Chapter 19
She”s watchingme with so much confusion. This is why I haven”t pushed her, why I haven”t demanded anything from her. I knew she”d be scared. She”s had a fucking lot to deal with over the past four years, and I was determined to go slow, to go under the radar and make her fall for me. With the shit her da”s doing, it”s only speeding up the process.
”You”re going to marry me, Jess. I can”t fucking lose you.”
The thought alone makes me want to burn the fucking city down. Jess means the fucking world to me. It”s been two weeks for her but a fucking lifetime for me. I”ve known that she”s been mine for years. It”s time for her to catch up.
”You won”t,” she vows. ”You won”t lose me, Stephen.”
I frame her face, my gaze softening as I watch her. Christ, she”s fucking everything to me. ”I can”t. I”d fucking lose it.”
She grips my arms. ”We”ll be fine,” she says.
I know men like Thomas and Fintan. I know what they”re capable of. I know what the fuck they will do if they get what they want. I”ll kill them before they could ever get close. But fear is clawing at me. They”re sneaky fucks. They”re both fucking sly as could be, and I know they”ll do whatever the hell it takes to get what they want.
”We”re getting married,” I state again. ”I”m not arguing about it.”
She stares up at me, her eyes dilated, her lips parted. I can”t take that innocent look of hers. It”s my fucking undoing. I slant my lips against hers. The kiss is hard, fast, and filled with passion. She moans into my mouth and my cock tightens. Fuck, I need her. I need to be inside of her, now.
I”m not the only one wanting it. She reaches for the hem of my tee and starts to pull it off me. Her movement is smooth and precise. She knows exactly what she wants. My hands slide down her body until I reach her ass. I pull her against me, my cock thick against her stomach.
”Take off your pants,” I snarl against her mouth. It doesn”t take her long to do as I ask. She kicks her pants and panties off, and then her hands dive for my sweatpants. Within seconds, my cock springs free, thick and ready to burst.
”Please, Stephen,” she says huskily.
I once again take her mouth. It”s going to be hard and fast, and I”m going to have to swallow her moans. I don”t give a fuck who hears us, but I know she”ll have a problem with Maverick and Jerry knowing what we”re doing. My hands go to her ass once again and I lift her into the air. Her legs wrap around my waist and her arms around my neck. I line my cock up at her entrance, the heat of her pussy enticing me, urging me to thrust deeply. And I do.
I thrust hard and fast, burying myself inside of her. She”s so fucking tight. Christ, it takes everything I have not to come right here and now. She groans against my mouth, and I tighten my grip on her. I thrust hard and fast. This has to be quick.
She throws her head back, a long groan spilling from her lips. “God,” she moans softly.
My pace is unrelenting as I fuck her hard and fast. It feels so damn good, her pussy so hot and tight. Every time I withdraw, her pussy sucks me right back in. I”m in fucking Heaven.
“Stephen,” she moans, her pussy contracting around my cock. “More, please,” she begs.
My fingers tighten on her, and I have no doubt they’re going to leave a mark. My cock thickens at the thought of me branding her. Fuck... I hammer into her, searching for my release.
“Yes,” she whimpers, her pussy spasming as her orgasm washes over her. “Stephen,” she gasps.
I’m lost. The way her pussy squeezes my cock, suffocating it... I’m gone. I hammer into her once more, burying myself to the hilt and releasing inside of her, groaning her name.
We’re both breathing hard. Neither of us speak. My knees are shaking but I keep a hold of her while we both come down from our orgasms. ”You”re going to be my wife,” I tell her.
She grins at me. ”Okay, Stephen.”
I slam my lips against hers, pissed that her family is here, because right now, I really want to take my time and worship her body. But fuck, that”ll come later. Right now, we need to work out a plan of action to ensure that neither Thomas nor Fintan can get to her.
It takes us a few minutes to get redressed and ready to face everyone again.
”So...” Maverick grins. ”What”s the verdict?”
”We”re getting married,” I say, not wanting to have this discussion any longer. Right now, we need to discuss more pressing matters. ”I want to know how Thomas and Fintan came to work together.”
It”s been bugging me since Freddie told me that cunt had plans on selling his daughter. The anger I feel is unlike anything before. When my da was beating me, I didn”t feel this angry, nor when I found out he was the reason Ma was hooked on drugs. Nothing has made my anger burn as bright as Thomas Grace. When I get a hold of him, I”m going to enjoy every second that I have him.
”That”s just it,” Jer growls. ”Those fuckers shouldn”t have been together. Thomas despised them just as much as we did. Hell, if not more.”
Over twenty years ago, the O”Learys tried to take over Dublin. They were bold as brass and set a bomb to go off at an event the majority of players were at, including Jer and his men, Denis and his, along with the Kellys. Thankfully, Denis is a man who’s extremely particular about security. He had his right-hand man, Michael, ensure there was adequate security footage for the event. When Tim O”Leary—Fintan”s brother—planted the bomb in the venue, the Gallaghers managed to warn the majority of people not to attend. There were six casualties, two of which were Thomas” brother and nephew.
”So why the fuck is he working with Fintan?” I snap. What fucker in their right mind would work with the men who killed his family? Obviously the fucker isn”t in his right mind. If he were, he”d never have put his hands on his daughter.
”That is something we”re going to have to find out.” Jer sighs as he gets to his feet. ”We have enough allies to find out what the fuck is going on.”
I shake my head. ”No one else is getting involved.” I”ll be damned if he tells Denis or Butch. They”ll never be able to keep their mouths shut around Callie, and that”s a fucking headache Jess and I don”t need right now.
I’ve had this conversation with Maverick, he wanted me to bring Emmanuel into this and I wouldn’t allow it. I like Emmanuel, respect him, but I am very choosey about who my inner circle is and there’s only three people that are in it. Freddie, Maverick, and Jerry. No one else enters. Not fucking ever.
”What the fuck?” Jer hisses. ”Those fuckers are out there, Stephen, plotting God knows what, and you”re telling me to sit on it? To not get the help we obviously need? That fucker has been working behind our backs for years. He”s a lot smarter than anyone has ever given him credit for. So I”ll repeat: what the fuck?”
”You go to Denis or Butch,” I say through clenched teeth, and watch as his eyes narrow, letting me know that”s exactly what he had planned, ”then those two are going to be pissed that we”ve kept them in the dark about Thomas and what”s happened to Jess. The last thing she needs is for Callie and Nicola to be all in her business.”
”Stephen”s right,” Maverick sighs. ”As fucking painful as it is to say, he is right. While Butch and Denis would help us try to track them, letting them in on what”s happened isn”t up to you, Jer. It”s down to Jess, and right now she is safe here with Stephen. We all know that as soon as Ma finds out what”s happened, she”s going to try and involve herself with everything.”
I cross my arms over my chest. ”Nicola is a fucking menace when she”s on one, Jer. We all know that. If you don”t want me to kill your sister, I”d advise you keep this shit away from the family.”
His jaw clenches and he nods. I know he won’t go against what I say. He cares about Jess. As much as he”d deny it, she”s always been his favourite. I think it”s because she had no one other than Patty, and Jer”s always tried to make up for what she”s missed. We”ve all known that Thomas was always a fucking useless prick, but never did we ever think he”d be capable of what he”s done to Jess. Underestimating him is on all of us. If we hadn”t, then maybe Jess wouldn”t have been tortured.
”Fine, I”ll speak with the Kellys. They have deep connections in this city. They could help us.”
I glance at Jess and see that she”s watching me. She”s worried about what”ll happen. I raise a brow. It”s up to her if she wants Jer to reach out. I agree that the Kellys are our only option right now. She gives me a small nod. ”Talk to them.”
The Kellys have changed over the past year, since they lost their brother and father. Brandon and Damien aren”t the unhinged monsters their father and brother were. In fact, they”ve doubled the Kelly business since those two fuckers died. Maybe Sean Kelly should have heeded his youngest sons when they were trying to get the business in the right direction when he was alive. But Kelly Senior was a prick who was set in his ways. Had he listened to Brandon and Damien, he”d have been rich and a prick.
”Now that”s sorted,” Jer begins, turning to Jess and smiling. ”What about a small ceremony at the house?” he asks her.
Jess” face lights up, and I know without a doubt that”s what she wants. ”That would be awesome. Mam loved that house.”
”How small are we talking?” I ask, knowing Jer and I have a very vast difference between the words.
The fucker laughs. ”I was thinking myself, Maverick, and Freddie. I know you, Stephen. You”re not the type of man who”s going to let many get close to Jess, and while I agree that she needs to be kept safe, I also know that my niece needs family around, and I”ll be there.”
”Alright,” I concede. ”Just the three of you.”
”And Mallory,” Jess says, and there”s a directness in her voice that I haven”t heard since I brought her here. She”s getting her confidence back and I”m fucking glad. ”Mallory is my best friend. She”s been through thick and thin with me. I”m not getting married without her.”
”And Mallory,” I sigh, knowing there”s no way to say no. I can”t deny her. Besides, this is just one thing she”s asking for. I won”t deny her.
”When?” Maverick asks, glancing between us all.
”This weekend,” I say. I”m not waiting. Now that I know she wants this, I”m not waiting around.
Maverick and Freddie grin and Jess shakes her head, her cheeks tinged with redness. I have a feeling she”s thinking about what I said in the bedroom and what we did once she”d agreed to be my wife. Jer, on the other hand, glares at me.
”This weekend? The fuck is wrong with you? How the hell am I going to have it done by then?”
I lift my shoulders and shrug. ”You just need to find someone to marry us, Jer. It”s not rocket science.”
”Fine,” he sighs, sounding like a fed-up parent. ”You have always been a little shit. I”m not sure why I thought you”d change.”
Jess giggles, and I let him off for saying that shit. Hearing her laugh, it”s something that is rare.
”Get out of here,” I say with a shake of my head. ”Let me know what you need.”
Jer, Freddie, and Maverick all get to their feet.
”You know we”ve got you covered,” Mav tells me. ”Nothing is going to happen to her. We won’t let it.” This is why I”ll always, fucking always, have his back. He”s always had mine, even though he can be a jealous shit when it comes to my friendship with his sister. He”s more than shown it over the years. ”You need anything,” he continues, ”I”ll be here.”
Jess gets to her feet and within seconds is wrapped in Maverick”s arms. ”Be safe,” she tells him. When she pulls back, she comes to stand beside me, the soft smile still on her face. ”I”ll see you all soon. Be safe.”
”You”re crazy,” she says the moment they”re gone. ”This weekend, Stephen... Really?”
I pull her close to me, her body flush against mine. ”Told you already, Little Dancer, we”re getting married. I”m not losing you.”
She sighs. ”Okay. Whatever you think is best.”
I know she”s scared. I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. I”ve no doubt part of that is because of who I am. It mustn”t be easy for her to know that I”m a cold-blooded killer, and she”s dealt with too much violence. But she”s safe with me. She knows that. She has always known that. I”ll never harm her. I”d fucking die before that ever happened.
She may not be close to loving me, but I know that she could.
Christ, that”s not something I could have ever envisioned before. Growing up without love was normal. Having the O”Hara family show me what it was felt nice, but I never thought I”d have what they all found. I listened to Callie tell me when she was growing up that she always wanted to find the love her parents have. I didn”t think it was something everyone got, but Callie found it with Denis. Now that I have Jess here, I know what Callie meant when she said she found her one years ago.
Looking down at my woman, I feel that to my bones.
Fuck... I”ve found my one. And I”ll be damned if someone takes her from me.