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The second my eyes found Harper, my lungs seized in my chest. The look on her face will haunt my nightmares. She was petrified.
I hate to think what would have happened if we had shown up just a minute later. She has no idea what her “family” is capable of… but I do. Declan Whelan ruined my life.
It’s been less than 48 hours with her, and I can tell there’s something about this woman. I just can’t quite put my finger on it. I know Mac and Ronan feel it too.
The sound of glass shattering brings me back to the scene before me, and I notice Ronan is on the brink. The fact that he’s this pissed off tells me he feels something for Harper, whether he likes it or not.
My hand grips Harper’s thigh as I glare at him. “Ronan, that’s enough. She gets it. She fucked up.”
“Does she get it, Finn?” I notice a tremble in Harper’s thigh. She may not act like it, but she’s afraid of him. He takes two steps closer to us, and she immediately freezes. “Do you know what the sick fuck would have done to you?”
“Ronan…”
“No, Finn. She should know. She needs to understand who the hell she’s dealing with. Maybe next time she will do as she’s told.”
I’m sure whatever Harper’s imagining is terrible enough. She doesn’t need to know that twisted asshole was planning to take her to an abandoned warehouse upstate. Ronan and I sent a couple of our guys up there after we not so politely asked him for some information. After Ronan beat him within an inch of his life, I put a bullet through his head and dropped him in the Hudson. This isn’t our first fucking rodeo.
My stomach dropped when our men called to tell us they found the warehouse with nothing but a mattress, chains, and a bucket in the middle of the floor. Who knows how long he planned on keeping her there.
Declan hired him to kill Harper. But he took it upon himself to have some “fun” with her first. Bile rises in my throat at the thought of it. I wish I could bring him back to life just to kill him all over again. He deserved more than a quick bullet through the brain for what he was going to do to her. She doesn’t need to know any of this right now. I will tell her about it later when she isn’t already scared shitless. Before I can say something, Mac barks, “Ronan! That’s enough. She fucking gets it. Leave it the hell alone.”
Mac never argues with Ronan, ever. He’s usually too battling his own demons to have the energy. Plus, he knows that Ronan is the boss. Mac and I both have our own roles, but we respect Ronan and his decisions.
Neither of us dares to dismiss him.
I know the only reason he’s speaking up right now is to protect Harper.
Ronan must be just as surprised by Mac’s outburst as I am. He doesn’t respond. Instead, he glares at his brother with a furrowed brow before storming down the hall toward his room. Ronan has never been good at confrontation when he can’t use violence as an outlet, and that’s not an option right now. We don’t hurt women and children.
Especially not Harper.
So instead of using his words to express his feelings, he runs. Mac and I are used to it by now. We’re always around to pick up the pieces of Ronan’s outbursts.
Mac crosses the room and starts, literally picking up the pieces of Ronan’s tantrum. I stay firmly planted on the couch next to Harper.
“I’m really sorry. I know I messed up,” she whispers, staring down at her lap. I watch a tear fall from her face and land on her jeans.
I hate knowing she’s so upset. There’s a relentless urge inside me to do anything I can to make it better.
I’m a fixer. That’s what I do.
“Harper…” When she doesn’t answer, I kneel on the ground in front of her and grasp her hands in mine. “Angel, you’re safe. That’s what matters.” I squeeze her hands harder in mine. “Do you understand how dangerous this is now?”
Without looking up, she answers, “Yes.”
“Then it’s done. It’s over with. Ronan and I took care of it, and he won’t bother you again, but that doesn’t mean Declan won’t send someone else to find you.” The thought of someone else coming for her sends ice through my veins. It’s strange how protective we have all become of her in such a short amount of time. None of us have ever had so much as a single serious relationship, and all of a sudden, we’re fascinated with the woman in front of us. “They know where you live now and probably have people following you. Promise me you won’t leave without one of us again.”
Finally, she raises her head, “I promise.” I can tell there’s something else she wants to say, so I don’t move from my spot. “I’m sorry you had to kill that man because of me.” I can’t help the small chuckle that escapes my lips.
“Princess,” Mac says while throwing the broken pieces of glass in the trash, “If you think that is the first man we have killed, you are sorrily mistaken.” A smug grin spreads across his face, “And it won’t be the last.”
Her eyes comically widen. I grab her chin with my fingers and make her face me. “And make no mistake. We will kill anyone that tries to harm you. Happily.”
13
Ronan
It’s been a long time since I’ve been this pissed off. It isn’t because I had to kill a man. I mean, what else is new? It isn’t because she disobeyed me. Okay, maybe it’s that a little bit. It’s because we were one minute away from being too late.
