Chapter 44 What a Pair of Star-Crossed Lovers! Brendan turned back to Sterling. âIâve got some unfinished business with this *sshole over here,â he snarled. âIâm itching to see if I can beat a manâs lust for another manâs woman out of him!â Deirdreâs heart missed a beat. Panic possessed her, and she immediately clawed at Brendanâs arm. âNo, what are you planning to do, Brendan?! This is between the two of us! You can shout and throw punches, but please⦠donât drag an outsider into this!â
Her instinct to defend Sterling made Brendanâs eyes grow colder. âAn outsider?â he parroted mockingly, smirking. âI donât think any woman would happily elope with an outsider, do you? And now heâs suddenly just some random whatâs-his-name to you? Oh my God, Deirdre McKinnon, arenât you a callous b*tch! You could murder Sterling with heartache alone, my dear.â
Deirdreâs eyes watered again. Her-heartless? Who was the heartless one among them? What had happened to the man who had appeared at that charity event all those years ago? The man with the kindest smile ever?
Had she hallucinated that? Or had she fallen in love with an impostor?
How could he feel absolutely nothing for her-not even a smidge of compassion-despite what they had shared throughout those two years? âI was wrong, okay? I was wrong, Brendan! I wonât ever see him or talk to him again! I just want you to let him go!â she shrieked before falling to the floor, groveling in tears, her dowdy appearance long forgotten. Sterlingâs eyes were red with tears. He would have dived for her if it were not for the muscular bodyguards in his way. âDonât do this, Dee!â he cried. âDonât debase yourself like this before this Devilâs spawn! Heâs below you!â
Brendan watched the histrionics unfold with cool, uncaring eyes. God, these two almost deserved a standing ovation! âNgawww, would you look at these star-crossed lovers! I have got to be the villain for trying to separate Romeo and Juliet like this!â
His response sent chills down Deirdreâs spine. She knew he was broiling now-she could hear his teeth grinding against each other as he spoke.
âBrendan! Brendan, please!â she tried again, begging.
âWhen the f*ck are you two going to get her into the car?! Or am I supposed to do this myself?â
âNo! Donât â Brendan! Donât hurt him! Itâs against the law! Donât hurt him!â Deirdre shrieked whatever came into her mind as she struggled to no avail. Her strength was laughable compared to that of a professional bodyguard. To Brendanâs men, she was almost insultingly easy to manhandle.
They opened the door to the car and tossed her inside as easily as one chucked garbage.
Deirdre was locked inside the car. She could not hear anything from a distance, so she punched the window, screaming, âPlease, let me out! Iâm begging you! You know battery is illegal, donât you? Your inaction will make all of you complicit in the eyes of the law! Let me out!â
The bodyguards stared at her as though they were looking at an inmate in a mental asylum. Complicit?
So what if they were complicit? Not a soul in the entire city could remotely shake Brendan. He was untouchable!
And this hideous thing-Christ, talk about low self awareness. She had actually managed to charm Brendan with that sorry face of hers and she somehow still thought she was hot enough to have a tryst with another guy⦠in broad daylight!
âEnough already, princess. We ainât letting you out no matter how many times you beg us to,â one of them finally said. âHonestly, arenât you the one whoâs at fault here? If that poor bastard dies, itâs on you.
You should at least have the sense to obey Mr. Brighthall, right? But no! B*tch gotta scratch that itch, and now she dragged that guy into this and sheâs crying as though she has no idea why this is happening!â âHey, I wouldnât be talking sh*t about Mr. Brighthallâs babydoll if I were you. All it would take is a suggestion from her while sheâs sliding up and down his crotch and youâd be a goner!â
âReally? This b*tch?â The first bodyguard snorted. âIf you ask me, itâs f*cking voodoo. She probably used some love potion to make him fall in love with her, but the way I see it, sheâs just a glorified sex doll. He wonât ever tell anyone he knows her, man, let alone care if sheâs dead.â Even as the bodyguards chatted between themselves, they bashed and mocked Deirdre, sending chills down her spine.
She felt colder than someone left in a river in the bitter winter.