Those hands, the ones that had been drenched in blood, over and over, cupped my face. “You’re so fecking perfect. It kills me every time I look at you.”
And because that was the way I wanted our time together to end, I kept my mouth shut. The chapter of my life marked by his name would never be stained with my sins.
Chapter 33 – Liam
Connor walked through the door of the Galway Arms. His gaze swept the craic-filled space, passing over me as he checked the scene. When he placed everyone, it turned back to me. One slow nod, and I relaxed a fraction. Gabriella was back safe. Home. Waiting for me….
I pushed the pint of thick, brackish ale between my fingers. The frosted glass slid easily across the bar top. A drink with the lads and my obligations would be filled. Then I could go to her. Plunder that sweet mouth. Bury myself in her body, and for a few hours, forget the hell on earth.
A limp paper towel slapped my back. My hand went for my knife as I rounded, but I fisted the unopened blade as I saw Kevin’s narrow, pointed face.
“How you doing, buddy?” my cousin asked.
A hell of a lot better if you took that bleeding paw off me.Who knew where that hand had been? It was a safe bet it had been down his pants at least once today as he watched his nasty videos.
“I’m grand,” I said between my teeth.
“Sláinte!” The lads made another toast, praising some memory of my father.
Ignoring their hoots, I focused on the face in front of me.
Kevin nodded sagely. “Rotten luck you weren’t crowned. Figured you’d be more upset by that.”
I went deadly still. Every muscle in my frame thrummed with a killing energy. We’d just buried my father, and it was mob politics he chose to talk about? “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing much.” Kevin laughed, which made his mustache dance. “Just overheard Johny talking to some of the lads that he was going to make a pitch for the crown, since your old man didn’t name you his successor before he passed.”
My fingers twitched. The blade was right there. A flick of my wrist, and it would look mighty pretty in that pasty white throat.
“Everyone knows I was Da’s choice,” I said coldly.
And if they didn’t, they would find out the hard way.
“Well, it wasn’t like he had the right to name you.” Kevin’s voice changed. It was as if the eejit finally realized he was dancing on dangerous territory. “His blessing would have put weight to your cause, I’ll grant you that.”
“Granted.” It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Da was supposed to rule; I was his blade in the night. Now, I would have to fight for every foothold.
“Ah! There’s Seamus! He owes me fifty bucks,” Kevin said, clearly looking for an escape. “Best of luck to you, cuz.”
The thump of the rowdy music grated. Every hoot and bray of laughter sounded like a threat. I never trusted my cousins implicitly, but as I looked over the core of our clan, each face was a potential betrayal waiting to happen.
“Why do I get the sense that your mathlete cousin just tried to pit you against your other cousin?” Connor asked quietly, stopping beside me, his back pressed to the wall.
I picked up the pint and downed it. The damn liquid settled like a weight in my gut. Hops churned, threatening to come back up. “You think that’s what he was doing?”
Connor rubbed his chin. “What would he gain by pitting the two alphas against one another?”
“Him? Not much.” I wiped my mouth on the back of the leather glove. “Keep an eye on that one.”
“Smart move,” my old friend agreed.
Kris ambled over. Plucking my empty mug, the bartender arched a brow in question.
“That’s enough for tonight,” I told him. “Add it to my tab.”
“Will do.” He smiled when I slapped a twenty down, pocketing the tip.
Across the bar, Seamus pushed Kevin down. The wiry accountant scuttled across the floor before standing on his wee legs. He shook a feeble fist, but the lads laughed him off.
