23. Kieran

23

KIERAN

" S o, we're not going to kill this bastard?" Ronan eyes me in disbelief.

Irritation prickles at the base of my neck. "Not unless he says something that makes me change my mind."

Although I really want to do so much more than kill him. I want to torture him. Make him beg for mercy before I let him slowly die.

Why the fuck did I make that promise?

"So, we're here because…?" Grady asks.

"Because you two need to keep me from killing him," I snap.

This is a bad idea. I've never had to hold back from ending someone. I have a feeling it's going to take a lot more self-restraint than I have. One wrong word from this asshole, and I might explode.

Grady pulls into a parking lot. When I scan the building, I'm not sure what to think.

Olympia Addiction Help Rehab Center.

What the fuck? Cage didn't give me any information other than an address and phone number. I expected the address to this guy's home. But maybe this is where he stays?

We move in sync as we enter through the glass doors and approach the large reception desk. As soon as the woman behind the computer glances up at us, her eyes widen. It's not lost on her that we're rich and dangerous.

"H-hello. Can I help you?" she asks nervously.

I lay a hundred-dollar bill on the desk. "Where can I find Daniel McKee?"

She looks at the money, then up at me, swallowing heavily. "Daniel's out to lunch right now. I'm happy to leave a message for him."

With a raised brow, I pull out two more hundreds and add them to the first one. "It's important that I speak with him in person. Tell me where I can wait for him. Please."

The woman lets out a sigh and smiles weakly. Maybe using my manners is helpful. Not that I'll ever tell Paisley that. It won't become a normal occurrence.

"His office is on the third floor, fifth door on the right."

I offer her a tight smile as I add two more hundreds to the pile and slide it across to her. "Thanks for your help. If you see him, don't let him know we're here. Nothing is going to happen to him. He's my fiancée's brother."

She relaxes but quickly takes the money and pretends to zip her lips.

We find his office, and I let myself in. Grady and Ronan follow and take seats at the small round table off to one corner while I wander around, scanning. Several certificates hang from the wall with Daniel's name on them. Apparently, he's an addiction counselor. No wonder Cage said I'd be surprised.

So, the asshole got sober and turned his life around, but he never tried to reach out to Paisley? What the fuck is that about?

I glance at his desk, searching for photos, but there aren't any.

"Um, hello?"

I lift my gaze to a man standing in the doorway. His eyes and hair are dark, and he's a thousand percent Paisley's brother. The resemblance is undeniable.

He looks around, noticing Grady and Ronan, then swings his gaze back to where I'm standing behind his desk.

"Who are you? Why are you in my office?" he asks, shifting his attention among the three of us.

Grady strides toward him. To my surprise, Daniel doesn't shrink back. He doesn't react at all. From the look of him, he might be able to hold his own in a fight. Not against us, but maybe someone with less experience.

Then, Grady shoves him and shuts the office door, standing in front of it so Daniel can't try to run. And from the fear in his eyes, he wants to.

"You asked who I am. And what I'm doing here," I say, taking a seat in his chair behind the desk. "Who I am depends on how this goes. I could be the last person you see before you die. Or I could be the person who shows you mercy you don't deserve."

Daniel pales and looks over at Ronan, only to tremble when he notices Ronan's gun is visible in his shoulder holster.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean by that. I don't know any of you." Daniel's voice shakes, and it pleases me immensely.

I run my fingers over my short beard. "No. You don't know us. But I know you. I know you put your hands on your sister and tried to hurt her for money. I know you chose drugs over keeping her safe."

He sighs and lowers himself into the chair across from me, his expression suddenly lost. "Paisley," he murmurs sadly.

"Yeah. Paisley. My fiancée. The woman I love." My voice is quiet, threatening.

"How…?" He raises his eyes to mine. "How is she?"

"You don't deserve to know," I growl.

Daniel rests his elbows on his knees, his head hanging low. "I know what you must think of me. Every day since I got clean, I've regretted what I did to Paisley. I think about her constantly. She was so strong, and we were all each other had, and then I left her to survive by herself."

I don't say anything because I still want to smash this guy's skull. He regrets it, sure. Big deal. He's still an ass.

"Not long after Paisley left, I got arrested and spent a couple of years in prison for distribution. I got clean, and I told myself when I got out, I would find Paisley. But every time I thought about finding her, I chickened out. I had no right to ask for her forgiveness. I had no right to show up back in her life after what I did. So, I've stayed away. I miss her. Fuck, I miss her so much. She deserves better than what she got from me."

Daniel seems genuinely torn up over their rift. I want to hate this guy; I really do. It doesn't matter that he's turned his entire life around and now helps those with addiction. He hurt my girl. And I can't forgive someone for that.

Paisley would probably forgive him. She misses him, and I think she wishes he were still in her life. What I'm not sure of is if I should allow that. Normally, everything is so black and white, and I don't have to weigh the options.

"Where are your parents?" I ask.

He sits up straighter. "Dead. They both died of an overdose. A year apart while I was in prison. It's horrible to say, but it's a blessing they're gone. They were awful people. I'd like to think it was the drugs that made them that way, but honestly, I'm not so sure."

That cleans up my hit list by two names. Kind of a letdown. I wanted to meet those fuckers and make them pay. May they rot in hell.

I stare at Daniel. God, I hope I don't regret this.

"Do you want to have contact with Paisley?" I ask.

Without missing a beat, he nods. "More than anything. But only if she wants that."

Paisley's watery brown eyes as she was telling me about her brother flash in my mind. My heart squeezes painfully. It's the right thing to do.

I stand and pull a card from my suit pocket. "This is an address you can send a letter to. It's her choice if she decides to respond. If she doesn't, don't try to contact her again."

Daniel takes the card with his trembling hand and then turns his attention to me. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love your sister more than anything. More than I love myself. I'll move heaven and earth to make her happy. Including letting you back in her life if that's what she wants."

His face pinches with emotion, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. I step around the desk to leave, but Daniel stands before I can pass him.

"Thank you for this," he says, holding the card.

I glare at him. "Don't thank me. Thank your sister. The only reason you didn't die today is because of her. I promise this, though. If you do anything to hurt her emotionally, mentally, or physically, I will kill you, and I will make it long and painful. And if you think I'm bluffing, here's a photo of the last guy who hurt her."

When I hold up my phone to show him a photo of Chuck, restrained by his arms, bleeding to death, Daniel gasps, his eyes bulging.

"I'm a bad man, Daniel, and when it comes to your sister, I'm fucking ruthless. She is my life and my love, and I will spend the rest of my years protecting her."

He looks away from the screen, then up to me, and nods.

Without saying another word, I stride out of the office to the car. I haven't seen my girl in hours, and that's way too fucking long. Especially since I have a really important question to ask her.

" D ude, what the fuck is that?"

I look down and then back at Grady. "What the fuck do you mean? It's a dog. Have you never seen a dog before?"

Grady rolls his eyes and squats in front of the little black furball. "I've seen dogs, dumbass. What kind of dog is this? Its paws are huge."

Squinting down at the puppy I just had delivered, I shrug. "It's called a Newfoundland or something. I don't fucking know. It's some kind that Paisley has always wanted."

He rises, grinning at me like I'm an idiot. "Did you research Newfoundland's before you got it?"

Irritation prickles the back of my neck. Grady is getting on my last nerve with his annoying questions.

"Can you get to whatever point you're leading to instead of wasting my time?" I snap.

"Newfoundland's grow up to be like a hundred and sixty pounds, and they slobber like a faucet."

What the fuck have I done? I look down at the tiny puppy. "It's gotta go back. I'll get her a stuffed dog. Yep. That's what I'll do."

Just as I reach for my phone to call the breeder and demand they come to get him, the little guy looks up at me with his gentle, golden-brown eyes and whines.

"Fuck," I murmur.

Grady bursts out laughing. "Dude, you've gone soft."

I glare at him. "Shut the hell up and help me get this ring on the collar."

He laughs harder but kneels down to help. When we're done, I stare at the dog, my palms suddenly sweating. Why am I nervous? Even if she says no, she's still marrying me whether she likes it or not. I'm giving her the courtesy of asking. Hell, I'm even going to say please. But ultimately, she's going to be my wife.

"You look like you're going to throw up. When did you become such a chicken?" Grady laughs.

"When did you become the most annoying friend ever? Why are you here? Go away if you're not going to give me some solid advice."

He leans down and picks up the puppy, scratching him under his chin. "You bought her a fucking dog. You didn't kill her brother simply because she asked you not to. You slit a man's throat because he attacked her, and you destroyed her ex-boyfriend's entire life because he hurt her."

I reach out and take the ball of fluff from Grady, my irritation dissolving as the little guy snuggles into my chest. "She doesn't know what I did to Jeremy. And she doesn't know about her brother. He might not ever reach out, and I'm not going to tell her I went to see him."

"For one of the smartest men I know, you are a dumbass sometimes." He shakes his head. "She's in love with you. She's been in love with you for a while. The day we moved her into Bash's house, she was already falling for you, and you two still hated each other. She's not going to say no. So quit being a fucking baby and go take her this dog that's going to grow into a bear and ask her already."

He's right. I don't like it when he's right. I only like it when I am. Which is pretty much all the time except for right now. Paisley loves me. She wouldn't have threatened to kill a woman over me if she didn't. Guess I better grow a pair and go find my girl.