that threatened once more. Joanie had barely spoken two words all afternoon. Nancy couldn’t help but think that her nan was suddenly looking older and smaller than ever before. As if she’d disintegrated in every way possible these past few weeks.
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ Joanie lied. Not sure what was wrong with her. Grief? Or old age? Joanie was too proud to admit that she was struggling. Even now, she felt as if she was slowly losing her mind.
All she wanted to do was crawl underneath her bed covers and give in to sleep. Pray that she wouldn’t wake up so that she could be with her Jimmy again. But she was here instead, pretending that everything was okay. What other choice did she have? Besides, her family still meant everything to her. She wanted so much to enjoy her dinner with them all, at least.
‘I was just thinking how lovely it is to have you all here. That Jack is here, too. And Daniel’s nice young friend, too.’
‘He’s my boyfriend, Nan,’ Daniel said then without missing a beat, as he squeezed Sam’s hand.
Sam bristled, moving his hand away as he sensed everyone’s awkwardness and shock at Daniel’s sudden announcement. Daniel hadn’t even told him that he was going to tell his family about them both today.
‘And a lovely friend he is too,’ Joanie said, thinking that she had misheard Daniel. Though the silence around the table told her that she hadn’t misheard him at all.
‘No, Nan. I said he’s my boyfriend. I’m fucking him.’ This was more like it, Daniel thought, popping a whole roast potato in his mouth as he took in the look on everyone’s face at the table. Thoroughly enjoying the collective awkward reaction.
Michael Byrne spoke first.
‘Fucking hell, boy, you don’t mince your words do you? Pardon the pun,’ he said, choking on his food at his grandson’s announcement. ‘Though I guess it’s in your genes, isn’t it? Seeing as your father was partial to a bit of—’ Seeing Joanie and Nancy glaring at him, Michael stopped himself before he said something crass. Before ending his sentence. ‘To men. He liked men.’
‘Jesus, Daniel, you could have warned me that you were going to tell everyone,’ Sam whispered through gritted teeth, mortified that Daniel had just blurted out that they were in a relationship. His family were clearly shocked and, to be fair, Sam couldn’t blame them. They’d only been seeing each other for a few months now; today was the first time that Daniel had invited him to meet all of his family properly. Talk about springing it on them.
‘It isn’t a big deal though, is it! No point fucking lying about it. I mean, you only have to look at my old man to see what a fuck up that all was,’ Daniel said slurring his words as he picked his drink up; in his element at being centre of attention. ‘Dad knew about me. I bet he didn’t tell any of you though, did he?’ Daniel continued, as he looked from his nan Joanie to Michael and then to Colleen. His hunch immediately proved right. None of his family had a clue.
Despite the fact that Sam was fidgeting awkwardly in the chair beside him, Daniel had no intention of shutting up now. He’d already done eighteen years of that.
‘Surprise, surprise. Another one of dad’s filthy little secrets, eh? I wonder how many more the old man had?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Joanie said, confused.
‘Dad knew I was gay. I told him. But he was ashamed of me, you see.’ Daniel laughed then. A twisted smirk that held no amusement. ‘I was fourteen years old when I finally plucked up the courage to tell Dad. Do you know how much guts that took me? To admit my deepest, darkest secrets to the big fucking Jimmy Byrne. And do you know what he said to me? He said that I was an attention-seeker and that I was making it up. Then he actually laughed at me.’
Daniel’s face was twisted with pure hate now at the memory.
The room had gone silent. No one at the table dared to speak, still shocked at Daniel’s sudden outburst and the venom with which he’d spoken of his father.
‘And do you know the most sickening part of all of this was that, all along, he knew that he was gay too. He made out he was ashamed of me, but all that time he was just ashamed of himself. Fucking hell. He made me feel as if I had something wrong with me. As if I was sick in the head for even thinking about boys. Men. When he was a raving fucking poofter all along. What were the chances, huh!’
No one was eating now.
Seeing the distraught look on Joanie’s face, and knowing full well that Nancy was already fit to blow at her brother, Jack spoke up.
‘That’s enough,’ he said, not willing to sit there and listen to Daniel’s rant any longer. As much as Daniel was clearly hurting, he was speaking with such venom and spite that this could only end badly. Joanie Byrne had gone so pale she almost looked transparent, and Colleen had tears streaming down her face at discovering her son’s angst. Someone had to try and rein Daniel in, and it may as well be him.
At least Daniel might actually listen to him.
Only, he wasn’t prepared to tonight. Not in the mood he was in.
‘Oh, fuck you, Jack. That’s what he did. Silenced me. He didn’t want to hear it either. Well, you don’t tell me when it’s enough. You don’t tell me shit. He spent his life living a fucking lie. I’m not doing that too.’
‘Bullshit,’ Nancy said, her voice firm, hissing through gritted teeth. Trying her hardest to contain her temper.
Daniel smirked, glad that he’d riled up his sister.
‘That’s the problem with this family, Nancy. No one wants to hear the truth. You all want to float around in this make-believe fucking bubble. Wasn’t that Dad’s philosophy? Pretend it ain’t happening, then you don’t have to deal with it. That’s why he let Mum walk around the house like a fucking zombie for all those years. Smacked off her head on pills and drink.’
‘Oh please, don’t blame Dad for her actions,’ Nancy spat, her eyes blazing at Daniel and his audacity.
‘Maybe Dad was right about some things. You are an a
ttention-seeker, and you don’t care who you hurt when you open that mouth of yours.’ Nancy was fighting with the demons inside of her now, scared that if she stayed here for another second that she would blurt out everything that she knew about her brother, and that would only break her nan’s heart beyond repair. The woman was already struggling. Finding out that it was her grandson that had murdered her son would probably tip Joanie over the edge.
Nancy couldn’t do it.
‘We don’t give a shit if you’re shagging the Pope, Daniel.’ Then picking up her full glass, Nancy held it up, making her point loud and clear. ‘Here you go. A toast, everyone. To Daniel and Sam. Hope you’re both deliriously happy together. There? You happy now? Did you get the reaction you were after?’
Slamming her glass down on the table, she glared at Daniel with such hate now. ‘Don’t you ever, EVER talk about my father out of turn again. Or, I promise you, it will be the last thing you ever do.’
With that, Nancy fled from the room.
Dinner was well and truly ruined.
‘Fucking hell, Daniel. That was awkward,’ Sam Miles said as he shook his head in wonderment and followed Daniel out to his car, almost running to keep up with him. Though to be fair, he couldn’t have got out of Daniel’s family home quick enough.
Talk about intense.
Meeting the Byrne family had turned out to be one of the most cringeworthy experiences of his life and a part of him couldn’t help but feel that he’d just been used somehow.
‘You could have told me that you were going to be making a fucking debut from your bloody closet today. At least I could have prepared myself.’ Though Sam highly doubted that anything could have prepared him for the way in which Daniel had announced their news. In fact, part of him thought that Daniel had probably planned this all along. Dragging Sam along with him today so that he could make his shocking announcement in style.
Nancy was right. It was as if Daniel revelled in everyone’s shocked reactions. As if he’d purposely wanted to wind them all up.
The Broken_A gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat Page 12
