“I didn’t ask for your help. The way I see it, you gave up all rights to even be involved in my life years ago. Now, I don’t know how you got these men to help you, but I would suggest that you—”
“They work for me,” I tell her, interrupting before she can continue. The hate in her voice is slowly killing me. My words, at least, stop her.
“What? … How?”
“There are things you don’t know about me, Elizabeth.”
“Imagine that,” she says harshly.
“Are you going to listen or not? Our time is limited here and I thought you’d be interested in saving your boyfriend.”
“Why would you save Skull?”
She’s suspicious of me, and she has a right to be. Hell, I don’t give two shits about that damned biker. However, thanks to the moves that Colin has made, I’m left with little choice.
“My name isn’t Roger Bailey.”
Beth tenses up with my announcement. I hate to tell her like this, but I have no choice.
“What’s your name?” she whispers, her face pale.
“Redmond Donahue.”
“Donahue?” she asks, even paler than before.
“I’m the leader of the family, Elizabeth.” I tell her. Shock comes over her entire face, her body swaying, and I know she’s going to faint. I see it coming. I lean over and catch my daughter right before she hits the floor.
I come to slowly. I don’t think I’ve been out long because I’m lying in Roger’s… Redmond’s… whoever-he-is’s lap. We’re still in the kitchen. His face is laced with concern and I try to block that out. He doesn’t have a right to be concerned about me. Not now. Not ever again. He gave away that right. I jerk up fast and instantly regret it because the world swims.
“Easy, sunshine,” he says.
“Stop calling me that!” I scream, and I don’t care if it does sound like a temper tantrum. He left me! He gave me away and now I find out he’s not even the man I thought he was all this time! I jerk out of his arms and stand up without his help. I back away to put distance between us. His face briefly twists with pain. He doesn’t deserve that either. He should try being a little girl and finding out her father, the only person she thought ever really loved her, gave her away. Then he’d understand pain.
“Elizabeth, time is running out.”
“If you’re a Donahue, why can’t you make Colin pull back? Why do you need me here?”
“Because your boyfriend declared war on Colin, but I’m the one who runs the family. To step back after all of the attacks he’s made will make me look weak. You can’t be weak in this line of work sun—Elizabeth. That would only sign my death warrant.”
“What are you doing?” I ask him, worried about what he’s doing to retaliate. I may have to give Skull away, but I couldn’t handle it if he dies. I just, couldn’t.
“It will be a small strike. Nowhere near what I’m capable of. But, I will pull my punches, if you work with me.”
“Work with you? Why would I do that?”
“Because I’m trying to protect you. The family is already viewing me as weak. I have to watch my steps before that bastard Colin succeeds in overthrowing me.”
“Why did I never know you were part of the Donahues? How are you kin to Edmund? Did mom know?” I ask my questions. I have so many of them now and I’m trying to hold them back, but I find I just can’t.
“I tried to retire. It’s something hardly ever done in the family. Isabel had just found out she was pregnant with twins. I wanted to take her and my babies away from all of it, to try and be… a real dad.”
Disgust rolls in my stomach because I know just how miserably he failed at it. “They wouldn’t let you?”
“For a while, but Isabel started talking to my brother. She told him the name I was using and where we were. She hated not being part of the family. She wanted the power and the prestige that came with being one of the Donahues. By the time I realized Edmund had found out where I was, it was too late.”
“Edmund was your brother? Why did it matter if he knew where you were?” I ask. It doesn’t surprise me about my mom. She’s cold, always was. She also loved everything about money.
“He was younger than I was and because of that, I inherited the throne, as it were. Edmund always resented that. Even when I stepped down and he took over, he wasn’t satisfied. The only way he would ever be happy is if I was dead and my heirs contained.”
“Contained?”
“In Katie’s case, it was a hit on her life. In yours, it was to groom you to be Colin’s bride.”
That’s always disgusted me, but now… “He’d be my cousin! My first cousin! That’s not just gross, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal!”
“That doesn’t matter to Colin. He’s trying to forge ahead with his Dad’s plans and that means claiming you to gain his position in the family. As long as you and I are alive, Colin’s chance to rule will never happen.”