One night without Sloan was hell. It’d been different when he was in jail because we didn’t have a choice then, but I’d purposely chosen to sleep in another bed without him. Never again. My night consisted of tossing and turning until I was frustrated and angry at myself. I could be irritated by his actions at home, close enough that I could still sleep with him at my side. I needed him in reaching distance.
As soon as I arrived home, I entered the home to find the cousins in a conversation with Fionn, Daire, Cillian, and Aspen. It was Fionn who saw me first.
He sighed in relief. “Thank fuck, you’re home.” He closed the distance between us and dragged me into a hug. “He’s been walking around like a ticking time bomb. The men have been avoiding him.”
I didn’t need to ask who Fionn was talking about.
“I thought you were gone for a few days.” Fionn pulled back to narrow his eyes at me, a smug smile curving his lips.
I shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. The Virtue’s too cold.”
It was a lie. There was nothing wrong with the Virtue, other than having Terrance stare at me knowingly. Forrest was worse because he wasn’t afraid to voice how silly I was for being there. Exes were arseholes.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, glancing around the men who had gathered in the foyer.
“We were talking about what we were going to do about Sloan.” Tiernan grinned. “But looks like we don’t need to now.”
Cillian’s upper lip curled and he shot a glare at Tiernan. I had a feeling Cillian didn’t like him very much. It was me he spoke to, though. “Sloan’s dealing with Lorcan.”
“Alone?” I frowned, a strike of concern piercing through me. My stomach knotted at the thought of him getting hurt orbeing alone right now. He needed me. “Where? In the basement?”
“Nah, out near the greenhouse,” Cillian answered. “He’s decided of a new way of punishment and death for the wee coward.”
“How?” I didn’t wait for an answer. A desperation to see Sloan, even though I’d only been away less than twenty-four hours, welled in my chest and I shot past them. I needed to get to Sloan for my own mental health. My fingers itched to touch him and my lips burned to taste his.
I stalked out the back of the house, but the sight that met me made me freeze. Beside the foundation of the greenhouse was Sloan on his knees surrounded by five men. Even from here I could see him grinning, face bloodied as one of the men pointed a baseball bat at him.
I moved before I had time to consider my options.
“Conall!” Fionn cursed behind me, but I was already running across the lawn.
I had to get Sloan and put a stop to whatever was happening. Were these our men? Yes. I recognized Gilmore with a handgunhanging at his side. The man with a baseball bat was O’Nunan. That fucker. I’d trusted him.
The only person who got Sloan on his knees was me and it was when he sucked my dick.
A shovel on the ground caught my eye as I rushed closer and I scooped it up as O’Nunan’s voice filled my ears.
“I’m going to kill you how you killed my brother,” O’Nunan said. “Say your final words.”
“He doesn’t need to, but you do,” I snapped.
O’Nunan turned at the same time I swung the shovel. His head snapped to the side, his neck cracking so hard a shiver bolted down my spine, before he collapsed to the ground—his eyes as lifeless as the rest of him.
His men went to move, but ours had already caught up to me, and Cillian tackled Gilmore before he could use his gun. The others didn’t have time to pull out weapons. Cillian knocked Gilmore in the head with his elbow, and Gilmore groaned, struggling, but Cillian was a lot heavier with more muscle. He didn’t have a chance.
I dropped the shovel and fell to my knees in front of Sloan, reaching out to touch his face before hesitating. Blood coated his right temple and cheek and splattered across his eye. It leaked from his mouth, sliding down his chin.
“Fuck, Sloan. Those fuckers.” I spun toward Fionn, the only one who hadn’t jumped into the fray because he didn’t need to. “That new doctor’s in the house. Go get him. Please.”
Fionn gave me a sharp nod before rushing back toward the house.
Sloan grinned, blood staining his teeth, and stroked his fingers over my cheek. “I’m a big boy. I can handle a child’s tantrum.”
Anger and anguish stirred inside me as I glanced toward O’Nunan. I regretted killing him. I should’ve kept him alive so I could do some real damage.
Sloan grunted and fell back on his arse, stretching out his leg. He massaged his knee.
The cousins, Aspen, and Cillian had the others on the ground, while Daire came over to us, crouching.
