Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Why are you sending the new kids to handle your top contracts?”
“You’re not my top contract, little boy. You are not your father. You are not your brother. All you are is an annoyance that I am allowing, because of what you’re going to get me.”
“They tried to rape her,” I seethed before tossing back the second drink and throwing the glass against the wall and watching it shatter. “That would have ruined everything.”
“They did not. They were just trying to scare her.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
“No, one of them cut her, left a wicked gash on her thigh that still isn’t fully healed.” I had caught a glance at the wound on her thigh as I was petting her, careful not to touch it and to keep my hands on the opposite thigh. I wanted to torture her, not hurt her.
Declan looked me up and down for a moment, like he was considering his options.
“They will be dealt with,” he said finally. “Though your jokes about inbreeding with sheep definitely brought them down a peg or two. Is that what they teach you boys at seminary school now? Vows of chastity don’t count if it’s livestock?”
“Fuck, no.” I scoffed. “I thought that shit was just common Irish sense.”
Declan rolled his eyes. “Are you trying to piss me off, or is this just some self-hatred thing because you’re not as pure-blooded English as your daddy would like people to think?”
“I don’t give a fuck what he thinks, nor do I give a fuck about being Irish. I care you found the four stupidest motherfuckers that just happened to be gingers and sent them, without simple instructions, to scare my girl.”
“Your girl?” He raised an eyebrow at me.
“You know what the fuck I meant,” I growled.
I stood and paced around the room.
Usually, a good blow job calmed me, but not this one. There was too much energy running through my body, too much anxiety that I needed to get out. It was like my skin was crawling, and I didn’t know why. I wanted to go back to the Astrids’ manor. I wanted to take Rose and bend her over one of those antique desks that get more polish than use and make sure she remembered who her pleasure belonged to.
“I really don’t,” Declan said. “But it’s also none of my goddamn business. I don’t give a shit who she belongs to, who she doesn’t belong to. My men did a job, and we had a deal. Did you get it?”
“No,” I said, running my hands through my hair. “But I will.”
“When?”
“As soon as I can,” I bit out, going to pour another glass of whisky, needing something to take this edge off.
Declan stood and slammed his glass down on the table. “See that you do, or the rest of our deal is off. I might want that information, but you need what I have. And never make me wait for you again.”
And he turned on his heel and walked out of my room, leaving his threat hanging in the air. I hated that he was right. Going to Mary Quinn’s house, I hoped to at least get an idea of where that information was, but I did not know. The only way I was going to find it was with my little angel’s help. I was going to have to move faster than I had intended.
Two seconds.
I had two whole seconds of peace before another man that I did not want to fucking see walked into my private room without invitation.
“Christ, can a man get no peace?” I growled.
My father stood in the doorway, not saying anything for a moment. He just stared at me, taking me in. I knew enough to know that he would not talk until he was damn well ready, and I was just over it.
I took off my priest collar and flung it across the room, unbuttoning the top couple of buttons of my shirt so I could breathe. Then I collapsed into the overstuffed armchair and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to will away the impending headache that was forming between my temples.
Dealing with Lucian Manwarring was the last thing I wanted to do today.
He would be dealt with soon enough. As soon as Mary Quinn was right where I wanted her, destroyed, destitute, and desperate, I would come after him.
What Mary Quinn did to me was despicable. That didn’t change the fact that my father was the one who put me on that plane. He was the one who had banished me to a lifetime of serving God instead of myself. He was the one who didn’t have my back when I needed it most.
Family came first, my ass.
“What happened in Rome?” he finally asked, walking fully into my rooms and closing the door behind him before sitting. As if it fucking mattered if anyone overheard us.