Chapter 4 - The Betrayal of the Bride
The tunnel led us to a small,
abandoned warehouse near the grand canal.
The air inside was cold and smelled of rusted iron and stagnant water.
Killian pushed the heavy metal door open,
his eyes scanning the empty space.
A dusty black sedan was parked in the center of the warehouse,
covered in a thin layer of grime.
“My personal vehicle,”
Killian explained,
approaching the car.
“No trackers,
no electronics that can be intercepted.”
He opened the glove compartment,
retrieving a burner phone of his own.
He dialed a number,
his face grim as he waited for the connection.
“Finn,”
he said when the call was answered.
“Report.”
“The house is secure,
boss,”
Finn’s voice came through,
sounding exhausted.
“But Aoife is gone.”
“She fled with Kieran,”
Killian deduced,
his hand tightening around the phone.
“They had a vehicle waiting at the north gate.”
“They did,”
Finn confirmed.
“And they took the ledger from your private safe.”
Killian’s eyes darkened,
a dangerous aura radiating from him.
The ledger contained the names of every corrupt official,
every bank account,
and every illegal operation under his control.
If that ledger fell into the hands of the Callahans,
Killian’s empire would crumble in a matter of days.
“They are heading to the docks,”
Killian said,
his voice dangerously calm.
“Salvatore’s shipment is arriving,
and they want to seize it.”
“We are ready to move,
boss,”
Finn said.
“No,”
Killian commanded.
“Keep the men at the estate.”
“Protect the perimeter.”
“I will handle this myself.”
He ended the call,
turning his gaze to me.
I was standing by the warehouse door,
watching the rain begin to fall outside.
“You should leave,
Norah,”
he said,
his voice softer than before.
“This is no longer your fight.”
“You have saved my life,
and I will ensure you are paid handsomely.”
I looked at him,
thinking of my small,
quiet room in the servants’ quarters.
I thought of the years I had spent watching him,
silent and unnoticed.
If I left now,
I would return to being a nobody,
a ghost in a city of millions.
“They know I warned you,”
I said,
stepping closer to him.
“Kieran saw me with you.”
“If they find me,
they will kill me.”
Killian stared at me,
realizing the truth of my words.
By saving him,
I had painted a target on my own back.
“Then you come with me,”
he said,
his tone leaving no room for argument.
He opened the passenger door of the sedan,
waiting for me to get in.
I took a deep breath,
May you like
the damp Irish air filling my lungs,
and stepped into his world.
