Caged by His Twisted Love novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The Grave

On Friday it rained on the old head's grave.

It was a gray granite stone in a Dorchester cemetery, with fresh flowers at its foot and a ring of black umbrellas around it.

Twenty men stood in a half circle, shoulder to shoulder.

Orla stood in front of the stone with her rosary wound around her fist.

Ronan stood at my right, and Declan stood across the grass with his hands folded, and I could not make my knees stop shaking.

"Neve Tierney," said Orla. "Put your hand on my husband's name."

I laid my palm on the cold wet granite.

"Say what you saw."

I took a breath that hurt.

"I was twenty-three," I said.

"Declan texted me that Ronan Kavanagh was going to drown my brother on Pier 9."

"I ran there."

A few of the men shifted.

"Kieran was on his knees, and Ronan stood over him with a gun."

"I didn't think. I picked up a boat hook from the rail and hit him as hard as I could."

I heard my own voice break.

"He went over the side. I leaned over to see. There was no one in the water."

"And then?" said Orla.

"Then someone stepped out of the dark behind me. A man in a gray coat. Declan's driver."

Declan did not move.

"He raised a pistol and fired twice into the water where Ronan went down."

"I heard the shots, and I saw the flash."

"He turned to me and said, 'Tell nobody.'"

The rain beat on the umbrellas.

"Then Declan came," I said, "and he told me Ronan was dead and I should go home."

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