Chapter 26

I swearI didn't intend to feck her when I brought her to my place, but it was bound to happen. I can't fight her anymore.

Not after the club. Not after everything.

Eriu will be mine. It's a matter of time. I just have to play things right. Talk to Patrick, then figure out the threat against her.

But she'll always be in danger from one person or another for the rest of her life. I can't let that stop me from being with her anymore. I won't do it. I won't give her up.

Patrick will have to understand what she means to me. I'll make him understand.

She draws circles on my bare chest, peering up at me beneath a fan of thick dark lashes. And all I can do is smile down at her, my arm around her back, palm on that perfect arse. She's in my shirt, but completely bare under it, just the way I want her.

"How did you know I was at the club?" she asks. "Did you follow me each time?"

"Aye. I'm always watching."

She props herself on her elbow. "Oh my God, are you tracking Karen's car?"

She's smart. Of course she is.

I nod. "Been tracking her car since you started being friends with her. Think I was gonna let you drug me again and disappear?"

My palm wraps around her nape and I bring her lips to mine and kiss her once slowly, dragging my tongue around the seam of her mouth.

"I promise not to drug you again," she husks with feminine laughter.

"That really doesn't make me feel any better." My chuckling feels foreign as I flip her beneath me and stare down at this beautiful creature who wants me.

It's strange, you know, to have someone want you. Need you. I've never had that before.

I slide an arm under her and tug her to me, holding her tight, hoping she doesn't vanish right before my eyes.

I inhale her scent, and it always brings me a sense of peace. It smells like home, a future I was never good enough to have.

"You okay?" she asks sweetly, stealing my heart all over again.

She gently lays her palm over my cheek, and I burrow into it, needing it like a lifeline.

"I am now."

"Want to talk about it?"

I release a heavy sigh and flip onto my back, taking her against my chest. My attention lands on the ceiling as my fingers slip under the shirt and brush up and down her spine.

"I wasn't a good person, Eriu, even before I joined Palmer's crew. I'm still not. But back then, I had a family. A brother, my parents." I take a momentary pause. "They loved me, you know? Until they didn't. Until I was more of a burden than a son."

Her arms clutch around my torso reassuringly, as though saying she doesn't see me that way. I don't know if that's good or bad, because she's either in denial or she really can accept me the way I am.

I force myself to continue. "I was hurting people back in Ireland. Killing them for unpaid debts, for other things they were doing that went against the people I worked for."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, hating that I'm telling her this shite. But she has to know everything about me before she decides that I'm going to be her husband and the father of her children.

"I killed my first man when I was fifteen. It was scary, but the more I did it, the easier it became, until killing people was just a job I did. It didn't matter if they had families, kids. If I was told they needed to go, I did it, and I was good at it. Still am." I glance at her saddened expression, and my heart sinks. "It's why your father recruited me after I left the gang I was with in California."

"How long were you there?"

"About two years before your father came calling. I knew who he was, who his dad was back in Ireland. They were powerful, and I needed something new."

Her fingers drag over my chest as she listens intently.

"Before I came to California with my brother at twenty-one, my mum kicked me out of the house when I turned eighteen. She wasn't a bad person. Neither was Da. But they had become tired of me. They knew I'd never change. They weren't wrong. My ma told me I'd never find a proper woman to love me, but I was okay with that. I didn't need love."

"Oh, Devlin." Her eyes shine with tears as she tucks her chin in her palm. "You deserve love. You are loved. I love you! I always have."

An ache I've never felt slams into the center of my chest.

"Again," I breathe. "Say it again."

"I love you, Devlin McHale. And I'm never gonna stop."

I fight my emotions, my throat growing thick. "I don't deserve it. People like me, they don't deserve it."

"That's not true. Everyone deserves love. Everyone is worthy of it."

"When you say it like that, I somehow want to believe it's true."

With the back of my hand, I stroke the span of her jaw, wanting to say those words I know she's desperately wanting me to say in return.

But I want to save them. The first time I tell her I love her, I want her to be my wife. A McHale. Not a moment before.

Then I kiss her, her body melting into mine, and I grasp on to the hope that maybe she's right. That maybe, beneath the sinner, there's someone worthy of loving.

My phone vibrates while she's fast asleep, and I slip out of the bed so as not to wake her, gently removing my arm from underneath her hips.

When I find Grant's name on the screen, my pulse surges. Hopefully he's got dirt on Mason. The more I have on that bastard, the better my conversation with Patrick will go. He comes home tonight, and I intend to drive to Boston tomorrow and have that chat that we should've had a while ago.

When I make it to the kitchen, I answer. "What do you have for me?"

"Hey, so I dived into a few of his offshore accounts. The ones your people probably didn't find because he did a hell of a job hiding them under multiple shell corporations."

"And?"

"Someone is paying him weekly, fifty large."

"When did it start?"

"A little less than a month ago."

"You sure? Nothing before?"

"No."

"What else?"

"I tried finding out who's paying him, but it's untraceable. And you know I've tried everything. Whoever it is really doesn't want to be found."

"Shite."

"The account is coming from the Bahamas. But when I trace it, it jumps to another account, then another, all in different locations, then jumps back to the Bahamas. I'll send you all the info I have so far, but I'll continue looking." There's a tapping sound, like he's pressing some keys on a laptop. "There's one last thing. One of the accounts has a name."

"What is it?"

"Camora. Does that mean anything?"

All the blood rushes from my body. "You sure that's the name?"

"Yeah. It means something, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, bloody does. Keep looking and send me that info."

"Already in your email. Talk soon."

"Aye."

It's like they wanted me to find it. Like they knew if I did, I'd know it was them. Francis Palmer is alive. There's no doubt in my mind, and now I know he's been paying Mason. And it all began when he met Eriu…

Now, I know for certain Francis was the one who blew up the car and sent her that note. He will pay for it all.

My rage surges, my blood pumping loudly in my ears. "Son of a bitch!"

Mason is in with them. But how? Why? It doesn't make sense. Why would he need money? Is it for gambling? Greed?

I need to find out everything. He's going to squeal like a pig when I'm through. I just need someone watching Eriu while I do what must be done.

I think back on that name. Camora.

She was only one, maybe younger, when I killed her parents and left her wailing in the crib. She became orphaned, thrown into the system 'cause of me. They were the last two people I murdered for the Palmers before they killed my brother.

I'll destroy every one of them for trying to hurt Eriu.

The time has come for me to end this once and for all.

ERIU

I stretch my limbs, yawning with the biggest grin on my face, remembering every sordid detail of last night.

There's a throbbing between my thighs, but I enjoy every second of it, knowing why.

Rolling over, I no longer see Devlin lying beside me. His space is cold and empty. My eyes pop open, and I sit up immediately.

The clock on the wall reads seven in the morning. Where could he be this early?

As I swing my feet over, my eyes flick toward the nightstand, noticing a note there.

Picking it up, I find that it's from Devlin.

Hey, love. I had to go to a meeting. But I've got Rogue watching you. Don't go anywhere. He's been instructed to keep watch and not to let you leave. Don't ask me why. I'll explain once I figure everything out. I miss you.

Devlin

He's drawn a trinity knot after his name, like the ones I drew when I wrote him letters in prison. I clasp the note against my chest, grinning like a fool, my heart flipping in my chest. That means more to me than he realizes. And he just admitted he misses me! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was possible.

Of course, I'm gonna ignore the fact that I'm a prisoner in his beautiful apartment. But Devlin wouldn't keep me here unless it was for my own safety.

Needing a shower, I slip out of his shirt and head for the master bath, turning on the water and getting inside, the steam coating the prickles on my arms from the chill in the air. I grab my shampoo, pour some onto my palm, and lather my strands before washing my body and rinsing off completely.

Drying off, I roll a towel around my head before throwing on one of his shirts, then using his blow-dryer to dry my hair.

Not knowing what else to do, I return to the bedroom and open some of his drawers, finding everything neatly folded. I didn't expect Devlin to be messy. He's one of those kinds of guys, like military types, except as far as I know he's never been in one.

When I open another drawer, there's a piece of paper sticking out of the corner. Being nosy, I reach inside and grab it, finding a stack of papers.

As I unfold them, I realize they're the letters I wrote to him while he was in prison.

He kept them all. A sting creeps behind my eyes. That means so much to me.

I place them back where I found them, but when I do, I realize I missed two photos that lay hidden underneath.

I stare at a smiling Devlin, maybe twelve, with a younger version of himself. That must be his brother.

Emotions plague my vision at the thought of what he must've felt when he lost him.

The other photo is of a family, Devlin and his brother, and an older couple, who I presume to be his parents. They all look so happy. Devlin has his father's face, but his mother's eyes.

How could she give up on him? How could she throw him out the way she did? He was just a child. My heart breaks for all of them.

With a mournful sigh, I return the photos back inside and decide that's enough snooping for today.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I rush back, hoping it's Devlin. But it's only Karen. Ugh, crap. She's gonna wanna talk.

Karen

Are you okay?! CALL ME!

I plop down onto the bed. Might as well just get it over with. With a press of a button, the phone rings.

"Oh my God!" she exclaims. "I've been up all night thinking of you. Are you okay? That was insane!"

"I'm fine. I guess. I mean, as fine as can be, but I won't have to marry Mason anymore, so there's that."

She laughs. "Yes, that is the best news ever. Are you still with Devlin?"

"Yeah…"

"Ooh, did anything more happen? Did he confess his undying love for you yet?"

"Kinda." My mouth spreads. "But we have a lot to figure out first."

"I bet you do. But I saw the way he fucked you last night. I mean, I know it was in front of a shitload of people, but holy hell, I wanna be fucked like that. But I am sorry it happened that way for you."

"It's okay. It was my decision. I just hope my father never finds out."

"Why would he?"

"Mason threatened me the other day." I blow a breath. "He had us followed. He saw where we were going, but he didn't know what the place was."

She gasps. "Fuck! I hate that asshole!"

"Hopefully he's out of my life forever now."

"He'd better be."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I have nowhere else to be. Maybe I'll get lunch with Kayla, since you're clearly busy fucking your new man." She giggles.

"Oh my God, shut up!" I snort. "Don't tell Kayla anything. I'll tell her on my own."

"I can't keep this to myself! You have to call her before I see her. I'm bound to slip."

I grumble. "Figured as much."

"You know me too well."

"You're a pain in my behind! But I love you. Talk to you later."

"Love you, bitch!"

As soon as the conversation ends, I call Kayla. Hopefully, she isn't too disappointed I went through with it.

"Hey!" Her cheery voice shines through.

"You're too happy for someone up this early." I pull the comforter over my shoulders, smelling Devlin, and my entire body tingles.

"I've been up since five, actually. Had a great session with my boxing coach, and now I'm heading to Helping Hand to assist Jade with the center."

Helping Hand is a center her friend Jade started for trafficked women and children, and it has grown to multiple locations. She's a hero. The things she's provided for these people are beautiful.

"Wow, you're too productive on a Sunday."

She laughs. "What's up? You never call this early."

I hesitate, nerves settling in my gut. "I have to tell you something."

"Okay… Do I need to kill anyone?"

I let out a laugh. Kayla, kill someone? I'd pay to see that! She's the sweetest, kindest person I know. She couldn't hurt a fly, let alone take a life.

"No, not necessary. But remember the auction I mentioned?"

"Oh my God, you did it!" Her voice shrieks.

"Well, yes and no…"

Then I tell her what happened last night, how Devlin saved me and killed someone in the process, and what he had to do to save us both.

"Holy shit," she whispers. "I'm happy for you?" A nervous laugh bubbles out of her. "I mean, I'm glad it was Devlin of all people, but wow."

"I know. I'm so scared my dad will find out. He'll be furious and he'll probably wanna kill Devlin for doing what he did. But he really didn't have a choice."

"Your father loves Devlin. He won't kill him. I mean, yes, he'll be angry, but he'll get over it."

"Spoken like someone who's only met my dad in small doses."

"It'll be okay, Eriu. You'll see."

"I'm gonna have to confront Mason and tell him what I did."

"Not by yourself, you're not!"

"No, of course not. I'll be with Devlin."

"Good." She releases a heavy exhale. "I love you, Eriu. You're a good person, and that's rare to find."

"You too, Kayla. I'm so glad you decided to come to college here."

"Me too. I'm at the center now, but call me if you need anything. Anything at all."

"I will. Have a good day."

"You too." I hang up and try to take a nap, my eyes heavy.

With a smile plastered on my face, I scoot to Devlin's side. Gripping his pillow, I close my eyes and let sleep call me.