The moment they're out of his office, Seamus points to the chair across from his desk. “Sit. Now.”
I sit. Lorcan shifts in his chair, giving me a sympathetic look. It's not often he sees me on the end of the firing squad.
Declan smirks. He likes a good show. “How long you been obsessed with her?”
“Shut up, Declan.”
“I'm just saying it's veryBeauty and the Beastof you. Very tortured hero.”
“Shut the fuck up before I break your fuckin’ nose.”
“You'll have to catch me first, brother.”
The banter dies the second Seamus's fist slams against the desk. The sound cracks through the room like a gunshot, silencing us both.
“One more goddamn word from either of you,” Seamus says, his voice low and lethal, “and I'll give you somethin'realto joke about. Understood?”
Neither of us speaks. The tension coils tight as Seamus leans forward, planting his hands on the desk, his knuckles white against the dark wood, his cheeks ruddy.
“Marcus Crowning says you stole his property.”
“She's notproperty.”
“Iknow that. You know that. He sees it very differently, doesn't he?” Seamus's jaw tightens. “He wants her back, Ash, and if we don't hand her over, he's threatening retaliation.”
My hands curl into fists. “He's not getting her.”
“That's what I told him.” Seamus straightens. I look at him, surprised. “I knew you would not have taken her unless you had a very good reason. And it's my job as head of this family to support the decisions all of you make. But it'syourjob to make sure that every decision you make supports the family.” He meets my eyes. “We need to know exactly why you took her.”
“Crowning was going to kill her.” The words come out harsh. “He's killed two women before her. I couldn't—” My throat tightens. “I couldn't let that happen.”
Lorcan's expression shifts. “Are you sure about that?”
“I have been tracking him. He dates them, isolates them, then they disappear. One was an 'accident,' supposedly. One was a 'suicide.' But his brother, you know who his brother is. He's buried the details, Seamus. That's him. It's always been him.”
Declan lets out a low curse. “Christ. Does she know?”
I nod. “She didn't believe me at first.” I run a hand over my head. “But she's seen him. She lookedup the details. She knows who he really is now, and that’s why she came back with me.”
“What do you mean, came back?” Lorcan sits straighter.
“I took her when she was going to marry Marcus Crowning. Took her to the cabin. She escaped. I brought her back. She escaped again, and that time I let her go. He tried to hurt her. She asked me for help.”
Seamus and Lorcan exchange a look. Seamus's sigh is long and heavy. “Right. So she’s with you willingly now. I don’t have to sort out a fucking kidnapping allegation on top of the rest of this shite?”
“Aye.”
“And you're telling me you're ready to go to war with the Crownings over this?”
It's not a question, but I answer anyway. I swallow hard and lick my lips. “I don’t want war. I want his head on a fucking silver platter.”
Silence. Lorcan grins. “Well, shite. I never thought I'd see the fucking day.”
“Fuckoff.”
“Really, it's sweet. Kind of. In a deeply fucked-up way.” He looks at Seamus. “We're backing him, right?”
“Of course we are.” Seamus leans back in his chair. “As if we have a choice. Crowning's already made this public. If we back down, we look weak. And if there's even a chance that Crowning is what Ash says he is—”He shakes his head. “Can't send her back to that. Won't have that fucking arsehole here in Ballyhock another second.”
