THE FIRE WITHIN
Chapter Four
Christa headed outside. No one
said a word. They just stared. She looked weak and thin, but she managed to
enter the bar.
She went inside, and he sat
there, playing cards.
“Well, if it isn't the
Irish-loving concubine, Christa.” Bill looked up and saw her. She disgusted
him.
“I would rather be full Irish
right now than share your blood. My mother, God rest her soul, would have been
disgraced by what you did. How could you do this to your own niece? My mother
loved you.” She looked at him with disgust, as well.
“Niece? I don't have a niece, and
just because you’re American doesn't mean anything.” He looked at his cards.
“It makes me more than you are!”
she yelled back.
“You’d better watch your mouth.”
He looked at her, getting angry.
“How could you do this?” she
asked him.
“I don't have a niece,” he
repeated.
“Olivia Cutting was not your
sister? Oh, please. You are the only Cutting I know around here. and she told
me about William Cutting. or at least what she could manage to say on her
deathbed. She told me how you ran her and my father out of New York. and I want
to know why!” she demanded.
“Sit down. You wanna hear the sad
but tragic story of my sister, Olivia? Fine. I will tell you. Olivia was my
only sister. She sided with a man I took under my wing. It was fine and dandy
for a while. Then, when they started stealing from me, I cut off his hand.
Olivia, God rest her soul, was the only family I had, and she betrayed me, so I
gave her a chance. Get out of the Five Points, or stay and die. You already
know what she chose.” He sat down, calming himself.
“That has to be a lie. My mother
never stole anything. She was innocent.” Christa didn’t believe him.
“Well, Christa, I know what I
saw, and I knew Jacob. He was a lying, sniveling little bastard if I ever knew
one. Your mother loved him so. I wish it had been different. As for you, my
niece, I never knew you existed, and I am prepared to do anything to repay for
what I did to you, but Amsterdam is not in the deal. He still dies.” He looked
at her, unable to see the features of her mother.
“Fine. You know what I want? I
want you to…” She was about to say something that would have really upset him,
but kept it to herself.
“Watch what you say. I don't want
my only niece to be my enemy,” he warned her.
“And why not? After what you did,
how can you expect me to forgive you?” She held her ground.
“I don't,” he said coldly.
“Look, as far as I am concerned,
I am dead to you, and I would like it like that for you, too.” She didn’t want
to be related to him at all.
“Fine by me.” He didn’t need a
relative. He was fine by himself.
She turned away and left, saying
nothing more. Christa muttered to herself when she left. "That son of a
bitch doesn't have a heart."
Bill was in shock. He couldn't
say a word. He had hurt his own niece, and now she was in love with an
Irishman, just like his sister had been. No one had ever known he had a sister,
because he had never mentioned her. She had been an embarrassment to the
family, so he had disowned her. He had disowned everyone he ever cared about,
which made him a lowdown bastard, but he didn’t care.