Page 108 of Arranged Devotion
“Don’t be so childish, Regan, it’s not like?—“
I kick him again. “Childish! Fuck you!”
“Damn it,” he groans, rolling onto his back. “Please don’t hit me again.”
“You are the sickest person I’ve ever met, Kieren, and I’m glad Vera ruined you. The pair of you were meant for each other.”
I grab his gag and shove it back into his mouth. He looks annoyed as I storm off to stand beside Cormac right when the front door opens and people come out.
A tall man is in the lead, clearly a soldier. He’s armed, wearing serious military gear, including a full helmet. Behind him is a woman, slight and thin, shorter than me, with a pointed nose and ice blue eyes. Her blond hair falls in pretty ringlets around her dollish face. She’s wearing all black and heavy boots.
“Vera Baranov,” Cormac says, not moving from his place. The two groups face each other across the empty expanse of the front yard, Vera at their head. She looks at Cormac like she’s bored.
“I didn’t expect them to send an actual Whelan brother. I feel honored.”
“We want to make an exchange.”
“I suppose you would, but what do you have that I could possibly want?”
Cormac’s eyes flit over the assembled soldiers. There are a lot of them, easily double our number, which is bad. Though Cormac doesn’t seem bothered.
“I want what you stole from the Carrigans. I want the dossier. In exchange, I’m offering Kieren’s life. I’ll send him back to you, mostly whole, which is more than he deserves.”
Vera’s lips quirk. “You have my fiancé? He’s here, right now?”
“Yes,” Cormac confirms.
“Darling!” Vera’s voice is lighthearted like she’s in a sitcom or something. “Oh, darling! I hope you’re doing alright. My daddy so does want you back, darling Kieren.”
“Then make the trade,” Cormac says with a soft snarl. “No more games. Do this easy.”
“But Kieren!” Vera ignores him and keeps going. “Daddy does love your jokes, drinking that nasty bourbon stuff, and smoking cigars, but I hate all of that. I find you tedious, self-absorbed, and not that good in bed.” She looks at me and winks. “Right, girl?”
“Fuck you.”
“Don’t be mad at me, I’m not the selfish lover. Ten rough humps and boom, he’s done, go ahead and finish yourself off. What a joke.”
Kieren’s response is muffled by the gag. He rolls away from the car, looking livid.
Vera’s description of his abilities in bed are exaggerated, but not by much.
“His life for the dossier,” Cormac presses. “He’s still worth something.”
“Worth what, exactly? He got me what I wanted. I would’ve married him, if at least because I knew I could control him, but what’s the point now? He’s tapped out. I don’t want a ruined husband. No, thank you, please keep him.”
Cormac seems utterly at ease. “Then why are we here? You knew our terms.”
“I wanted to see her.” Vera’s attention turns to me. I feel chill and strange as I shuffle closer to Cormac. That says a lot: I’d rather be near the psycho ghostman than that bitch. “How are you, lovey? Are you doing well? Sorry about stealing your man and all, it really wasn’t personal.”
“Go to hell, Vera. You’ve been sleeping with him behind my back for years.”
“He told you that?” She laughs daintily. “God yes, it’s true. Can you imagine dealing with him for that long? It was exhausting. But here we are.”
“Dossier for his life,” Cormac says flatly.
“Not accepted. But how about this?” Vera points at me. “You give me her, plus Kieren, and I’ll give you half the dossier. No more though. We need the other half to make your life miserable. What do you say? Hand them over and let me play? Pretty please?”
“The full dossier,” Cormac says.
