“It’s okay, it’s okay, go with Rory.” I nudge her in Rory’s direction, who takes Remi’s hand in hers, and the two of them retreat deeper into the kitchen.
I inch closer to the living room.
“She’s here. Search the house,” I hear and close my eyes.
Opening them, I spot Rory quietly opening the door out onto the courtyard that sits in the middle of the loft. Good thinking. Even if Remi makes a sound, it’ll be harder to hear since they’ll be outside. Rory pulls Remi into some bushes. Crouched down with the knife still in her hand, she’ll be able to see the kitchen, but it’s unlikely anyone will see them if they didn’t know they were there.
Releasing a shaky breath, I roll back my shoulders, making eye contact with my daughter one last time before I step into the living room.
I have their attention immediately, and I freeze, recognizing the man who appears to be calling the shots.
“Ah, well if it isn’t my lucky day,” he says, his Irish accent thick.
One of his men pulls out a gun and presses it to Lily’s head. I raise my hands, stopping in my tracks.
“Who are you?”
The man motions for one of his men to grab me. I don’t resist, but he’s still rougher than he needs to be.
The man frowns at me, pretending to look disappointed. “Ah, now Bella, I’m hurt.” He holds his hand to his chest like I shot him. “Iknowyou recognize me.” He smiles, and it’s all too familiar.
I swallow because I do.I do recognize him.He was therethatnight. At Wonderland. He was in the back in that meeting with all the important clients…and he winked at me. Salt and pepper hair, broad shoulders.But nothing else easily identifiable. I didn’t hear him speak that night, but his Irish accent has my stomach sinking.
The guy holding Lily cocks his gun, and my attention whips to them.
“No, no, no—we’ll keep the Kostalov girl. I’ll take care of two problems for the price of one.” He smiles again, and I shiver.He thinks Lily is Rory.They do sort of look alike; they’re around the same height and blonde, but that’s about where the similarities end, and Rory’s eyes are blue and Lily’s hazel…
Lily and I lock eyes, but she keeps her mouth snapped shut.My ride or die. She knows what’s at stake and she’s not going to correct them.
“Ladies, allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m Seamus O’Rourke, Koen and Aidan’s uncle.”
87
GONE
KOEN
Macand I have just pulled into the parking garage of the loft when Aidan calls.
“Yeah?”
Aidan’s frantic on the other end, and I sit straight up, causing Mac to look over. I only hear a few words before I’m out of the car and sprinting for the elevator. The sight of the body lying a few feet from the doors hits me like a fucking truck.
“No.”
For a second, my brain blanks out, and I freeze, not believing what I’m seeing. In the next second, I’m at his side.Jace. My hands shake as I move aside the collar of his jacket to press two fingers to his neck, confirming what I already know by the bullet lodged in the side of his head,andhis unseeing eyes.
He’s gone.
“What the fuck?!” Mac curses, falling down beside me and shaking Jace as if trying to wake him up. His voice breaks, sharp and jagged. “Wake up. C’mon, man, wake the fuck up!” When he realizes what I did only seconds before, he releases Jace, standing up and pacing behind me, letting out a sound that’s somewhere between a roar and a sob.
My throat is tight and my eyes are burning, but I reach up, fingers shaking, and lightly press Jace’s eyes closed. Leaning forward, I press my forehead to his, closing my own eyes, just for a moment before I lift my head. Rising, I wipe the tears from my cheeks before drawing my gun and moving for the stairs, but not before calling back to Mac.
“Stay with him.”
“But, Rí…” Mac’s face is red and a mess of tears himself, but he pulls out his gun, moving to follow me.
“No.” I cut him off sharply, freezing with the door to the stairwell half open. “Stay with Jace. Don’t leave him alone.”
