Chapter 13

The urgent knockon the front door made me frown from where I sat on the couch in the living room. I'd been given the rare privilege of watching TV, something that Oisín had decided I deserved after yesterday. He hadn't put me in the cage or tied me to the chair again, so that was a positive. Instead, he'd trusted me enough—or maybe he was just stupid—to let me sleep in his bed beside him.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I glanced over my shoulder, waiting to see if Oisín had heard the commotion, but he was somewhere deep in the house, talking on the phone. He'd been there for the last hour. I didn't know what he'd been planning, but he'd woken up in a frenzy of energy, full of self-deprecating curses that had me grunting in laughter. I happened to agree with a lot of what he had to say about himself. I suspected he'd forgotten to do something while he'd been busy torturing me.

Just this morning, I'd asked him if he'd gone to that car show he'd invited me to, and he'd shot me a glare instead of answering. I'd never quite seen him as serious as today. If Oisín was anything, it was a smart-mouthed asshole who acted like he enjoyed every part of life. Not today, though.

The knocks grew louder.

I sighed and grumbled, "All right, all right. I'm coming." I shoved to my feet and switched the TV on Mute. I threw the remote control on the couch and stalked to the front door, yanking it open. Freezing, I took in the very famous face of the Killough Company's boss, Sloan Killough, and an icy sensation of fear slid through my veins.

Mr. Killough was tall and imposing, and despite him being wide as fuck, I had bigger shoulders. It was one thing I had over him, not that it said much because he had everything else. Good looks, lots of money, a whole army of men who worked for him, and a hunger for death in a way I hadn't succeeded in finding yet. He had a signature style with bleached blond hair and dark roots, and an impressive scar over his left eye. He was dangerous, and any sane man should be afraid of him, me included, especially considering I'd stolen from him. That crime wasn't something any man before me had gotten away with.

I took a step back and raised my chin, forcing myself to keep calm and stoic. As prey, it was better to show the predator I wasn't afraid of him—even if I was. "Mr. Killough."

Behind the boss was his pet, and farther away was a group of men with assault rifles, his bodyguards. My gaze shot back to Mr. Killough. I figured it was best not getting caught looking too long at Mr. Morrissey, even if I had no interest in trying something very stupid.

Mr. Killough's stare was hard and unrelenting, and his dark eyebrows furrowed as he glanced from my face to the collar on my neck and back again. "Why are you out of a cage? Oisín said you'd spend the rest of your life in one." He crossed his arms. "And yet, here you are, opening the front door like you own the place."

I swallowed around acid that clawed its way up my throat and offered him a small head bow. If there was any time to play up being Oisín's beast, it was now. "I am Master Oisín's animal, sir. I follow his orders and do what he tells me. Master Oisín is busy right now, but I can get him if you want to see him."

Mr. Killough stared for a long moment, eyes cold and ruthless. It was clear he didn't believe a word that I'd said by how the corner of his mouth twitched in irritation, but he didn't outright show it.

"Boss." Mr. Morrissey stepped up to Mr. Killough's side, hooking his arm around Mr. Killough's. "If Oisín wants to risk getting stabbed in the middle of the night, that's on him. We came here for a reason and this traitor isn't it."

Mr. Killough made a sound in the back of his throat. "Get Oisín for me, Olsson."

I nodded immediately and backed away, keeping my body faced toward him in fear that he'd attack me when I went to leave. Once I had some distance between us, I turned and moved as fast as I could. I found Oisín in his office on the second floor. He was still on the phone, speaking angrily to someone in a different language. I didn't know enough to guess which one, though.

He held up a palm to me when I entered, but I shook my head. I wasn't going to be brushed off. I doubted anyone was more important than Mr. Killough.

"The boss is here," I said loudly, interrupting whatever Oisín was saying to the other person on the phone.

He paused, eyes widening, before he spoke into the phone again and disconnected the call. He spun on me. "You answered the door?"

"He kept knocking," I argued.

It was like watching a mask slide onto his face. One moment he had a furious expression, then it transformed into pure peace, the Oisín I'd seen since I'd gotten here. He gave me a charming smile as he tugged carefully on his suit jacket.

"Stay here and be a good beast." He winked as he sashayed around his desk to the door beside me. Patting me on the shoulder, his grin widened. "Let your owner handle big ol' Sloan."

"No," I growled out before I could stop it.

Oisín stared with a curious tilt to his head. "Excuse me?"

"No." This time, I said it more confidently. "I don't trust him. I'm going with you."

He laughed, the sound echoing around the office. "Are you being a protective guard dog? Do you care about what the mean mob boss will do to me? How sweet."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing tone and considered doing exactly what Mr. Morrissey had suggested—stab Oisín in his sleep. I still had other plans, though, like escaping as soon as it was safe to do so. Right now, I had to stay on Oisín's good side. "The boss was pretty pissed that I wasn't in a cage."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, I did tell him I'd keep you in one. I know I made no promises about that, however. You didn't last long in there, did you?" He trailed his gaze down my body slowly. "Then again, I had better uses for you."

"I'll go with you." I crossed my arms even though I knew that would do jack shit.

His chuckles might've been insulting if I hadn't spent so much time with him over these last two months. "Down, boy. I don't need you to protect me. If the conversation goes in the wrong direction, I can always offer to suck his cock as an apology."

A deep swell of heat surged in my stomach, churning until I became almost nauseous at the idea of Oisín giving the boss a blowjob. Rage bubbled up inside me and made my head throb. Eyes narrowed, I stepped in closer to him until we were chest to chest.

"If he touches you, I will rip off his head. Boss or not." The words came tumbling out in hot bursts of anger before I could stop myself, my chest rising and falling with fast breaths.

Oisín's eyebrows jumped up high and his mouth twitched. "Careful, Beastie. You sound jealous."

I bared my teeth at him. "I don't like sharing."

He licked his lips, slow and teasing. "That's jealousy, sweetheart. All you have to do is call me Master and I'll suck your cock." His eyes sparkled in amusement.

I pressed my mouth together. I wasn't going to tell him I'd already done that in front of Mr. Killough. This—whatever this was—wasn't going to last long. As soon as I got my chance to break out, I was leaving. I'd get my brothers and escape the United States completely. Maybe head somewhere warmer like Australia.

He tsked. "So disappointing. Come on, then."

He swished past me with long strides, and I easily caught up to him as he trekked out of the office and downstairs toward the entrance hall, where the boss and his pet were waiting. I was right behind Oisín, not ready to let him face Mr. Killough alone. Not that I cared what happened to him, but if the boss killed him, then I would meet the same end.

Mr. Killough was on the living room couch, leg crossed over his knee with his pet at his side, leaning against him. They looked mighty comfortable, but I supposed everything belonged to the boss in a way, even his men's homes.

Oisín strode in front of the boss and came to a stop, hands clasped and grin wide. "Sloan, sir, what an absolute pleasure to see you."

Mr. Morrissey snorted and his gaze narrowed on Oisín, the message in his eyes clear—"Stay away from my man or you'll regret it."

Mr. Killough stretched out an arm over his pet's shoulders. "Oisín. Did you forget something?"

Oisín peeked at me before he plastered on a smile so sweet and fake that I almost got a toothache from it. "Of course I didn't, sir. I have a sharp mind and an even sharper wit."

"And you're very humble, too," Mr. Morrissey drawled, his mouth curling into a smirk.

Oisín made a sound in the back of his throat and shot Mr. Morrissey another grin. "Being humble is for the self-conscious. I know what I am and what I have, sir. There's a reason I'm the best thief in the Company."

Mr. Killough chuckled and pressed a kiss against Mr. Morrissey's cheek, shushing him gently. I thought I heard the words "retract those claws, pet" whispered into Mr. Morrissey's ear. Then, he focused on Oisín again. "You were supposed to be at the car show nearly a week ago. You texted me your plan. I sent Fergal as backup, and he waited for an hour before he called me." Mr. Killough raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to tell me why you didn't show?"

Oisín shrugged. "What can I say, sir? I don't need someone like Fergal to watch my back. If you want me to steal the Limited Edition Aston Martin Valour, I do it on my own, not with a wannabe thief."

"How about your lack of respect for the boss?" Mr. Morrissey said pointedly. "Sloan called you multiple times since then and you didn't answer."

I tensed, teeth clenched as I shifted closer to Oisín.

Mr. Killough shushed Mr. Morrissey again and traced a finger around his ear, eliciting a shiver from him. "Pet, enough. I can handle Oisín."

"I don't think you like me, Conall," Oisín practically purred, the smile on his face widening. "Sir."

Mr. Killough chuckled deeply. "Enough. Both of you." He nibbled on Mr. Morrissey's earlobe and whispered something I couldn't hear from where I stood. Whatever he said pulled an immediate reaction from Mr. Morrissey because he melted until he flopped against Mr. Killough like a kitten. Finally, Mr. Killough returned his attention to Oisín. "My pet is correct, though. You didn't answer my phone calls."

"I was busy training my beast." Oisín tilted his head in my direction and gave me a slow once-over, but I read the message in his eyes. Act, it said.

Ignoring the distaste in my mouth, I crumbled to my knees—which fucking hurt and required me to rest most of my weight on the good one—and bent forward, hands and forehead touching the floor. "Master Oisín."

"As you can see, I've broken his spirit as promised." The sound of footsteps near my ear had me stiffening. I relaxed again when I recognized Oisín's shiny black shoes from the corner of my eye. "I am a man of many talents, and my ass is magic. Even straight men want me."

A snort filled the room, and I suspected it came from Mr. Morrissey, then laughter that clearly belonged to Mr. Killough.

"Fine, I'm impressed, but that doesn't excuse your actions. You can train him in your spare time. You still work for me, and I gave you an assignment." A darkness weaved into Mr. Killough's words, and I swallowed the urge to stand and do something stupid like step in front of Oisín. I was an idiot. It would've been more productive to get the fuck out of here and leave the country completely, not defend a man who treated me worse than an animal.

"Did I say I hadn't done it, sir?" Oisín's voice was lyrical and teasing, belonging to a man so confident that he didn't fear Mr. Killough like most would. "I know where the car will be in a week and a half's time, and me and my beast here will be stealing it then. I'll get it to my man to fabricate a new serial number that should stand up to legal scrutiny, and it'll be ready in the time limit you gave me. Trust me. Grady will be thrilled with his present."

"Mm-hmm. And where exactly is this car now?" Mr. Killough asked. "So, I can let Fergal know."

I peeked up at him, but Mr. Killough wasn't looking at me. His attention was solely on Oisín, and it was as though I wasn't even there. I decided that was a good thing. I didn't want his attention on me.

Oisín snapped his fingers, and instinctively, I knew what he wanted. I sat back on my good knee, extending the other leg out to my side to take some pressure off, and let his fingers run through my hair, nails scratching soothingly at my scalp. He smirked at me. I wasn't going to live this down. Fuck. It was only because of the boss.

"Fergal won't be doing this with me. My beast will." Oisín massaged my head harder, and I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch, which was surprisingly nice. His fingers weren't gentle like a woman's, but they were softer than any man I knew. Despite that, he was rough, his blunt nails scratching my scalp in a way that was both pleasurable and painful.

I glanced at Mr. Killough, noting the twist of displeasure on his lips. "Oisín, I don't trust him." His gaze slid to me, and I thought about having a stare off with him, but my survival instincts won, and I lowered my gaze to the floor again. "He's a traitor. No training can beat that out of him. He stole from me, and he's lucky enough to be alive. He can be your beast, but this house will be his cage."

"With all due respect, Boss, you pay me the big bucks to get you what you want. Have I ever let you down?" Oisín crouched beside me and licked a long stripe up the side of my face, and I froze when his tongue caught a sensitive spot on my chin. He grabbed my face between his fingers and directed it toward Mr. Killough again. "If you want me to do the job, you'll let me do it my way. My beast will come with me. Beastie, tell Sloan the truth. Will you betray us again?"

A million thoughts assaulted my brain, but one glance at Oisín's smirk and I knew what I had to say. I raised my chin and kept my eyes on Mr. Killough. "Maybe one day I'll try to kill Master Oisín. I've already thought about all the ways I'd do it. But I know he's the only reason I'm alive and I don't want to die. And you scare me, sir, and I won't risk being taken back to Mount Pleasure."

Mr. Killough's eyes burned into my soul and he chuckled. "Good. I'm glad you're afraid. You should be."

Oisín hummed. "It's true. He saw Cillian the night we came looking for Caden and he nearly pissed himself." He dug his nails into my scalp, and I winced as a shot of pain fired straight to my cock. "If he betrays you, I'm the one who'll deal with the consequences. But trust me, I have him contained."

Mr. Killough looked at him for a long moment before he nodded. "Fine. If he messes up, it's your head, Oisín. If he makes it out alive after this mistake, I will find him and end his life for good. Understood?"

Oisín grinned. "Perfectly." He pulled his fingers out of my hair and patted me on the head, winking down at me. "Who's my good boy?"

I resisted the urge to bite his fingers clean off. Instead, I held back a glare and lowered my head.

Oisín guided Mr. Killough and Mr. Morrissey back to the front door, and once they were gone, I stood and rolled my shoulders. I'd worked hard, and my knee was mostly okay now, but every so often it ached if I sat a certain way, and being on the floor on my knees hadn't helped. I sat down on the couch and massaged my entire leg until Oisín came back.

He crossed his arms, watching me with a smirk. "Well played, Beastie."

I rolled my eyes. "So, you forgot about the car?"

"A smart thief never forgets." He licked his lips. "I might have been distracted."

My eyebrows rose. "By torturing me? You're fucked in the head."

"Stop flirting, Beastie. You know what that does to me." He grinned wide. "But you and I are going on a trip."

"Where?" I frowned.

"St. Loren. The car I want is there. The next car show will be in a week and a half, and we need to get there to prepare." He shrugged. "My contact says it'll be there for a few weeks before it's gone again."

"And you trust me to go with you?" I leaned against the couch and spread my arms over the back, a sense of power surging through me. It was promptly destroyed when Oisín pulled out his phone and buzzed me through my collar. I shouted and arched off the couch. "Motherfucker!"

Oisín grinned. "Don't get too excited just yet, Beastie. Trust me. Once you get the thrill of the game, you'll be begging to come on more heists." He stalked forward and threw himself onto my lap, tonguing along the length of my jaw. "Now get hard and fuck me."

I snarled and ripped at his shirt, sending buttons flying. I was going to make him scream.