Tainted

8

~Sebastian~

I am not a fan of the O'Neill's, not in the slightest sense of the word. I never spent anytime engaging with them if I could possibly avoid it. Patrick O'Neill was a brutalist. Ruling with an iron fist most communist leaders would be jealous of. I was all for having a stern hand. A zero tolerance on unacceptable behaviour within your family. But there comes a point when murdering your only son for breaking orders is a bit of a stretch.

His smile is tainted with pure venom as I return to Poppy, having demanded Kostin lend me 2 of his men for the evening. It cost me a little more than I'd have liked but if that was the only way I could pull Poppy out of this room right now I was willing to pay whatever. I'd had my eyes on her all night. I could tell she was beyond uncomfortable.

She had the same look on her face from the library. Nervous. Like she was completely terrified. Though there wasn't any bruises on her skin tonight, I didn't like how close Cian had been sat or how lost she looked.

Every time I've seen Poppy she's been in her own world. But tonight, was different. She was running numbers. Numbers I couldn't work out but her eyes were darting around the room all night and I'm not so easily fooled to believe she was just taking the whole thing in.

She hesitated but lifted her shaky hand and put it in mine, letting me help her from her chair. I let go gently as we got outside and I turned to Kostin's men. Telling them I didn't need them to follow us but they would tell anyone who asked that they did and it was boring. They nodded in agreement and I walked over to where Poppy had moved to.

She looked at the men who stood on the door with their arms crossed, not following us like she had been expecting, nervously looking down to where her fingers were picking at her polished nails. Nude with painted flowers that matched the colour of her dress.

"Relax Pipsqueak. I'm not going to hurt you. I just thought you looked like you could do with some fresh air." She looked up at me through thick black lashes. Her eyes looked so much greyer out here tonight, shining in the light like they were glazed pottery. "Let's get away from these prying eyes huh?" I nodded away from the doors and she nodded weakly. Who the hell was this? Where's her confidence gone? That snap of attitude? "Tell me about yourself Poppy."

"What do you want to know?"

"That's a loaded question because what I want to know isn't going to get me a truthful answer." We walked along the concrete slabs slowly. Poppy's heels clipping against them with each step and they were still louder than any words that left her mouth. I want to know where the girl from last week is. The one who smirked as she spun her car keys around her finger. The girl who said she'd done something like that before. The heir to the O'Neill name that was in a shopping mall, alone and barely flinched when guns started going off around her. Because she's not the quiet girl beside me now. "I want to know why you told me to leave before but I know you won't tell me anything other than what your father told you to say and if I'm honest, I have a feeling anything I ask you tonight you'll have a scripted answer for." She went back to watching the floor. "So instead of making it difficult for you, I'll ask you how your book is."

"My book?"

"Yes. From the library. Heirs of the Solstice wasn't it?" She stops walking, eyebrows contorting before looking at me like I'd given her a complicated riddle. "Did you finish it? We can discuss it if you'd like."

"You've read it?"

"You were so determined to get it down I thought it had to be worth the trouble." Her shoulders dropped a little. There's that switch again. Her going from shy and nervous to what I think is her normal self. I want to see her properly. Without whatever is causing this timid girl. I don't think it's her really. "Did you finish it? I don't want to spoil it."