by Jane Henry
“One more word, motherfucker.”
Moonlight glints in the man’s eyes, and he widens them almost comically when he sees the ink on my neck. “Feckin’ mafia, Sheena? Are you out of yer fucking mind, you—”
I cock my gun. “Finish that sentence, it’ll be your last,” I tell him, and I mean it. I’d just as soon splatter his brains on the sidewalk as I would look at him. I’d have a clean-up crew here before his body hit the ground.
He lowers his hands as if in surrender, but the next thing I know, he lunges at me. I duck the blade just in time. Shots ring out but we’re on the ground, fists flying. He catches me in the gut and I can’t breathe, but I roll over and get the higher ground. I’ve been trained in this, how to incapacitate and kick someone’s arse without letting myself get hurt. Again, and again, my fists fly. He’s beneath me, bearing my weight and the vicious strikes I deliver, one fucking blow at a time. Bone snaps, and his face is a bloody mess. Lachlan and Carson stand by, prepared to help, but I don’t need them. The prick’s easily beaten and damn near crying. I give him one last vicious blow before I stop.
He holds his hands up in surrender, damn near sobbing.
“Okay, alright,” he says, turning his head to the side and spitting blood onto the ground. One eye swollen, his lip split and pouring blood, but he’s fucking lucky he’s alive.
Lachlan leans over, plucks the blade out of his hand, folds it, and pockets it.
“Thanks for the souvenir,” he says.
“Now run along, lad,” Carson says, his voice dripping with condescension, icy with a hardness we rarely see. He seems placid and calm until you try to hurt one of his brothers, or worse, someone defenseless.
“And if you ever threaten her again, I won’t hesitate next time,” I say. “I’ll put a bullet in your head without a backward glance, you hear?” I fucking hate bullies.
He gets to his feet. His eyes are swollen, blood dripping down from his broken nose. Still holding his hands up in surrender, he backs up until he trips, and when he gets to his feet, he runs.
“Well, if that wasn’t a sight for sore eyes,” Sheena says. I look at her in surprise, but she only shrugs. Most women can’t bear to witness the violence, but she seems almost happy. “Never saw anyone put the fear of God in Cian.”
“Who was he?” I ask her.
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“Bloody hell, lass, if I knew that, I’d have pulled the fucking trigger.”
Chapter 8
Sheena
He’s my enemy, for God’s sake. I should hate him.
I do.
Well, I don’t.
I do.
When he does things like that, when he protects me and steps in as my savior, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve been too hasty.
I can’t think of this now. I won’t. I’m here for a reason, and they need me right now.
I hate that he’s here, that he’s witness to the misery and squalor that ties me to my past. He already hates me and it shouldn’t matter now what he thinks, but honest to God, I want to curl up in a ball and cry that I’ve had to bring him here.
What will he think of me?
Why do I care?
But I have no choice. They need me. They aren’t safe, and I’ll have to swallow my pride and do what I’ve come here for. Why must I always be forced to swallow my pride around Nolan?
I open the door and head straight in.
“Tiernan!” I yell. “Where are you?”
“In here, Sheena.”
I almost cry when I walk into the living room. Tiernan sits on the dilapidated sofa. He’s got a black eye, and Fiona’s curled up beside him with her knees tucked up to her chest. She’s wearing faded pajamas that are too small for her, and her hand’s wrapped in a messy bandage that’s falling off. Tiernan’s eyes widen in surprise when he looks at the company I’ve brought.
“Thought you were coming alone,” he say reproachfully. He stares with distrust toward Nolan, his gaze dropping to Nolan’s blood-covered hands. Nolan wipes his hand on his trousers and clears his throat, then holds Tiernan’s gaze for a long moment, takes in our surroundings. He speaks in a hushed voice to Lachlan and Carson. They leave.
Did he command them? Or was that a word between brothers?
“Sheena,” Tiernan says, getting to his feet. “Who are they?”
“Well, about that,” I begin, when Nolan interrupts.
“Thought it would be safer she not come alone,” Nolan says.
And even though I know I’m here because I’m their prisoner, a part of me wonders if he speaks any truth at all. Would he prefer I not go alone? And why does a part of me hopes that’s true?
Tiernan glares at Nolan, arranging the baby on his hip.
“And who the fuck are you?” he asks.
“Tiernan,” I say reproachfully. “Language.” I don’t like him talking that way, he’s better than that, and for goodness sakes, I don’t want him provoking Nolan.
Nolan takes another step toward him.
My breath freezes, and I don’t move. If Tiernan had any idea who Nolan was, who any of them were, he would watch his tongue. Fiona’s eyes go from me to Nolan in wide-eyed silence.
Nolan doesn’t respond at first, as if he’s mulling his words over before he speaks. Finally, still holding Tiernan’s gaze, he says in a voice much softer than I expect, “I’m guessing you’re Tiernan.”
“Aye.”
Nolan extends his hand. “Nolan. Pleased to meet you.”
Tiernan stares at Nolan’s lacerated hand.
“You get into a fight?” he asks.
“I mean you no harm, Tiernan,” Nolan continues, ignoring the question. “I came here because your sister and I were… together when you called. I didn’t want her coming here alone.”
Tiernan works his jaw, then nods.
“Now, no more questions,” I say with the firmness of an older sister. Lying is a way of life for me, but I don’t lie to Tiernan if I can help it. I’m concerned that if I give him any more space to ask questions, one of us will have to do just that.
“Aye,” Nolan says. Tiernan hasn’t shaken his hand, so Nolan withdraws it, but he doesn’t look angry. He pockets both hands, a gesture of surrender, I think, and jerks his chin toward Tiernan. “Where’d they enter?”
Fiona watches us with wide eyes. The plaits in her hair from earlier have loosened. Little wisps of hair frame her face, giving the appearance of a reddish halo and makes her look younger than her thirteen years.
She walks to me and stands beside me in silence. Tiernan shows us the broken door in the kitchen, the splintered wood and broken lock. Nolan curses under his breath.
“Need a proper locksmith to come in to fix that,” he mutters. “And who the f—who knows if they’ll be back tonight. Often the way, you know.”
Fiona hasn’t spoken before now, but she’s watched Nolan the entire time.
“What’s that on your arm?” she asks, waving a finger at the ink that shows just beneath his shirt sleeve. The dim overhead lighting doesn’t reveal much, but it does illuminate his trademark ink.
Tiernan draws in a sharp breath, and takes a step back.
Dammit.
“Mother of God,” Tiernan mutters. “Sheena, what have you done? Who’ve you brought here?”
Nolan looks to me. I don’t know what to say.
When neither of us responds, Tiernan continues. “You’re mafia, aren’t you?” he asks Nolan.
Nolan’s busy with the locks and doesn’t answer. He straightens, and still not answering Tiernan’s question, he turns to me.
“They’ll come with us, then,” he says. “Can’t all fit in the one car.”
What?
He opens the door and calls out to Lachlan.
While he steps out, Tiernan hisses to me, “Sheena.”
“What?” I hiss back.
“Is he mafia?”
I grit my teeth. “Is it that obvious?”
Tiernan curses
, and Nolan steps back inside. “Right, then,” he says. “We’ll take the children with us, Lachlan and Carson will wait for a ride to come get them.”
I shake my head. “No. Absolutely not. They can’t go with you. I’ll stay here, and—”
Nolan’s gaze darkens, and he shakes his head. “Can’t do that, Sheena,” he says, his voice tight and laced with meaning. “It isn’t safe for any of you here. And anyway. You have promises to keep.”
Tiernan takes a step toward him but I raise my palm up to stop him. “He’s right, Tiernan. Staying here isn’t safe.” I think about this opportunity.
If my siblings are at the McCarthy house, how will we possibly keep my status with them a secret? How will I find what I need to, spy on them and bring them down? Will this put a complete wrench into everything? Or… will it buy me even more time at the McCarthy’s?
“A word, Nolan?” I ask as pleasantly as I can.
“Go on,” he says.
I blow out an exasperated breath. “Privately.”
He takes my hand, too firmly I might add, and with a tight nod, says, “Aye. One minute. Tiernan, pack what you need but don’t take much.”
Tiernan doesn’t move.
Nolan drags me into my mother’s room and shuts the door. I curse when I see a mirrored plate of pills beside a used needle and spoon, the rumpled sheets, and piles of dirty, rancid clothing. I push it away, pretending I’m not here, that he isn’t seeing this. I put up a wall between my logic and my pride, and swallow the lump in my throat. I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t. The lump prevents me. I swallow and try again, but when I try to talk, nothing comes out.
Nolan reaches for me, wraps his fingers around the back of my neck, and pulls my forehead to his. But the way his green eyes flash and his voice is laced with tension bely any tenderness.
“No fucking around, Sheena,” he says. “I came here tonight because I’m not as big a prick as you’d believe. I might be mafia, but I won’t abide children being abused, do you hear me?”
He squeezes my neck. My nose tingles, and something strange is happening still because I can’t speak.
“You’ll still be my prisoner. You’ll still answer for what you’ve done. But Jesus fucking Christ, the least we can do is get those kids out of this hellhole first.”
I blink, and the worst thing possible happens. Fat, hot tears roll down my cheeks. I go to swipe them away, but I can’t because he stops me. His mouth is on mine before I know what’s happening. I taste salty tears and the strength of this man as he kisses me, his grip tight, his lips soft, the prickle of his beard scraping my tender skin. Too soon, he pulls away.
“Impossible fucking woman,” he growls. One hand grabs my arse and he pulls me even closer to him. “You ruined everything.”
“Go to hell,” I hiss.
To my surprise, he grins at me, and his green eyes look wicked. “Aye, lass. No question that’s exactly where I’m going. Question is, are you coming for the ride?”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” I mutter. “Jesus Christ.”
“You’ve got the mouth of a fucking sailor.”
“How funny, so do you,” I say. “Who knew?”
He shakes his head. Through the flimsy door I hear Carson and Lachlan enter, talking with Tiernan and Fiona.
“What are we going to do?” I ask him. “This is the worst possible situation. How will we keep what’s… how will they not know that… how will you…” I don’t even know how to ask the questions I need to know.
“Sheena,” he says, his voice a hoarse whisper. “It’s the dead of night, lass. Those children haven’t slept. They need a proper night’s sleep, a clean place to lay their heads, and safety and protection. We’ll deal with the rest in the morning.”
Goddamn him, he’s got logic on his side. At least partly. He can’t explain away the rest of our conundrum so easily.
My throat’s tight again. I can’t help it. I reach my hand to his cheek.
“Damn you, Nolan McCarthy,” I whisper.
He looks at me quizzically.
I shake my head. “Sometimes you make it hard to hate you. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll give me reason again before the sun rises.”
“Will do my best,” he says, then he shoots me a grin I feel straight between my damn legs. He releases my neck, and grabs my hand. He opens the door and leads me out.
Something like hope blooms in my chest when I see the McCarthy men in the little kitchen. It’s so incongruous, the big, massive lot of them all alpha male and dangerous, in this little hellhole of a kitchen, but they’re big, they’re strong, they’re fearless.
And oddly… it seems like a contradiction, somehow… I feel safe with them.
I immediately dismiss that line of thinking. I didn’t get to where I am by being foolish and helpless, and I’m not going to start now.
“Alright, then,” I say briskly, and I swear to God I stop myself just seconds before I clap my hands like a teacher trying to get her classroom’s attention. “What do we need to bring? Nappies, bottles, toothbrushes.”
“Just about all we’ll need is the baby things,” Carson says. “Everything else, we’ll get back at the house.”
“Aye, I agree,” Lachlan says. Fiona looks up at him with such wide eyes, it breaks my heart a little. She hasn’t said a word. He notices her staring up at him and smiles.
“Hey,” he says. “Name is Lachlan. What’s yours?”
She looks to me for permission to speak her name. I nod at her. “Go on,” I say. “It’s okay.”
“Fiona,” she whispers.
“’Tis a beautiful name,” he says, and for that one brief moment in time, my heart softens toward him.
Tiernan isn’t having any of it, though. He scowls at the lot of them.
“Just for tonight,” he says. “We won’t need their help for any longer than that.”
I nod. It’s not time for me to argue with him. Not now, when we need to leave so quickly.
We hear voices right outside our door, and we all stand still and listen. Lachlan’s hand at his holster.
“Don’t you dare,” Tiernan warns, but Lachlan gives him a warning look and ignores him. I admire Tiernan’s bravery, but I have to have a talk with my brother. He has to watch it with these men.
The voices go away, and Lachlan removes his hand. But a few seconds later, a loud crash sounds just outside.
We have to get out of here. They were in danger before, then Nolan had to come in here with fists flying. It’ll be trouble, I know it.
“Right, then,” I say. “I’ll go get the baby.”
I turn toward the doorway and freeze mid-step when Nolan comes through the doorway with the baby in his arms.
Mother of God.
Bloody hell.
Nolan’s a fucking natural with baby Sam, curled up in those powerful, muscular arms of his like he’s done this before. I wonder if he has, but then I remember, he’s an uncle now to several babies. I try not to go all hormonal, but I can’t help it. I honestly think my ovaries twitch.
“Let’s go,” Nolan says. I go to reach for the baby, and he hands him to me. His arms brush mine, warm and strong, and for one brief moment he isn’t my captor, my enemy, the very man I’ve set out to destroy, but something… else.
I take the baby, draw him to my chest, and kiss his wee head. He stirs and rolls closer to my chest. I imagine for a moment that Nolan’s eyes grow wistful, but the next blink of an eye he’s all hard and determined again.
“I don’t want to be here if there’s blowback,” he says. “Would defeat the feck—” he stops mid-sentence “Would defeat the purpose,” he finishes.
I nod with the others, and we leave the dank hovel. My imagination goes wild, pretending for one brief moment that once I take them out of here I don’t have to bring them back. That they can have a safe place to stay, regular food in their bellies, security, and the comforts of home.
But it’s a dream, something I can’t br
ing them now. Not until I complete my mission. Until I establish myself and seek justice for what the McCarthys have done.
Two cars are waiting out front. I’m no fool. I’m aware of the fact that every person in this small, cramped neighborhood is either aware of my coming here tonight with the McCarthys or will be soon. Rumors will circulate, and there’s no telling what will come of this. There are too many questions right now and too few answers, but I can’t deal with any of those quite yet.
Fiona walks beside Lachlan as we go outside. Tiernan glares at the lot, his fists shoved into his pockets, but he can’t hide the look of relief when we open the car door.
“Don’t know about this, Sheena,” Tiernan mutters to me, in a low voice so only I hear him. “How do we know we’re not jumping from the frying pan into the fire?”
I swallow hard. Damn him for saying exactly what I fear myself.
“I know it, Tiernan. But you have to trust me. Can you trust me?”
He nods immediately, as if there’s no question, and it tugs at my conscience. If he only knew what I’ve done, what I’m planning still… he wouldn’t find me as trustworthy as he does now. Hell, he may be the only person in the world now who does.
“Let’s just get to safety tonight.”
“But that’s just it,” he says. “Are we safe?”
I clear my throat. “For tonight.”
Tiernan slides into the back seat and he gestures for Fiona to go with him. She looks to me, then Lachlan. My heart aches for her, for the girl who hasn’t had the safety and protection she so deserves. “Come, sweetheart,” I tell her. “Into the car and we’ll get you to a nice, warm bed, okay?”
She nods and walks with me. Lachlan watches her go, and a shadow crosses over his face. I wonder what his story is. I know he was recruited young by the McCarthys, that he went to their finishing school, but that’s all I know.
The drive back to their house is silent. Tiernan broods and stares out the window, I hold the baby in the back of the car, and Fiona sits next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. Nolan drives in silence. I try to silence my brain, but I can’t seem to. Fiona’s asleep when we get to the house, and Nolan’s phone rings just before he parks the car in the garage.