Chapter 22
Leaving Scotland
Deja
Cole kisses my shoulder as we lie in bed up in his room at the Black Castle. Last night was amazing. I can still feel him inside me this morning.
If I had to do it all over again, I would still wait for him. I don’t regret not having an active love life before Cole. He tightens his arms around me as he nuzzles my neck.
I don’t believe either of us has slept much all night. I feel so safe in his arms now that he’s here. I’m so happy this morning, I could burst.
“When will we leave for New York?” I ask happily.
“Leave for New York? What about yer gran?”
“I don’t want to go back there and bring any more drama. She could have been hurt if they had come to the cottage and not the castle.”
I still don’t mention my training to him or how I helped to kill all those men. I’m not sure if I want him to know that. I’m not sure how he will react to that information.
“About that. I’ve caught you mentioning training. What happened when Oland’s men arrived?”
I sigh. “Since you insist on sounding like an American, I guess I should work on losing my accent too. I’ve practiced over the years while watching American shows, you know,” I tease.
“Not bad, now answer my question,” he snorts and kisses my temple.
I release another heavy breath. I don’t know why, but I have this deep feeling I shouldn’t tell him what I’m truly capable of. It’s a part of who I am and I’m not going to stop training once we get to America.
“I run a pub. I like to stay fit. Big lads come in all the time. A girl has to protect herself.”
“You’re still singing,” he murmurs into my ear.
“Huh?”
“We Irish sing. Our words dance when we speak. New Yorkers’ words are spoken hard and with confidence. Take the song out of your speech.”
“Oh, I think I know what you mean. How about this? Is this better? When do we leave? Will we live close to Kate?”
“Fuck, baby, we’re not going to New York. Not yet,” he says in frustration.
I turn in his embrace to look up at him. His face looks as frustrated as his words sound. I’m confused.
“Gran says she wants me to go. She doesn’t want me to wait around for her to die. Why don’t you want me to come to America?”
He kisses me hard. “I never said I don’t want ya to come to New York. I said we aren’t going there yet.”
“Why not?”
“I killed Oland, DJ. Someone has to take over in his absence. That’s me. However, there are plenty of people who would love for that to be them.
“What I did was impulsive and revealed how much you mean to me. People know what Oland did and I responded immediately. The underworld talks.
“Now, everyone knows to hurt me, they only have to come after ya. Until I establish myself in Ireland, I have to keep ya hidden. I’m not going to chance bringing ya to Dublin, and I can’t send ya to New York where I don’t know what threats are hiding in wait.”
“Then I’ll go live with my uncles.”
“No, no, ya won’t. Ya will be with me. When I can’t be there, I have people I trust to watch over ya where I plan to put ya,” he says sternly.
“Put me? Put me? Cole, what the hell?”
“Now that was dead on,” he chuckles and pecks my lips. “Might make a New Yorker out of ya yet.”
I roll my eyes. He rolls onto his back and tugs me down on top of his chest. Then he begins to rub my back soothingly.
“I’m only trying to keep ya safe. I have a place for ya to live that I can trust. It will be our home until I can take ya home to New York.
“I’ll have to spend time in Dublin at the manor, but ya will be secure at the safe house where I plan for ya to be. Trust me, DJ. All I have done has been for ya,” he says.
“I’m starting to feel like a caged bird. I learned a few useful skills in my last cage. I hope you plan to teach me something too,” I mumble.
He reaches for my bum and squeezes it. Then he places his fingers under my chin and lifts my head. We search each other’s eyes for a beat.
Cole leans in and takes my lips. It’s a hungry kiss that gets my juices flowing like this man didn’t spend the night fucking me senseless. My bits begin to pulse as if looking for him.
“Aye, I have something I plan to teach ya. Can ya handle another lesson before I make ya breakfast?”
“Maybe,” I say with a cheeky smile.
“Maybe I should just go down to make breakfast.”
“Shut up, Cole, and come shag me,” I say as I reach to wrap my hand around him.
He’s already hard as steel. I love the feel of him in my hand. Knowing he’s this hard because of me fills me with something I haven’t put a name to yet.
He groans, then pushes me onto my back and pounces. I’m a bit disappointed about not going to New York, but at least we will be together. I couldn’t be happier about that.
Brooklyn
“No. Come on. Use yer noodle. It isn’t safe for them to live anywhere near each other,” I sigh into the phone at my sister.
I get it. Kate wants her best friend back. In her mind, I should place Shauna and DJ in the same place so she can be there with them both. That’s not smart.
Besides, I don’t plan to tell DJ about Shauna yet. I can’t risk someone getting ahold of her and torturing the information from her. The less she knows the better.
“Fine, I have a nice place in Cork. I’m going to meet with Aisling when I get to Ireland. I think I can trust her, and the money won’t hurt,” Kate says.
“I need ya to know, Kate. Not think, know,” I bite out.
“I understand how important this is, Brooklyn. I’m not trying to place my niece in danger. Stop biting my head off.”
I roll my eyes as my nostrils flare. Kate only calls me Brooklyn when she’s annoyed with how bossy I am. This is important.
I need her to take everything seriously. We don’t have room for error. Logan has lost enough.
“Can I at least speak to her?”
“Ach. Are ya sure yer not going to slip?”
“Ugh, fine. I can’t wait until all of this is over. She’s my best friend, I miss her. I lost her too, Cole.”
“I know, love. I’m not trying to be a dick. I’m just trying to keep them safe.”
“I get it. I heard ya have five guys on Con and me at all times when we’re with the wee one. So unnecessary, but I get it.”
“Unnecessary to who? Ya both mean the world to me. Granda would have done the same even after all— Hey, I need to go. Talk to ya later. Call me if ya need me,” I say quickly as DJ enters the room.
“Hey, ya really made me breakfast?” she says with a smile on her lips.
“Yer stomach was talkin’ in yer sleep. I couldn’t leave ya like that. I was just about to come to wake ya.”
I place the two plates down on the countertop, then open my arms for her to come to me. She’s wearing my shirt from last night. It’s swallowing her, but she looks sexy as hell in it.
I wrap my arms around her and dip my head to take her lips. The memories of this morning and last night have me hard all over again. I’ve never been like this for anyone else.
“How are ya feeling?” I ask as I break the kiss.
“I’m grand. Yer right though, I am hungry.”
“Ach, come eat.”
I take her hand and lead her to take a seat. I can’t keep my hands off her. When I release her hand, I reach for her neck and massage it as I sit beside her. She begins to eat, and I place my hand on her back to rub it up and down.
DJ looks at me with a smile and reaches to place her hand on my thigh. I smile back and tuck into my own plate. This feels so natural, like we’ve done it a million times before.
“Who were ya talking to? Was that Kate?” she asks, breaking the silence.
I nearly choke on the food I just shoveled into my mouth. I punch at my chest, then reach for my glass of water. I don’t want to lie to her, but telling her I was on the phone with Kate could lead to questions.
Questions like when she can see my sister? Logan should be home soon now that we know where he is and LaSalle is working to get him out. I only have to keep DJ and Shauna hidden until he’s back home.
“No, that was Dylan,” I mutter, the lie tasting like shit in my mouth.
However, she’s less likely to care about talking to my younger brother. My stomach sours, and I no longer have an appetite. LaSalle needs to get Logan home soon.
“Oh, he must be so grown up now. Did he ever hit that growth spurt?”
I relax and smile. “Aye, he did. The lad is taller than me.”
“No, ya tell a fib.”
“I don’t. He’s taller than us all.”
“He was such a cute kid. That seems like a lifetime ago.”
“Aye, it does. We don’t leave until the morning. What do ya want to do today? We can do anything ya want. A date, stay in and chill, whatever ya like,” I say as I try to change the topic.
Right as the words are out of my mouth, Uncle Finlay and Morgan, one of the castle hands, walk in with the flowers I ordered for DJ. Four dozen burgundy and white roses. Two dozen in each vase.
“These just came for the lady,” Uncle Finlay croons with a smile.
“For me?” DJ says then looks over at me.
“Aye, for ya,” I say and wink.
The beaming smile that comes to her face warms my heart. She lifts from her seat to lean in and sniff them. I place a hand on her back to keep my shirt she’s wearing from rising too high.
“I’m heading out for a bit. Do ye need anything before I go?” Uncle Finlay asks.
“No, I’m all good. Thanks.”
He nods and turns to leave. DJ turns to me with that bright smile on her face. I lean in and peck her lips.
“What’s on yer mind?”
“Why burgundy and white?”
“The burgundy roses represent deep passion, intense love, and romantic devotion, if I remember right. The white ones represent innocence, purity, and new beginnings.
“I deeply love ya and I have so much respect for the gift ya gave me last night. I wanted ya to know how I feel and give ya one last reminder of yer innocence before I truly ruin ya,” I reply.
She laughs and leans in to kiss me. I cup the side of her face and kiss her passionately. She moans into my mouth and pulls away, still smiling.
“Thank ya. That’s actually really sweet. Although I think I might be the one who’s going to ruin ya.”
I snort. “How so?”
“I know what yer capable of now. I plan to have my fill of ya whenever I can.”
I laugh. “Careful what ya ask for. I’ve been taking it easy on ya. Ya have no idea what I’m capable of, love.”
“Um, sounds good. I want to go to the pictures. Is that on the table?”
“Aye, a movie it is.”