Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Hello, Deidre,” he said to her.
Her blood ran cold.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Niall
“I should have known when you came here that you were only in it for what it would bring to the McNally Clan,” Duncan said.
“Don’t be daft. Of course we came for our own purposes, but it had nothing to do with money. We were tired of living under threat from the Maguire Clan. We thought people here might be tired of it too, and we weren’t wrong,” Niall told him.
“If that is all you wanted, then why is it that when you turned up, both Trill’s bride and his nest egg came up missing?”
“His bride chose to go away. I can’t speak about his money. Like I’ve told you, it’s nothing to do with us.”
“That money belongs to my clan,” Duncan persisted.
“You don’t have a clan, and if you are missing money, I’d suggest you go look under the couch cushions or something,” Niall barked at him.
Duncan took a step forward, his face only inches away from Niall’s, a snarl on his upper lip. “I’m going to get my money back.”
“You mean you’re going to try to get your hands on Trill’s money and keep it for yourself. You could spread it out among the clans like you’ve suggested to them you would, but we both know that won’t happen. You are a spineless, greedy little shite, and if you don’t get out of my face, you’re going to be using whatever money you find on plastic surgery and dental work.”
“You are challenging me, Alpha to Alpha?”
“No. I’m telling you that I’m going to rearrange that ugly gob of yours, man to man. You know, I was told you were looking for peace among the clans, that you wanted to sit around and all hold hands and sing traditional folk songs, but you have really gotten some people snowed.”
“I’m not done discussing this with you,” Duncan snarled, but he did step back before Niall made good on his promise.
“You’re done, you just don’t know when to stop talking,” Niall told him.
Duncan laughed and left the room. Niall stood there, watching him go and trying to control his temper. There was nothing he wanted more than to rip him apart, but it wasn’t going to sit well with trying to build a council among the clans to keep peace if he took the guy who helped get Trill out of the way down.
Of course, he now understood that Duncan had done so for his own reasons. It was never about just taking Trill down. Duncan had known about his money and where to find it. Now, he knew it wasn’t there. Niall wasn’t about to waste time trying to figure out what had happened to the Maguire fortune, not on behalf of the likes of that little shite.
“What are we going to do about him? The one person we thought wanted progress and peace seems like he’s becoming just another obstacle to it,” Ronan asked.
“Ignore him. He’ll reveal his true colors to the other clans now that he’s not under Trill’s thumb. He’ll have no excuse for his behavior and they’ll deal with him.”
“You sure?”
“No, but he’d do well to mind himself or I might change my mind.”
“Come on. Let’s get this settled. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go home for a while. You can’t get a proper steak in this country at all.”
“Your homeland not calling to you then?” Niall teased.
“In some ways, but not when it comes to a nice porterhouse. I’m just an American glutton hankering for a huge slab of fresh cow.”
“There are plenty of cows out and about in the fields here. You could just go out and get one on your own.”
“I don’t want it quite that fresh.”
“You’d never survive in the wild.”
“Sure I would. I just need a lighter tucked into my fur so I can build a fire and get a nice sear on my prey.”
“Right. Come on and let’s get this done then.”
The two brothers entered the adjoining room, where the Alphas of all the bear clans in the area had gathered. They would be working with some of the other clans later, but they first needed to sort out a treaty between the bears.
Sorley Maguire paved the way for Trill to take his place and continue their oppression, many of them feeling the shame and guilt of having allowed themselves to be ruled by another Alpha rather than fighting to the death.
“First of all, I want to thank you all for stepping up to the plate and taking back what is rightfully yours so that we can all move forward and put this ugly episode in our history. Never again can we allow ourselves to be overrun and removed from our own power. Today, we set out the way we move forward,” Niall told them from the head of the long conference table they’d been gifted for their new lodge from Greyscales.