And I did break us. Of that, I have no doubt.
I wipe away another tear that escapes and winds its way down my cheek as we leave Feannag Village, the only home I’ve ever known. Cahir continues to fill me in on what to expect over the next few years. I think he hopes to take my mind off my aching heart. I don’t have it in me to tell him it’s not working.
It’s a lot to take in, but I’ve been training for years for this exact reason, knowing my skills will keep me alive.
I stay awake for as long as I can, but eventually, I fall asleep, soothed by the continuous whir of the wheels on the tarmac. When I wake up, maybe this will all be a nightmare and I’ll still be wrapped in Sam’s arms.
Instead, I woke to the car jostling down a bumpy road and an ominous rumble of thunder. Lightning illuminates the sky in flashes, revealing snapshots of what can only be described as a castle hidden in the hills. This must be where the Cursed Skulls called home.
Silas is there to meet us. He opens my door and pulls me into his arms. I thought I’d finished crying, but as soon as he enfolds me in his fatherly embrace, I break down again.
“Shhh, little one. It’s going to be okay,” he rumbles, picking me up and carrying me up the steps and into the warmth of their home. My home now for who knows how long.
***
It takes months for the numbness to wear off. By then, I’ve learned to hide my emotions or at least fake them when I need to. Losing Sam broke something in me, something I’m not sure I’ll ever get back.
When the Skulls send me on my first assignment, I shut my emotions down completely. I want nothing to touch me because I’m not sure I’ll survive another heartbreak.
Working undercover is a whole new learning curve for me, but I find I love it. I like not being myself; it’s freeing to play someone else, even if only for a short time.
Then I get the call from Cahir that I’m being moved; they’ve got me into the accounts of the traffickers we’ve been followingfor years. We needed an in to gather intel but hadn’t found one until now.
This is what I’ve been working towards for years.
It’s the assignment Silas predicted all those years ago, the one that changed the trajectory of my life. The one I hope makes all my sacrifices worth it.
I never in a million years realised how much it would change my life.
2016
PROLOGUE
COPPER
I watch as Coal takes Thea in his arms and dances her slowly around the room as she wears her new cut with pride. The love they have for each other shines brightly on their faces. My dad lowers his head towards my mother and listens to something she says, his attention solely focused on her.
Is it any wonder I’ve held out? I want what my parents have. What Coal has with Thea and what so many others in our MC have found—some of them years ago, and others, more recently.
I doubt my turn will come anytime soon, not when the one woman who has caught my interest is in love with another man.
Not that she knows I’m interested. We’ve never even met. I saw her photo at the Crow Investment Office when I went with Coal to set up our accounts. We heard the rumours when we went to the café. Our connection to the Crow MC is tight. None of the Crows revealed what had happened with her and the brother she was with, and neither did her business partner, Beau.
Once I was given the information about my new partner, I knew for certain that her breakup with Sam was more complicated than anyone knew. She was gone from her home for two years, training for a job so dangerous that she derailed her entire life to keep her family safe.
While I know she won’t be ready for another relationship, I can’t help the small flame of hope burning deep in my chest—one that grows brighter every time I think of her.
I’m a patient man. I can be her friend until she’s ready for something more.
And I pray that with time, she’ll heal enough to open her heart to me.
I take a swig of my beer and lean against the bar to observe the people celebrating around me. I’m leaving tomorrow, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but it’ll be a while before I get to spend time with my family again.
So tonight, I’ll soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the company of those I trust.
CHAPTER 1
2016
