Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

QUINN

About a month later…

"Alrighty, kiddo." I give Fiona a big push on the swings. "I think it's time to head inside so I can make you something for dinner."

"Two more!" she shouts.

"One more, but that's it.…" I give her a final push, and she squeals as the swing goes high. She kicks her feet, trying to keep the swing going as itbegins to slow. It might not be helping, but it sure is adorable. I wait until itcomesto a stop before helping her down.

Taking her hand and walking inside,Iask, "What do you think we should make for dinner tonight?"

"Can we have pizza?" Fiona chirps as I close the door to the terrace.

"Hmmm. Let me text your dad and see if he's coming home soon." I reach for my back pocket, only to realize I left my phone by the slide of her swing set after taking a few pictures of her to send to Declan.

Leaving Fiona to play in the living room, I head back onto the terrace to retrieve it and call Declan.

"Hey, baby," I greet him when he answers the phone. "A cute little redhead is asking to have pizza for dinner."

His laugh billows through the speaker as he teases, "Is it the cute little three-foot-tall one? Or the cute little five-foot-tall one?"

"Both. If it means I don't have to cook dinner, it is definitely both."

"You know I'm not capable of saying no to either of you," he admits. When I step back inside, I immediately notice that Fiona isn't where I left her in the living room. Declan's voice continues to carry through the phone's speaker, but I'm distracted by the ding of the elevator in the foyer.

It's never that loud.

Except whenwe're in the foyer.

Quickly, I rush around the corner and gasp when I see that the front door of the apartment is open. I drop the phone, running toward the open doorway as I scream, "Fiona!"

With my heart pounding, I lunge through the threshold and into the foyer. Relief momentarily washes over me when I see her, but it quickly dissipates when I realize she's waving to someone as the metal doors slide closed.

Rushing toward her, I drop to the floor and firmly grip her arms, roughly admonishing, "What are you doing?"

Tears immediately well in her eyes, and I realize that I've scared her as much as she did me. I only scare her further when I hear the whir of the elevator motor and see the display over the cab is only at the floor beneath us.

The bell announcing the cab's arrival dings as I swoop Fiona into my arms. I hastily carry her back to the apartment and slam the door as a thick Russian accent taunts, "You can't hide from us forever, you redheaded bitch."

It isn't until I lock the deadbolt that I realize tears are streaming down both of our faces, and I'm trembling as hard as Fiona.

I run through the apartment and fall to the floor by my phone. Somehow, I clamor to lift it from the hardwood, and I yell for Declan and plead him to hurry home. Clutching the phone tightly, I find the line dead when I lift it to my ear.

My tears mirror Fiona's as I pull her into my lap. I hold her close to me, trying to comfort us both as my heart continues to pound in my chest. That voice. It sounded just like them. Unable to shake the visions of bar racing through my thoughts, I rock back and forth, repeating, "I'm so sorry, kiddo. I didn't mean to scare you."

A loud thud hits and vibrates the front door. I scream and clutch Fiona to my chest as it thuds again, the force so strong that it causes a picture of the boys to fall from the wall and crash against the floor. A third hit causes the wood frame to splinter, and the door violently swings inward on its hinges. Declan barrels through the open threshold, his gun drawn, with four men immediately on his heel. Terror laces his voice as he yells, "Quinn! Fiona!"

"Dec," I sob from where I sit on the floor, shielding Fiona's eyes.

Declan runs through the apartment and continues to shout our names. Finding us on the floor, he shoves his gun into the back of his pants and drops to his knees beside us. His arms wrap around us both, pulling us painfully tight as he plants kisses across our faces. "Thank fucking God."

" Daidi ," Fiona cries, pulling from my hold and crawling into his arms.

"It's okay, a stóirín ." He pulls her into his embrace. "You're okay."

Holding her firmly against him with one arm, he keeps the other wrapped around me. "You're both okay," hisfear-filled eyes meet mine. "Both my girls are okay."

Sucking in a shaky breath, I hold his gaze and silently shake my head . I am currently very much not okay . The fear I had for myself didn't hold a flame to how terrified I was that something would happen to Fiona.

"The building is clear, sir," Rory announces when he barges into the room.

"I need you to stay with Quinn for amoment, a stóirín ." Declan gives Fiona a squeeze and passes her back into my lap. He places a tender kiss on my forehead before pushing himself from the floor and to his feet.

He calmly crosses the room, pausing a few feet from Rory to glance back at me. While his demeanoriscalm, I've seen that look in his eyes before.It's the same way he reacted years ago at the frat party.

Rage. Uncontrollable rage .

I turn Fiona's face away from him, and I cover her ear with my palm as I press the other to my chest.

Declan glares at Rory as he closes the last couple of feet between them, fisting his shirt and driving him violently into the wall when he reaches him. Spittle sprays from Declan'smouthand over Rory'sface,as he snarls, "How the fuck this happen? How in the fuck did they almost get to my family?"