“If you can’t breathe, you can’t speak. I’m seconds away from popping your ugly head off of your shoulders—”
“Get the fuck off my wife!” Neal pulled me back, his fist quickly colliding with my jaw.
Falling to the ground, Olivia gasped for air, her hands around her throat, as Neal hovered over her.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” he shouted.
Brushing the side of my lip, I stared at the red stain on my sleeve. I could feel the sadistic smile tugging on my lips as I stared at my brother.
“This is your final warning, Neal. Control your wife or I swear to God I will kill her.”
“I should control my wife? How about not letting your wife fucking control you? Everything is about her! What has she done? Did she not agree with Mel’s shoes?”
“The drama between my wife and yours does not concern me. You of all people should know Mel does not need me to fight those battles for her.” I again wiped my bruised lip, staring at the jackass in front of me. “However, the moment your sniveling breallóg of a wife fired the maids in my house without speaking to me or fully explaining to them what would happen if they spoke to the police, your wife became my enemy.”
He froze as if he was encased in ice.
“I didn’t think any of them would…” she said weakly.
“You didn’t think!” I roared at her, causing her to jump back. “The drama you’ve created in this family I can, and have, overlooked. The drama you create in my work—my way of my life—you’re lucky you’re still alive! Breathe in the wrong direction and you will not live long enough to regret it.”
Stepping towards the door, the sad lump of shit that was my brother called out.
“Liam, she…”
“Don’t make excuses!” I roared. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down before I blew his brains out in this hospital. “All I need from you is to find Declan and tell him to pick up his damn phone.”
Stepping out into the hall, my mother stood waiting. The bundle of sunflowers that was once in her arms were now replaced with a first aid kit. Her eyes went straight to my lip before falling to the scratches on my arm and hand.
“Excuse me, dear.” She pulled a male nurse. “Can we get a private room please?”
“Mother.”
“Ma’am, I’m sorry I can’t—”
“Let me rephrase this, can you please show me and my bleeding son here to a private room in the hospital he helped fund and damn well near saved from bankruptcy?” Her voice was polite, but the grip she held on the nurse’s arm screamed hostile.
Nodding, he pointed over to an empty bed. “I can handle his wounds.”
“No thank you, dear.” She patted his arm. “Come on, Liam…”
“Mother, I’m fine. Stop being ridiculous.”
She stepped forward, and although I had to drop my head to meet her gaze, I knew better than to fight her on this. This…this was code for ‘I need to talk to you, so shut the fuck up and listen.’
Pulling out my phone, I dialed, as we walked towards the private bed in the corner with the blue curtains.
“I knew one of you were going to need this.” She sighed, pulling out the bandages.
“I’m fine. I would be a lot better if people would answer their fucking phones.”
“Language.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Honestly, mother?”
“I’m just trying to help you. Do your really want your son coming out swearing? You should prepare to censor yourself. Now, give me your hand.” Obeying her, I tried once again to contact Brooks, but he kept sending me to voicemail. Something was happening.
“Declan?”
“No,” I hissed at the alcohol she poured on my cuts. “Work. Work I shouldn’t have to do, but your daughter-in-law has become nothing but a growing cancerous pain in my…ah! Damn it, Ma!”
“Stop being a baby.” She laughed as she wrapped my hand. “Have you gotten any real sleep since this all started?”
I didn’t answer, not because I hadn’t slept, but because I knew she would say it wasn’t enough. I spent most of the day watching over security tapes, Mel’s vitals, and contacts with the police.
“You were born with a short fuse, Liam. It becomes even shorter when you lose sleep.”
“Sleep or no sleep, Olivia crossed a line and I was so close to killing her just now.”
“But you didn’t because deep down you love your brother, despite how much you still want to hate him.”
“So this isn’t about my actions against Olivia, it’s about Neal.” I should have known.