Ash said something to me then wandered off, but like white noise, his words went in one ear and out the other. The ever-present void in my chest, that deep, yawning chasm of emptiness, widened with each minute that passed.
The pre-flight checks were done. We had a slot to depart in 45 minutes. All that remained was boarding the jet, and then we'd be on our way.
I should have been happy. The sooner we got to the US, the sooner I could head back to Ireland.
But I wasn't happy.
Instead, I was a goddamn mess. A chaotic bundle of emotion and confusion that I had no fucking clue what to do with. I'd spent my whole life keeping my emotions locked down so tight not even a flicker of vulnerability crept out. Not one tear shed when Ma passed. Not even when my sisters stood over her coffin bawling their eyes out.
I loved Ma but losing her reinforced what our Pa had always drummed into us from birth: love someone and they'll hurt you.
It probably explained why he treated our ma like shit. Not that she ever complained. Ma loved her home and her kids. She paid no attention to the persistent rumors about Pa's womanizing. As long as he always came home to her, she turned a blind eye.
The daft woman loved him despite his many faults. And despite his behavior, he loved her too, which was partly why he’d gone off the rails so spectacularly since Ma passed.
Sending Verity to her sister’s house was a sensible thing to do. She'd be safe there. I knew damn well Thea would murder anyone who tried to harm a hair on her sister's head. She also had the backup of the Russian mafia. Not to mention Dario Peretti, who was no slouch when it came to protecting his family.
But while I understood all this, objectively speaking, letting her go was slowly tearing me apart.
I could still taste her on my lips.
Hear her soft moans as she came.
I didn't know if I had the strength to turn my back on her. She was the only woman besides my beloved Ma and sisters that I gave a shit about.
Even knowing my brothers were fools for her made no difference. If anything, it eased something in my chest. If I couldn't be there to protect her, she still had them.
But it was all pointless.
I had agreed to escort her to the US, all wrapped up in a cute little bow.
If I backtracked, Thea would not be happy.
The blonde with the fake smile and red lips walked over, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.
"Mr. Kelly," she purred in a seductive Italian accent. "Is there anything you need while you wait?" From the way she licked her lips suggestively, going the extra mile in the name of excellent customer service was not an issue for her.
Once upon a time, I would happily have accepted a blow job before a flight to help me relax. But not now.
"No, thanks." I looked over her shoulder, seeking the woman who'd captivated me. Last time I checked, about ten minutes ago, she'd been staring out of the window, ignoring me.
But she wasn't there now.
"Ash!" He looked up, automatically reaching for his gun.
"Problem, boss?"
"Where's Verity?" The departure lounge in the private jet terminal was small, and aside from the ground crew and a few security people, we were the only ones here. Not a coincidence. I'd paid extra to have all other flights canceled until we departed.
"She was…" He looked around and frowned.
"If you mean the young woman, sir, she went to the bathroom." The blonde batted her eyelashes at me. "Shall I go check on her for you?"
I shook my head. The security in this place was high. Nobody worked here without undergoing multiple background checks. The blonde hovered, watching me. Dammit. I needed to make sure Verity was alright. Yes, I was probably being paranoid, but given the number of threats stacking up against us, it didn't hurt to check on her.
For all I knew, she'd slipped and fallen while washing her hands.
"Where's the bathroom?" The blonde pointed through a doorway, and I hurried in that direction. Ash nodded at Connor, and the two of them followed me.
