“Sir.” Duffy’s voice sounded stressed. “At least let me get you protective gear.”
My chest rose and fell. One strike was all it took for the vines of anxiety to loosen. I was far from done with my mission. “Yes.”
As soon as Duffy returned with the equipment, I slotted on the helmet, gloves, and protective glasses before I settled in and went to work. One hit after another, I smashed the glass that encased the greenhouse and the poison that lived within it. With each piece I demolished, a thread of tension released inside me until I was free. At least for the moment.
When the last of the glass littered the ground, I moved on to the framework, which was harder to accomplish. My arms ached and my legs throbbed in pain. A cost worth paying to get rid of this pit of despair. Sweat layered my forehead and cheeks and dampened my shirt under my armpits and down my back. The cool wind against my sweat-drenched shirt was chilling but also oddly comforting.
There was a secret door in the greenhouse, one I knew was filled with weapons, but I ignored it because it didn’t matter. Not right now. When I was done, I’d get the men to move the guns somewhere safer.
“What are youdoing?” The distraught tone sliced through my concentration.
I turned, catching sight of Conall as he came to a stop beside the decimated greenhouse, eyes wide and mouth agape. His messy hair was falling out of a bun at the back of his head and he still had a red mark on the side of his face from sleeping.
“What are you doing, Sloan?” The words trembled out of his mouth. His gaze slid from me to the wrecked greenhouse and back again, and I didn’t miss the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“It was a health hazard.” I panted as I took off the helmet and gloves, letting them drop to the ground. The hammer followed. I wiped my forehead with the back of my wrist. The afternoon sun bore down on us, the remnants of heat fading. “It had to go.”
Ronan stood behind Conall, irritation flickering over his usually stoic expression. He could think what he wanted. In the end, this was better for Conall.
“Itdidn’t,” Conall hissed. “That’s fucking bullshit.”
“Language,” I growled out, but he completely ignored me, storming up to me and poking me in the chest.
“Fuck you and your language crap. This wasmine. How the fuck dare you destroy that?” He pressed his finger harder between my pecs, anger blazing in his eyes. “You had no right. Why the hell did you do this, Sloan?Why?”
Fury like I’d never felt bubbled in my chest, the clawing panic building until the sense of calm I’d found evaporated. I grasped Conall’s shoulders tight. “Because I can do whatever I want. This is my house, and if I decide to demolish a building, I will damned well do just that, Conall. I willnotbe spoken to like that ever again, do you understand?”
Ronan stepped forward, but I shot him a deadly glare, and he faltered.
Conall’s jaw twitched as though he wanted to say something, but I wasn’t done. No, I was just getting started.
“This nearlykilledyou, Conall. There were fungi spores in there that could have put you in an early grave, and I will not letyou go. I will not bury you beside my mother because of some greenhouse. I won’tfuckingdo that, am I clear?” I bared my teeth, an ache expanding across my chest, making it tight and suddenly difficult to breathe. I exhaled roughly through my nose and stood straighter.
“You don’t understand,” he whispered. His shoulders drooped as the fight seeped out of him.
“No,youdon’t understand.” I gripped his chin. “I’d burn this world to the ground to keep you safe. If I have to tear down this greenhouse and have you angry at me, then it’s worth it because you’ll be alive.”
“You don’t even know if this is what got me sick, Sloan!” Conall ripped his chin out of my grasp and stepped back. “You have no fucking idea.”
I shook my head and pointed at Ronan. “Take him back inside. Now.”
Conall laughed angrily. “Don’t you do that. Don’t you talk down to me and treat me like a child.” He slapped his chest. “I am your pet, not your prisoner.”
I sliced my hand through the air between us. “I am not talking to you about this. It’s done. Go inside. That’s an order.”
His hands dropped to his sides, a fleeting disgust flashing in his gaze. Blink and I’d miss it, but I didn’t. Seeing the emotion was a knife in the stomach that twisted me in knots.
He stepped back, away from me, and the space between us felt like five hundred miles. Ronan went to reach for him, but Conall raised his palm.
“No.” He spun on his heel and wobbled, and when I went to grab him, he flipped me the bird before storming away. Ronan was right at his heels.
Regret weighed heavily in the pit of my stomach, and I scrubbed my hands over my face. Damn it. I hadn’t meant for it to go down like this. The last thing I wanted was for my pet to bemad at me, but I needed him to see what had to be done to keep him safe.
The rest of the men shifted uncomfortably.
I looked back at the ruined greenhouse, all the release of pressure I’d felt earlier disappearing, leaving emptiness behind. The skeleton of the poisonous building no longer gave me relief but instead reminded me of my failure. I’d thought Conall would understand, but the betrayal in his gaze was enough to make my knees wobble.
The back door opened and closed again, and I turned, expecting Conall’s return, but instead I was met with Cillian and Aspen as they made their way across the lawn. Their black suits were impeccable, like I required from all my men, but I didn’t miss the splatter of blood on Cillian’s collar or the streak peeking out from underneath Aspen’s jacket.
