Chapter 19

I hate keeping this a secret from everyone, but Ronan didn't kill Sam. He told me she was my problem, and I had to deal with her. Sending her away should have been easy, as she'd left me once before, and for money, of all things. Lying to Harper makes me feel sick, but I don't want her mixed up in this drama with a woman who broke my heart long ago.

Harper ran to her half-brother when she wanted a new identity, and paying him a visit wasn't high on my priority list, especially after she told me their story, but for this it was necessary.

I need Sam to disappear and never come back. Ronan has ordered a hit on her because he can be a petty bastard, and if she is seen in the city again, she is to be shot on sight. So I temporarily moved her to a small hunting cottage two hours north, which was passed down to me by my great grandfather on my mother's side.

"Let's run away together," Sam pleads.

"That will never happen, Sam. I'm in love with someone else now."

Sam scoffs and gets up from the worn sofa. She moves to stand in front of me, then places her hands on my shoulders. "You loved me once, don't you remember that? We were so good together."

"Were we? Because if I'm being honest, the way I feel about Angel, I don't think I ever felt like that about you."

She pushes against my shoulders, almost sending me backward off the stool. "Fuck you, Van. You think you're so special now, and your little hooker won't drop you the second she gets bored?"

"And here it goes—whenever you don't get your own way, you throw a tantrum. I might have catered to them in the past, but it won't work any longer. I'm only here because I don't think you deserve to die. You're not a bad person. Do you realize how serious this is? Ronan has put a hit on you. That means everyone on our turf will be waiting, and the second they see you, they will not hesitate. The Pythons watch the border of our territory, and it was hard enough to get you out without their knowledge."

She scoffs. "I made one mistake, Van. I know that now. I should never have left you. We were going to start a family—you always wanted to have kids. And now you are all playing house with that bitch and kids. Things have changed."

Reaching out, I wrap my hand around her throat as I stand. "Never talk about the twins. Do I make myself clear? If you want to call Angel names, go ahead. There is nothing you can say she hasn't heard before, and she could kick your ass herself. The girls are my family. Speak about them again and I won't hesitate to end you."

I release her, and she laughs. "And there he is. Does she get to see this side of you or are you all sweet to her like you were to me in the beginning?"

"We were toxic together and you know it. We were not right for each other, Sam. With Angel, it just works. Even sharing her there is no jealousy—she makes it easy. Plus, she likes me for me, not because Ronan is my cousin, or for the connections I have."

"Is it because she is prettier than me? Skinner?"

"You know that's bullshit. The way you look, or your weight, has nothing to do with it. Angel was the first person ever to be honest with me. What we have is based on respect and honesty."

"So she knows you're here with me right now?" she says with a smirk.

I know what she is doing; it is the same old song and dance with her.

"No, I don't want to drag her into this shitshow, but even if she knew, she'd trust me. Fuck," I laugh. "She trusts Cian. Angel isn't insecure and won't pry into things which don't concern her. She understands I can't tell her things sometimes. It's easy being with her and love should be easy."

"Easy is boring. How long until a woman like her gets bored and wants fire? You know make up sex is always the best."

I sigh. "Sex with her is always fire. If she needs a dose of toxic, she can hate-fuck Darragh. I like what we have and nothing you say can change my mind. I should thank you for leaving because I never would have left you—I'm too fucking loyal."

"And what happens when your enemies come knocking? A woman with looks like hers will entice them to use her to get their revenge."

The problem with Sam is she has always placed value on the way someone looks, and it always made me uncomfortable because I'm already self-conscious of my looks. Though she has a point, and it's partly why I didn't want anything more when Angel worked at The Range, but I was kidding myself, and it was only a matter of time before I fell for her. I silently chuckle as I recall the last weeks she worked there, when her entire shifts were booked out by Ronan regardless of if one of us was there. He'd even sent a bodyguard or someone he knew and trusted to keep her company. Not that they touched her—they knew he would have them murdered if they did.

"Then they would want to hope one of us isn't close because they will regret the day they were born. She is it for me. If she asked me to walk away from this life, I would in a heartbeat."

"You love her that much?" She sighs. "I'm happy for you."

She isn't, but this is how she is. She will say the thing you want to hear to make herself look good, and then when you say something she doesn't like, she will fly off the handle.

"What you think means nothing to me. Now please finish packing. Your ride will be here soon to take you to the airport. I have cash and a new identity. We kept your first name and only changed your last name."

She grabs the bag and pulls out her new ID and smiles. "Murphy, huh?"

I shrug. "Someone may as well get some use out of it. I'm an O'Brien now. That's my family."

She tucks the ID back into the bag and moves closer, wrapping her arms around me. "I wish things were different," she says, stepping back and cupping my face. "I love you, Van. I was a shitty girlfriend and please know I have a lot of regrets."

She quickly leans forward and presses her lips to mine, but I push her back. "Don't! Things are not different. I have moved on, and you should too. I wish you well, but that is all."

She nods and grabs the small duffle bag, moving it over to her suitcase. She has been tight-lipped about why she actually came back, and honestly, I don't care. If she told Ronan, he has mentioned nothing to me.

A horn blares out the front. "That will be Ransom—he will take you to the airport. Please don't come back. I can't protect you if you do."

She looks upset, but I won't let her suck me into her web. "Okay, can you take my suitcase out? I need to use the toilet."

I nod, walking over to the pink suitcase and taking it outside. Though the man I find waiting by the car is a stranger.

"Where is Ransom?" I demand.

"He had something come up and sent me, I'm Crash," he says as he offers me his hand and we shake.

"Nice tattoo."

Crash looks down at his hand, and the bite mark tattooed between his thumb and pointer finger. "Yeah, my girl likes it rough."

I laugh. "Are you sure she's your girl if she's biting your hand?"

"Semantics. She's my girl, she just has to figure it out."

Sam exits the house with the small duffle bag containing the money and her new identity papers. I even found her a place to rent, which I paid up for a few months, and set her up with a contact who will help her find a job.

She stops in front of me. "Are you sure he won't murder me on the way to the airport?"

"I paid them more than the bounty on your head, and if he even tries, I will bury his entire family while he watches."

She gives me a rueful smile. "See you never, I guess."

"See you never," I reply as she gets into the car.

Crash waves to me as he gets into the car and then reverses out of the driveway. I stand there until they are out of sight before walking back inside.

Everyone believes she is dead, or at least Cian, Darragh, and Harper do. Ronan left the choice to me but knows I would never be able to go through with it. I pull my phone from my pocket and dial his number.

"It's done," I say when he answers the call. "She won't be back."

"I'm sorry," he says. "I know I fucked up."

"Honestly, I'm glad you sent her away. I'm actually really fucking happy with our life right now."

"That makes two of us, but let's keep this between us. You know they won't be happy about it, and Darragh is like a dog with a bone. He will find her to ensure the threat is eliminated."

"I know. I'll see you in a few hours," I say, ending the call.

He's right, we can't tell them. Sam was tortured by their hand, and she knows way too much. I just hope she moves on and starts a new life. She deserves to be happy.

Walking through the front door, I throw my keys onto the hall table in the foyer, which is decorated with a bunch of shit plus whatever crap we all throw on if we use the front door. There is another one by the garage door as well.

Static from a walkie talkie catches my attention.

"The eagle has landed," Darragh says.

Before I can blink, two little girls jump out and spray me with Nerf bullets. Then Cian pops out from fucking nowhere with a Nerf gun that looks like a damn military weapon and his bullets hit me in the junk.

"What the fuck," I boom, and Harper laughs, running down the hall and throwing a Nerf gun at me.

"Bullets are in tubs around the house. It's every man for themselves."

Darragh leans over the railing of the stairs and starts shooting at the girls, causing Sadie to scream.

"Hide, he's coming!"

They all run in different directions, and I follow where Harper ran toward Ronan's office. I watch her crack his door open and fire a single bullet. She then laughs as I fire some at her ass as she runs through the door. When I walk in, she is pointing the gun at Ronan, and he is smiling at her.

"You wouldn't," he says, and his cheesy grin tells me he loves her too.

His arm vanishes beneath his desk and I fire my gun at him. My bullet bounces off his arm, then he laughs as he pulls out his own Nerf gun and fires bullets at me in return. I step outside of the office to take cover and hear Harper scream before she comes barreling out, with Ronan hot on her heels. I take chase as well. She is fast, sneakily ducking into the kitchen, and I follow her inside. Though she is nowhere to be seen now, I smirk when I look at the pantry.

As I open the door, she holds her hands in the air, and so I step quietly inside and close the door behind me. Tucking the Nerf gun into the waistband of my jeans, I pull her into my body.

"I missed you today," I say, gazing down at her. Harper is tall and slender. She is a damn supermodel and way out of my league, but I'm grateful to her every day.

"I missed you too," she replies, tangling her fingers in my shirt.

"Love, I need to tell you something," I say, the guilt sitting low in my gut. I have never felt guilty about keeping a secret from a woman before.

"What's going on? The look on your face is scaring me."

I smile at her, reaching my hand out to cup her face, and I run my thumb over her cheek. "I was with Sam today."

She doesn't reply straight away. Instead, she narrows her eyes—not suspiciously, but more in confusion. "I thought... you know, they..."

"Killed her? No. Ronan gave me the choice, but Cian and Darragh think she's dead. If they know she is alive..."

I can't finish the sentence. In the heat of the moment—after shrugging Harper off at the Inventory—I'd told them to kill her. I was angry and Ronan knew that. He also knows me well enough that if they had done it based on my words that day, it would have eaten at my conscience.

Harper nods in understanding. "Okay. So why were you with her today?"

"I got her a new identity from your stepbrother."

Her mouth falls open. "You went to see Ransom? He doesn't do anything for nothing."

I laugh at her response even though I don't mean to, but she thinks he could do what, exactly? Hurt me? "I'm Sullivan O'Brien. Those punks will do what they are told, but for the record, I paid them well. As for Sam, she is gone and won't ever be back."

"Okay," she says, and I frown at her.

"Just, okay? I tell you I was with another woman—my ex—all day, and all you say is okay?"

She laughs at me. "Yes, Sullivan, okay. I trust you, and I know you could be in a room with a hundred women, and you would do nothing. Cian, however, I might have to learn to use a weapon; the man flirts as soon as he opens his mouth. Though, don't get me wrong, I might get jealous and stake my claim when I see you with another woman—I'm still human."

"I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You are the best man I know. Just don't tell the others I said that. I think I might love you, Sullivan."

"I don't have to think about it—I know I love you. You are the strongest, bravest, smartest, most beautiful woman I have met in my life and you're mine... or mostly mine. I would sacrifice everyone—man, woman, and child—for you. You're it for me, and my life now means nothing without you in it."

"Well then I definitely love you. I would try to sacrifice all the men but mine for you, and some women, but not the children."

I laugh at her words. "I know you would. Thank you for being you. But unfortunately, my love can't save you from this," I say, pulling my Nerf gun from my jeans and popping off a single bullet into her stomach.

Harper laughs as I open the pantry door and run toward safety, bullets flying past me as I make a mental note to teach her how to aim. Being with us is dangerous, and the least we can do is teach her how to defend herself; no man will be able to get close to her when we are finished.