Perfect Sinner by Maggie Cole

29

Gemma

A Few Months Later

The driver parksthe car in the driveway. I stare at the picture of me in the wedding dress my mother just ordered. Things have been better between us since my father is now dead. Orla hasn't contacted me and hasn't surfaced. The police have kept the street war out of the press. Not one news outlet has reported my father's death, but Nolan promises me he saw Liam shoot him in the head before he took his last breath. Liam claims that the police often keep mafia business out of the press so it doesn't incite more violence. Both he and Nolan believe Orla would have been in one of the vehicles during the shoot-out.

The more time that passes, the more I start to believe she's gone. My nightmares have slowly faded. Nolan and I have focused our energy into planning our wedding. He paid the priest to allow us to take our wedding classes on an accelerated track so we can get married sooner. Boris asked him why he didn't pay more to skip the classes, but Nolan seemed offended over the thought. And it made me love him more that he takes our vows so seriously, even if we roll our eyes at almost everything Father Antonio says during class.

I still have bodyguards wherever I go. Nolan told me, no matter what, I'll always have them. I'm okay with it. It gives me comfort and helps me relax in public.

A lot has happened since we got engaged. Darragh passed away and Liam's now in charge of the clan. Nolan, Killian, Declan, and Finn seemed to have taken on more responsibilities to help Liam out. The five men are always together, which I don't mind since I like all of them. Even though Nolan is busier, we still spend most of the day together like before.

I toss my phone in my purse and hop out of the car. Another private vehicle sits in the driveway. The driver isn't one of the O'Malleys, so I assume it might be an Ivanov car. I go inside the house and walk in on Obrecht and Nolan having a heated conversation.

Nolan states, "We need a few more points. We're almost there. If you take him out now, we'll lose a lot of money."

Obrecht's voice is so cold, I shudder. "I don't care how much money is at stake."

"Obrecht, this isn't my call," Nolan replies.

"Selena said she won't give me the go-ahead to kill that bastard until Liam says he is of no more use to you. I need you to talk some sense into Liam. If it were any of your women, he wouldn't be alive," Obrecht seethes.

"We're almost there. Just give us a bit more time—"

"I've given it months. Selena's still having nightmares. Until that motherfucker is dead, she's not going to have any closure on this. Tell Liam to put my wife first instead of his bank account," Obrecht barks.

Nolan runs his hand through his hair. He lowers his voice. "I'll talk to Liam. But you know it's not about lining Liam's pocket. It's about securing the future for the clan."

Obrecht snarls, "I don't give a shit."

I clear my voice. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Nolan and Obrecht spin toward me.

Obrecht releases a frustrated breath. He kisses me on the cheek. "You doing okay, Gemma?"

I smile. "Yes. How's Selena? I haven't seen her since your wedding."

"She's good." He scowls at Nolan. "Most of the time."

Nolan shifts on his feet and clenches his jaw.

"I'll see you later." Obrecht storms out of the house.

I wince at Nolan. "Sorry to interrupt."

He pulls me into his arms. "You're fine. Did you find a dress?"

Excitement fills me. "Yes."

His green eyes turn to flames. "What about your lingerie?"

I softly laugh. "I'm not taking my mom with me for that."

"Fair enough. Hey, I have something for you."

"What's that?"

He takes my hand, leads me into the office, and motions for me to sit on the desk. I obey, and he sits in the chair in front of me, then slaps a box on the table.

"What is this?" I ask.

"Open it."

"Okay...should I be scared?"

He chuckles. "Nope."

I lift the lid and take out a card. It reads:

O'Malley Cybersecurity

Gemma O'Malley, CEO of Marketing

I can't hide my smile. "Gemma O'Malley? Jumping the gun, are we?"

He shrugs, wraps his arms around my hips, then teases, "I almost put Mrs. Nolan O'Malley."

I bend down and kiss him. "Thank you. When is this company going to be official?"

His face falls. "We're almost there."

I cautiously ask, "And then Obrecht will be happy and Selena will sleep better at night?"

Guilt fills his expression. "Yeah."

I lean forward and kiss the top of his head. He tilts his head up. "My brothers want us to meet them at the pub. You up for it?"

"Sure."

He rises and helps me off the table. We go to the pub, have dinner and drinks with Killian and Declan, and come home. Just like every night, I fall asleep in his arms, feeling safe and loved.

In the middle of the night, I wake up. My phone screen glows. I pick it up, and my gut drops.

Unknown Number: You thought you could escape me, but it's not possible. Now I'm going to destroy every person you love, starting with him.

A picture of Nolan, with blood all over him, pops onto the screen. I swing my legs over the bed and cover my mouth.

Unknown Number: When you least expect it, I will slice him piece by piece. Then, I'm going to dump his body on your doorstep.

Nolan gasps and sits up in bed.

I turn. "Are you okay?"

Sweat coats his skin. He takes shallow breaths.

I kneel and move closer to him. "Nolan. What is it?"

He swallows hard. His green eyes glow. "My brother, Sean. I-I haven't had the dream since the day I met you."

Chills run down my spine. "What is it about?"

Nolan looks away. "Nothing."

"Nolan! Tell me."

He closes his eyes briefly then opens them. "I'm sure it means nothing."

He's lying to me. It's the only time he ever has. Instead of calling him out, I say, "Tell me, then."

He stares at the ceiling.

"Nolan!"

He nods. "Okay. He said the Baileys are coming and to watch my back."

My stomach pitches, and bile rises in my throat. I run to the bathroom and throw up in the toilet.

Nolan follows me and holds my hair back. When I'm through, I sit on the floor with my back against the wall. He hands me a wet cloth and sits next to me. "Are you okay?"

I wipe my mouth and close my eyes. My insides quiver, and all the anxiety I used to feel races back. I barely can get out, "She's coming for you."

Nolan firmly asks, "Who?" But we both know who I'm talking about.

"She just sent me messages. I was reading them while you were asleep."

Angry red fury explodes on his face. He pulls me off the ground then leads me into the bedroom. He snatches the phone off the bed, and his cheeks deepen to maroon. He snarls, "I'll kill her. If she's alive and coming out of hiding, she'll pay for every threat she's ever made against you."

My voice cracks. "It's against you now."

"She's not taking me down," he claims, but all I can see is the photo of him with blood all over his body.

There's a ding, and another message pops up.

Unknown Number: That dress you ordered today is going to go to waste. He'll be dead before February.

I gape at the message. She's already following me again. She knows our wedding date. Why did I believe she was dead? I should have known if no one saw her, then she wasn't present in the street war.

Nolan tugs me closer, and another ding rings through the air.

Unknown Number: Maybe it would be more fun to poison him.

A photo of Nolan drinking a Guinness at the pub from earlier tonight pops up. Foam is coming out of his mouth.

I whisper, "Oh my God." My chest tightens, and pains shoot through it. My hand trembles against my face. "Was she there? How could she be there, and we never knew?"

Nolan takes the phone out of my hand and sets it on the table. "It wouldn't have been her. Someone else had to have taken it."

"Who?"

"I don't know. We'll increase security at the pub."

"You think that's going to stop her?" I belt out.

"No. But I'm going to hunt her down and end her," Nolan growls.

I rise and pace the bedroom. Tears fall. I declare, "She's going to kill you."

"Gemma—"

"She's lost everyone she cares about. This isn't an empty threat! She knows about my wedding dress and that we were at the pub."

He steps in front of me and holds my cheeks. "You're spinning out. Nothing is going to happen to me. Come back to bed, and we'll figure out new security tomorrow."

His face becomes blurry from my tears. "I shouldn't have believed she was dead."

He sighs and pulls me into him. Another ding fills the air.

I step toward the phone, and Nolan stops me. I push him. "Get out of my way."

"No." He grabs the phone and turns it off. "She's not getting any more of our night. Get back in bed."

I don't move.

He softens his voice and strokes my cheek. "You need to trust me."

"I can't lose you. Especially not by her hand," I admit.

"You aren't going to lose me."

"How do you know?"

"I told you. I'm going to find her and kill her."

I turn away from him. No matter what has happened, Orla's always been the one in control. She's untouchable. All I see are the photos with Nolan's blood all over him or foam coming out of his mouth. I ask, "Can you tell me you aren't going to question everything you put in your mouth from here on out?"

His face hardens.

"That's what she does. Even if she doesn't kill you, she'll threaten and plant so many seeds of doubt, she'll destroy us," I warn.

He confidently states, "No. She won't. Now come to bed."

He has his I'm not backing down look on his face. I go into the bathroom, brush my teeth, swish with mouthwash, then get into bed.

He pulls me into him, and it only makes my fears worse. The thought of not having him hold me every night or the future we're planning sends me into another panic attack.

I pretend to sleep, and at some point, Nolan's breathing tells me he is. I carefully take the phone and sneak into the bathroom. When I turn it on, my gut curls. More pictures of Nolan with threats on how Orla might kill him are on a dozen new messages.

Something in me snaps. I text Orla.

Me: We need to meet.

Unknown Number: The whorehouse I took you to. Come alone.

Me: Leaving now.

I put on a black hoodie, yoga pants, and dark running shoes. Then I open Nolan's safe.

My heart races, but I tell myself I know how to use it. I pick up his silencer, open the chamber, and fill it with bullets. I put the safety back on and toss it in my oversize bag, along with money for a cab, the phone, and a pair of black gloves.

Guilt fills me when I look at Nolan. He's still asleep, and I contemplate writing him a note, but he'll only try and stop me.

When I get to the kitchen, I rack my mind about how to slip by the O'Malley guards. I go into the garage and out the side door then sneak through the yard. Once I'm several blocks away, I get to the main road, then realize the possibility of a cab at this time of night in this neighborhood is low. I pull out my phone, log into my app, and schedule an Uber.

It arrives within a few minutes. I put on my gloves and spend the journey telling myself to shoot Orla the second I see her. When the driver pulls up to the house, my anxiety intensifies.

The house is dark, as if no one is inside. The yard is overgrown with weeds. The night Orla brought me, everything looked perfectly groomed and lights outlined the walkway up to the front door. I glance at the second story. There's a broken window.

It's deserted.

Maybe since so many Baileys died and Orla was hiding, there was no one in charge anymore?

I pull my phone out.

Me: Where are you?

Unknown Number: Inside.

Me: Come outside.

Unknown Number: No. I'm in the playroom.

I swallow hard. Memories of Bailey men breaking women flood me.

Unknown Number: No one else is here. Just walk in.

I'm not stupid enough to believe Orla would be all on her own, but I'm also not comfortable standing outside. It's a nice neighborhood. But her men could be anywhere. I'm trapped either way and need to do what I came to do.

A gust of wind blows against my back. I take a deep breath, fighting the urge to run. When I get to the door, I slide my hand in my purse and flip the safety of my gun.

The knob turns easily, but the door creaks as I open it. Goose bumps pop out on my skin. I glance in both directions. Nothing comes into view. The house is dark and smells like dust, unlike the last time I was here.

My eyes adjust to the darkness, and the grand staircase comes into view. I grip the gun tighter and move toward the playroom, creeping down the hallway. A faint light blinks on and off, as if a movie might be playing.

I get halfway there and freeze. Orla's bodyguard stands at the end entrance. His green eyes glow, and while I can't see his face, I'd know those eyes anywhere. He moves toward me, and without thinking, I fling Nolan's gun out of my purse and shoot him in the head.

He goes down with a thud. Blood pools everywhere, and I lean against the wall, shaking.

I just killed a man.

Jesus.

Pull it together.

I glance in both directions, worried another Bailey might be here, but no one appears.

Was Orla down to only one man? Did the O'Malleys cause so much damage there's no one left?

Nolan's voice pops into my head. The only difference between you and her is she owns her power. She's arrogant and underestimates you.

I spend several more minutes watching the blood pool around her bodyguard.

"Are you going to stand out there all day or come inside?" Orla calls out.

My skin crawls from the sound of her voice. It's haunted me for so long, creating anxiety, paranoia, and paralyzing fear. I don't know what the right thing to do is. Stay in the hall or step into the room are the only two options. I'm not leaving until she's dead.

"Let's play fair. No guns," she shouts. A gun comes flying out the entrance of the room and lands with a thud next to her dead bodyguard.

"I don't trust you," I yell back and take a few steps closer.

"Then come in, see no one else is here, then toss it," she directs.

No matter what she says, I'm not letting go of my gun. My gut tells me not to do it, but I inch around the corner. I almost drop my gun from shock.

An oversized projector screen is in the room. A younger version of my mother and Orla's is on it. Several scenes move quickly across it, as if Orla made a fast-forward version. They're little girls playing together. Then teenagers. Then my father is beating my mother while Riona smokes a cigarette. My mother has black eyes, and Riona is making out with my father. My mother is screaming as my father rapes her and Riona laughs. Then, they're fighting, and my mother shoots Riona. It's on repeat and starts all over again.

My insides shake. I'm too mesmerized to tear my eyes away from it. I manage to get out, "Where did you get this?"

Orla moves closer to me, and I finally look at her. "I told you she did it."

"Where did you get this?" I aggressively repeat.

She claps. "Bravo! You finally get assertive."

Another breaking point occurs. Shooting her would be too easy. I want to tear her apart with my hands. I lunge at her, my gun goes flying, and we fall to the ground.

What I didn't see was Orla's knife. She slices my hip, and pain sears through it.

I scream out, but more angry adrenaline surges through me. I pin her wrist, and we roll across the floor, both of us fighting to take control.

With all my power, I put my free hand on her arm and yank her forearm until it snaps.

She cries out and can no longer hold the knife. I secure it in my hand and begin stabbing her, over and over, until I'm out of energy and she's no longer making any sounds. I drop the knife, staring at her bloody corpse and watching the reel of my mother and hers. At some point, I hug my bloody knees to my chest and rock back and forth. Tears and tremors consume me. The room becomes lighter as the early morning darkness fades into a hint of daylight.

I don't hear Nolan, his brothers, or Liam come in. All I feel are Nolan's arms around me, and I start to sob harder.

He holds my face in front of his. "Gemma, we have to get out of here."

"I-I killed her."

He nods. "I know. We need to go now."

I glance up and see Declan removing the video. Killian has a bag and drops the knife and Nolan's gun in it.

"Time to go," Declan says. He and Killian leave, and Nolan picks me up.

Sirens fill the air.

"Fuck," Liam spouts.

"Hold on, princess," Nolan murmurs and speeds up.

We get to the staircase, and Nolan trips. I go flying, and a net sweeps him up, raising him to the ceiling.

"Nolan!" I scream.

Liam spins, and Declan yells from outside, "Liam! Nolan!"

I jump up under Nolan, trying to reach the net, but it's too high up.

"Get Gemma out of here!" Nolan growls.

"Use your knife!" Liam yells.

"Liam! Gemma goes now!" Nolan booms.

I jump one more time, and Liam scoops me over his shoulder.

"Liam! Let go of me! Nolan!" I pound on Liam's backside, but he runs outside and throws me in the back of the SUV.

Liam orders, "Go! He's trapped."

"What the fuck!" Killian shouts.

The sirens get louder, and Declan looks on his phone. "There's no time. Go!"

"Jesus Christ!" Killian barks and puts the car in gear.

"What are you doing? You can't leave him!" I scream.

"We have no choice right now," Declan replies.

"What? No!" I reach for the door, and Liam wraps his body around me so I can't move. I become hysterical, writhing and screaming in tears.

When Killian finally stops, we're in a warehouse of some sort. I can't stop shaking. Killian and Declan get out of the car and turn on a computer screen on the wall.

"I'm going to let you go now. I'm sorry we couldn't get him in time," Liam softly states.

I stay in the car, not sure what to do or say. I killed two people. The only reason Nolan was there was because of me.

The breaking news alert flashes across the screen, and cameras zoom in on Nolan coming out of the house in handcuffs.

More curse words fill the air from all the O'Malleys. Nolan gets put in a police car, and the screen says, "Double Homicide."

Nothing could ever prepare me for the pain or regret that sears through me.