Chapter 19
Through the Water
Ken
Two months later …
“It’s our best option. Oland is coming for her. He knows O’Brien was here,” I bite out in frustration.
I don’t like this either, but it’s been confirmed. Oland is making moves. His men are probably heading here now.
“Why am I just hearing about this?” Duncan bites out.
“Och, I had a ton of other things going on. It slipped my mind to tell ye.”
“Slipped yer mind?” Duncan growls.
“Let him come, I grow tired of him. I think it’s time we take a stand,” Ewan bites out, ignoring our brother.
“Ye know that’s not the way this goes.”
“Ye and Mum want to listen to an old gypsy, ye go right ahead.”
“Yet ye have been training the twins on her word,” I snap. I take a moment to inhale deeply. “It will be better to send her away.”
“She’s my niece, my prodigy. I know what she’s capable of; she doesn’t need to run.”
“Aye, he’s right, Ken. I ken what she can do. I don’t think she needs to run. Besides, we’re here to cover her,” Duncan chimes in.
“Och, and what do ye think she means to me? I ken what the lass is capable of. I ken what ye have done to prepare her, but I also ken Phoebe has never missed in her words. This isn’t our fight, not yet. She needs to go with the lad.”
“Have ye lost yer mind? Ye met him. He’s a hothead.”
“So was Ian.”
“No, Ian was a calculated savage. That lad showing up here shows he’s not like his granda. He doesn’t think first.”
I open my mouth, but the alarm system goes off. I pop my head up and look at the monitors on the wall that reveal the training grounds.
The screen is flashing red with views of the intruders moving onto our property. My head is ready to explode. Deja and the twins are out there. There isn’t enough time for us or anyone else to get out to them.
“Ye have company,” Ewan growls.
I know right away he’s talking to the kids. They keep comms in during training. I grab the controls for the monitors and pull up a view where we can see Deja and the others on one screen and the intruders on the other.
I then grab a comm to listen in and text for backup. We’re of more use here than trying to get to them to help.
“Aye, yer outnumbered,” Ewan snarls.
“I can get up top and draw them away. Ye guys can get back to the castle,” Callum says.
“And leave ye here alone? Over my dead body,” Blair says to her brother.
“We’re not leaving. Ya head up top to draw their attention and pick off as many as ya can. Blair, ya take cover and take down anyone who gets by him. The two of ye can push them to me. I’m going for a swim,” Deja says, bringing a smile to my face.
“Good thinking,” Ewan coaches. “Duncan and a team are en route.”
I watch the screen as Callum nods, places his rifle on his back, and turns to climb the tree on his right. Once up in the tree, he settles into place. Deja and Blair move toward the pond a few paces ahead.
“Ugh, my hair, this isn’t a wash day. This is going to suck. I’m going to make them pay for this,” Deja mutters, causing me to laugh.
Aye, she’s going to make them pay and when she’s done, I’m going to bring this war right to Oland’s door. The balls on him, he sent men here. He has lost his mind.
I lock in on the screen as shots are fired. Oland’s men look confused and scatter as Callum begins to pick them off from the treetop with his semi-auto rifle.
Bodies are dropping and they can’t move out of the line of fire fast enough. They’re not sure where the fire is coming from, so they don’t know where to aim or dodge. Their numbers are falling quickly.
A few get by Callum, running away in the direction Blair and Deja went. I know the moment they come into Blair’s line of sight. The first one drops to the ground with his head blown open, then the next.
The lass takes out another ten or so. Like a proud papa, Ewan stands with a grin on his face and his arms folded across his chest. Their numbers are almost manageable until help can arrive on the grounds.
A few head to the pond. I assume they aim to cross over to the other side out of the line of fire. I watch with a smirk on my face as the first one tries to carefully wade across to the other side. Another steps in after him, then another.
The first one disappears into the water, causing the other two to freeze and look around frantically. The second one goes under, and I nearly laugh. The third one has no option but to remain in the water as Callum and Blair are boxing them all in on land.
That’s when Deja rises out of the water like a phoenix with the look of a warrior on her face as she aims her rifle.
My heart nearly bursts with pride as she fills the bastard with holes while she moves through the water to get back to land, where Blair and Callum are still herding the others to their deaths.
“That’s my girl. Ye be ready,” Ewan croons. He then turns to me. “Tell the lad to come get her.”
“Aye.” I nod.
I don’t mention that I don’t need to call the lad myself. Deja will make sure the lad comes running. I have an auld Irish bastard to see.
Brooklyn
“Fuck ya, ya big-headed bastard,” I laugh out as I walk through one of the warehouses with my guys.
We’re making the rounds today. Last night I went out with them to the club since it was Nakim’s birthday. Nakim might not be able to be out here with us, but we’re always there for him.
I wouldn’t have missed his birthday for the world. Taking him to Club Desire made his night. I think the rest of the guys had a good time too. Even though we’re all feeling it today.
We’re just getting to the warehouse because we’ve been dragging our asses. There’s no way we should just be here at one in the afternoon.
I’ll probably head home after I get things settled around here. There are some shipments I need to check on, and I want to make sure inventory has been done.
“Don’t be mad at me for bagging the baddest chick in the place,” Emory croons. “I’m going to give her a call when I get home.”
I look at him pointedly. One, she wasn’t the baddest chick there. Two, I could have bagged her if I wanted.
I wasn’t interested. She couldn’t hold a candle to DJ. My girl has been on my mind all day. We speak almost every day now since she finally answered my call that day.
I love our talks. It’s getting harder to say goodbye. I want to bring her home more than ever.
I haven’t missed her questions about life in New York. It’s good to know she’s getting used to the idea of being here with me. I’ll be making that happen as soon as I can.
Things have just been awkward around here with me stepping in for Logan. I don’t have the time or the focus to have DJ here. Not like I want.
“Aye, ya have at it,” I snort.
“What’s been up with you? I haven’t seen you with the shorties in months now. You batting for a new team?” Arnez asks, causing Emory to laugh.
“Aye, I’ve been batting at your mother’s tonsils. Team gums and guzzle.”
“Oh,” Emory croons. “That’s foul, killer.”
“Not as foul as your breath,” I shoot back.
“Ach, I swear ye two walk into it every time,” Seán chuckles.
These are my guys. Other than Nakim, they have been my oldest friends. Next to my brothers, I know these three will always have my back.
“Nah, he has a shorty somewhere in hiding. She’s either fine as fuck or ugly as a motherfucker.”
“When have ya known me to fuck with anything less than a ten?” I scoff.
“You know what? I think Emory is right. He has to have some chick. Anyone else notice the accent standing out in the last four or five months?”
“Aye, Jesus, Mary, Joseph. Yeah, man, I have. Is she back home or something? Is that why we don’t know about her?” Seán asks, sounding like he’s stumbled onto the answers to some great mystery.
“She’s none of your business. Get to work so we can get the fuck out of here,” I bark and walk off.
My phone rings as I jog up the stairs to the office. I smile when I see its DJ. A glance at the time makes me furrow my brows.
She should be heading to the pub. The last time we spoke, she said she had to stop at the castle for something and then she would be at the pub. Something must be wrong.
“Hey, baby. Are ya okay?”
“Aye, but no.”
“DJ, tell me what’s going on,” I say.
“I don’t know why I called ya. Yer there and I’m here. I have it under control.”
“Have what under control?” I ask as I turn around and head back down the stairs.
“There were men here at the castle today while we were out training. There were so many of them. I think they were here to kill me,” she begins to ramble.
“After what ya told me that day about not coming here, ya were the first person I thought to call. I shouldn’t have. I need to get out of here. If they were after me, then I need to go so no one else gets hurt.”
“DJ, baby, slow down. Men were there to do what? What happened to them?”
“I took them out. I mean, Blair, Callum, and I took care of most of them before help could come. There were so many of them. If I had been home with Gran … I don’t know what I would have done. She could have been hurt.”
“Fuck,” I roar.
The guys come running to see what’s going on. I wave them off as I rush out to my car. I need to get to Raven. If this is Oland, like I think it is, I need to make sure my brother’s girl is safe.
“DJ, can ya get somewhere safe until I come for ya?”
“I don’t know where to go.”
“Go to Castle Black. Stay there until I come for ya. Oland is a lot of things, but he’s never been crazy enough to step foot on Black ground.
“I’ll call Uncle Finlay and tell him yer on the way. I love ya. I’m coming, baby. I promise.”
“Okay, be safe, Cole. Don’t do anything crazy.”
I snort. “That I can’t promise.”
I hang up and peel out of the lot. I need to get to Long Island, but first I need to pick up some backup. I can only count on family for this.
I get the feeling I should have made this trip weeks ago. There were so many reasons to stay away from Raven. However, now my gut is telling me I need to at least lay eyes on her.
“Fuck,” I roar.