an hour. I’ve already told ‘em you’re going with him. What Liv and I have done . . . the trouble we’re in . . . they’ll hurt everyone around us just to get to us. They know about you. You’re only safe in L.A. I’ve told Dominic enough but he has agreed to bodyguards and the works. But only if you leave that piece of shit Joe behind. Hell, he’ll lead ‘em right to you. Is that what you want?”
Annabelle shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. “It’s just we were high school sweethearts and—”
“Some things are better left when high school ends, Belle. Cut your ties and get your narrow ass on that plane with Dominic tonight. You got that?”
“But—”
“I ain’t askin’, Belle, I’m tellin’. If anything happens to you on account of what Liv and I got ourselves in, how am I supposed to forgive myself?” Shaw grabbed his cousins hands and held them closely. “You got a gift, cousin. One that needs to be shared with the world. You choose a life with Joe, he’ll have you barefoot, pregnant and resentful as hell you didn’t pursue your dream. Men like him don’t want a woman doin’ better than them. Trust me, I know the type.”
I watched the eye play between Annabelle and Shaw before I added, “Shaw is right. This is your big break, and you need to take it. You could be a huge star and you won’t want to know that anyone was in your way to change that. Get on that goddamn plane with Dominic.”
Annabelle looked a tad bit perplexed but as Shaw and I met eye to eye, we knew we’d convinced her. She’d grown up poor, living hand to mouth. Why would she want to be some hillbilly’s old lady when she could have the world at her feet?
She clapped her hands before glancing between the two of us. “Well, I guess that’s it then.”
“Yep because tomorrow, you’ll be somewhere sunny and fun and living the dream.” I couldn’t keep the irony out of my voice, even if I tried.
L iv didn’t get upset often but when she did, a subtle change came over her. I knew she was fuming before we left the Bluebird Café.
Not that she didn’t have a right to be but it pissed me off too because once again, I’d fucked up. It wasn’t bad enough my own life was screwed from the time the doctor slapped me on my ass and welcomed me to the world, I seemed to bring everyone else down with me.
Unlike me though, Liv would let it blow. It was only a matter of time before she let go all of her frustrations and I would be at the eye of Hurricane Liv. It’d happened plenty of times before while we were growing up but that famous Callahan temper was no fucking joke. Her father had it and she’d inherited it in spades—the only difference is she could control hers until she couldn’t.
I managed to book us a room at the Gaylord Opryland Marriott. Just because we were on the run didn’t mean we had to stay in fleabag motels. Plus with Liv’s perfect credit, an American Express card under Siobhan Callahan shouldn’t ring any bells. Most people in our neighborhood assumed Liv used her mother’s maiden name since her dad had never been home from Walpole for more than three years at a time since the day she was born. In fact, she was quite proud to be a Callahan. Unlike most of us, more than ninety-five percent of the family on her father’s side was still in Northern Ireland. They lived in Belfast or Omagh, and she spoke to them Gaelic at least several times a month. In fact, she was one of the few Irish people in our neighborhood who was fluent in Gaelic—not just conversational or a word here or there.
She’d only spoke of her mystic aunt who lived somewhere out west but she was loath to admit much about her, what she did, and why she was so important to her.
Although we used the card to hold the room, due to hotel regulations, I actually paid for the room in cash. We decided that if we had to stay any place a couple of days Nashville would be it. We needed a solid plan as to
Annabelle shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. “It’s just we were high school sweethearts and—”
“Some things are better left when high school ends, Belle. Cut your ties and get your narrow ass on that plane with Dominic tonight. You got that?”
“But—”
“I ain’t askin’, Belle, I’m tellin’. If anything happens to you on account of what Liv and I got ourselves in, how am I supposed to forgive myself?” Shaw grabbed his cousins hands and held them closely. “You got a gift, cousin. One that needs to be shared with the world. You choose a life with Joe, he’ll have you barefoot, pregnant and resentful as hell you didn’t pursue your dream. Men like him don’t want a woman doin’ better than them. Trust me, I know the type.”
I watched the eye play between Annabelle and Shaw before I added, “Shaw is right. This is your big break, and you need to take it. You could be a huge star and you won’t want to know that anyone was in your way to change that. Get on that goddamn plane with Dominic.”
Annabelle looked a tad bit perplexed but as Shaw and I met eye to eye, we knew we’d convinced her. She’d grown up poor, living hand to mouth. Why would she want to be some hillbilly’s old lady when she could have the world at her feet?
She clapped her hands before glancing between the two of us. “Well, I guess that’s it then.”
“Yep because tomorrow, you’ll be somewhere sunny and fun and living the dream.” I couldn’t keep the irony out of my voice, even if I tried.
L iv didn’t get upset often but when she did, a subtle change came over her. I knew she was fuming before we left the Bluebird Café.
Not that she didn’t have a right to be but it pissed me off too because once again, I’d fucked up. It wasn’t bad enough my own life was screwed from the time the doctor slapped me on my ass and welcomed me to the world, I seemed to bring everyone else down with me.
Unlike me though, Liv would let it blow. It was only a matter of time before she let go all of her frustrations and I would be at the eye of Hurricane Liv. It’d happened plenty of times before while we were growing up but that famous Callahan temper was no fucking joke. Her father had it and she’d inherited it in spades—the only difference is she could control hers until she couldn’t.
I managed to book us a room at the Gaylord Opryland Marriott. Just because we were on the run didn’t mean we had to stay in fleabag motels. Plus with Liv’s perfect credit, an American Express card under Siobhan Callahan shouldn’t ring any bells. Most people in our neighborhood assumed Liv used her mother’s maiden name since her dad had never been home from Walpole for more than three years at a time since the day she was born. In fact, she was quite proud to be a Callahan. Unlike most of us, more than ninety-five percent of the family on her father’s side was still in Northern Ireland. They lived in Belfast or Omagh, and she spoke to them Gaelic at least several times a month. In fact, she was one of the few Irish people in our neighborhood who was fluent in Gaelic—not just conversational or a word here or there.
She’d only spoke of her mystic aunt who lived somewhere out west but she was loath to admit much about her, what she did, and why she was so important to her.
Although we used the card to hold the room, due to hotel regulations, I actually paid for the room in cash. We decided that if we had to stay any place a couple of days Nashville would be it. We needed a solid plan as to
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