Chapter Eighteen Isla
Q uinn was in m y house.
His worry and care for me had gone so far that he’d broken HIPAA laws to get my medical records and was forcing a security system on me.
He wanted to consume me physically and emotionally.
The last twenty-four hours had been such a confusing emotional and physical rollercoaster. I’d been released from the ER with no lasting physical issues except for a bruised larynx. The doctor had told me to rest, drink plenty of fluid, and alternate ice packs during the day.
Although he’d prescribed sleeping pills, I hadn’t taken any last night. I didn’t want to be woozy in front of Brooke. After donning a turtleneck from the back of my closet and claiming my hoarse voice was from coming down with a cold, she hadn’t suspected a thing. I’d even offered to keep Henry for her to go to the gym and do our weekly grocery run.
Wincing, I wondered how I was going to explain the new security system to her. More than that, I wondered how I would explain Quinn’s presence if he was still here when she got back
After throwing a glance over my shoulder, I watched as he bounced Henry in his arms. The corners of my lips curved at the sight of the scarred, towering man and my tiny nephew.
He looked good with a baby.
“Ma’am?”
I whirled around to face the security man. “I’m so sorry. My head just isn't right today.”
He gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s okay.”
I turned my out-of-control thoughts from Quinn back to the task at hand, which was cleaning off the entrance hall table. I started snatching and grabbing picture frames, loading them into my arms. When I grabbed the last one, I finally allowed myself to focus on the smiling faces staring out at me.
It was Brooke’s baptism photo. Her frilly white dress overflowed my mother’s arms. The tiny face was so much like Henry’s. Next to them, my father, outfitted in his robes, held me. He’d baptized both me and Brooke, but he wouldn’t be here to baptize Henry.
The ache in my chest continued to spread as I backed away from the table. When I glanced at the security man, I nodded. “You can take it now.”
Before he could respond, Brooke’s shout jerked my attention to the kitchen. I didn’t bother putting the armload of picture frames down. Instead, I sprinted to the kitchen. To my horror, Brooke and Quinn were pointing guns at each other.
“Brooke!” I shrieked
“Isla, stay back.”
“No, no, that’s my boss. Quinn.”
Brooke didn’t take her eyes off Quinn, nor did she lower her gun. “You swear?”
“Yes! Don’t you remember him from the club?”
“I don’t have my contacts in, and my glasses are in the car.”
“Well, it’s definitely him, so please put the gun down.”
Although she didn’t look happy about it, Brooke slid the safety on before lowering her gun. As she put it in her bag, Quinn put his back in his holster.
“How did you plan on shooting me if you couldn’t see me?” Quinn smirked.
“I can see enough of your crotch to maim you,” Brooke shot back to which Quinn chuckled.
“Since when do you carry a gun?” I demanded.
“Since I had Henry.”
“Good point.” As I eyed her purse with the gun inside, I said, “Is that one of dad’s?”
She snorted. “Yes, it’s his–the packing priest.”
I laughed at the memory of what my father had jokingly called himself. One might not normally imagine an Episcopal priest carrying a gun, but his work took him into some of the tougher parts of the city where his safety was at risk.
Quinn took a step forward. “Isla asked me to hold him. You can have him back.”
Brooke held up a hand. “I’m shaking too hard right now to do that.”
I stepped over to the kitchen table and unloaded the picture frames. I pulled out a chair for her. After patting the seat, I said, “Sit.”
Brooke was obviously unnerved because she didn’t argue with me about bossing her around. Surprisingly, Henry didn’t cry or hold his hands out for his mother like he usually did. He seemed completely enraptured with the intricate tattoos on Quinn’s neck.
Brooke’s loathing gaze slid from Quinn over to me. “What is going on?”
“Quinn came by to oversee the installation of our security system.”
Her brows furrowed. “But we really can’t afford all that, can we?”
I laughed tightly. “I told him as much.” Turning my attention to Quinn, I noted, “He doesn’t take no for an answer.”
His jaw clenched. “As I told your sister, two single women and a baby shouldn’t be without one. Especially after what happened last night.”
I pinched my eyes shut at the same time Brooke demanded, “Wait, what happened?”
When I opened my eyes, Brooke stared questioningly at me. “I didn’t want to worry you,” I began.
Brooke snapped out of her chair like a rubber band. “What the fuck happened, Isla?”
Instead of telling her, I decided to show her. With shaky fingers, I pulled down the fabric of the turtleneck to reveal my throat. Just that much exertion caused me to wince in pain.
Brooke gasped in horror before staggering back to her chair. As she flopped down, she shook her head slowly from side to side. “You promised something like this wouldn’t happen. That it wasn’t a skeezy club but millionaires and billionaires went there.”
I sighed. “I was naive to make that promise. Abusive men aren’t just regulated to the lower tax brackets.”
“From the look of your neck, it seems he was downright homicidal rather than abusive.”
Fiddling with the hem of my shirt, I fought to keep my emotions in check. Despite the anguish churning through me, I couldn’t lose it in front of Brooke. I had to be strong for her. “It’s over. That’s all that matters,” I finally replied.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Brooke replied.
After being silent as a ghost, Quinn stepped forward. “You can rest assured he won’t ever hurt your sister again.”
With an angry shake of her head, Brooke countered, “You can’t possibly promise that.”
A cruel smirk curved on Quinn’s lips. “Trust me when I say, he has been taken care of.”
As the realization hit me, the world around me shuddered to a stop. The only reason Quinn could say what he said with such conviction was if he had murdered my assaulter. He belonged to the Irish mafia, and men in the mafia were killers. At least that’s what my limited perspective had been.
My gaze trailed from Quinn’s face down to the hands that cradled Henry against him. The very hands on my innocent nephew’s skin had committed murder. They’d been stained with blood and God knows what else.
I had to fight the urge to stalk over and snatch Henry away. I wanted to take him upstairs to try to wash the corruption and danger off of him. Even though I knew it was a ridiculous way of thinking, I couldn’t stop myself.
While Brooke tilted her head skeptically at Quinn, I croaked, “Please say you didn’t.”
“He hurt you,” Quinn argued.
“But the police–”
He chuckled darkly. “You’re being naive again, Isla. Terrance Manning has cops in his pocket. If you had tried prosecuting him, your case would’ve never seen the light of day.”
“But I could’ve tried.”
As Quinn bounced Henry in his arms, you would’ve thought he was talking about the weather, rather than a man’s death. “A man as dark as Terrance would’ve ensured your silence by horrific means. He would’ve punished you into silence.” Emotion flared in his dark blue eyes. “I couldn’t allow that to happen.”
Oh God. He truly cared for me. He cared enough to murder the man who had hurt me. He had done it to protect me. To ensure that I would get some warped version of justice, and that I wouldn’t be hurt again.
At the same time, revulsion echoed through me. Quinn had killed a man in cold blood. Although it was more than warranted, I didn’t want to think of Quinn like that.
As a murderer.
Anguish filled Quinn’s expression. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” I whispered.
“Like you fear me now.”
“But I do.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve known who I was since that night I was shot.”
Brooke gasped. “You witnessed a shooting?”
I shook my head. “No. I just helped him clean up a bullet wound.”
Throwing up her hands, Brooke demanded, “What have you gotten yourself into, Isla?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullet wounds aren’t nothing .” She stared at Quinn. “Murders aren’t nothing. ”
“They are for me when someone hurts someone I care about,” he countered.
Once again, Brooke rose out of her chair. This time she strode over to Quinn and snatched Henry out of his arms, causing Henry to cry out. “Shh, it’s okay. Mama has you now.”
“I’m not the monster here,” he growled.
Brooke refused to look at Quinn. She swayed Henry in her arms, running her fingers over his dark hair. She tore her eyes from Henry to stare at me. My chest constricted at the tears welling in her eyes. “We could’ve lost you last night, Isla.”
“I know. And I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want you going back there.”
“I have to, B.”
Quinn shook his head. “You’re done with private dances.”
“What?”
“You’re not doing them anymore. I won’t allow it.”
My mouth dropped open to my chest. “You can’t do that.”
“I’m the majority owner in the club. What I say goes, and I say no.”
“Without the tips from private dances, I won’t make any money. The whole point of taking my fucking clothes off is to make money!”
“I’m aware of that.”
“And you would still deny me? Is this you being a caveman like Caterina said?”
His lips quirked. “She called me a caveman.”
“She said you and your brothers could be possessive cavemen, and now I’m seeing it.” I shook my head. “You can’t deny me a living just because you can’t take me riding some other man’s dick.”
The amusement swept off his face. “Do you honestly think I would deny you the money you need?”
“If you forbid me from doing private dances, you are.”
“Whatever your usual take home was for the night, I’ll match it.”
This seriously wasn’t happening. “Are you insane?”
Quinn’s jaw clenched. “Not that I know of,” he gritted out.
“Apparently you are if you think I would agree to you paying me like I’m a hooker.”
“Oh shit,” Brooke muttered under her breath.
Quinn’s eyes bulged. “I would never think of you like that.”
“What else would I be?”
“Last time I checked, we weren’t fucking, and you have to be paid for sex to be a hooker!” Quinn roared.
My cheeks warmed. “I just said it would be like I was a prostitute. Who else would I be for money to come between us?”
He threw his hands up in frustration. “The woman I want to take care of.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “I’m sure that’s what the other girls will think when they get wind that you’re paying me not to do lap dances.”
“I don’t give a fuck what they think.”
“Well I do.”
“Why are you being so stubborn? This is the best solution for you and your family.”
“I’m sorry. But if we’re to have any future, I can’t feel like I’m indebted to you financially.”
Quinn furrowed his brows. “You really don’t want me to do this?”
I shook my head furiously back and forth. “No. I don’t.”
He threw a glance at Brooke before looking intently at me. “You don’t want my money?”
“I really don’t.”
After exhaling a ragged sigh, Quinn dragged his hand through his dark hair. “Then we’ll have to find a compromise because I will not allow you into a private room alone again.”
“You could always stay in the room with her,” Brooke suggested, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
He gritted his teeth at her. “Not happening.”
“Then what’s your solution, Big Man?” she countered.
As he leaned back against the counter, Quinn appeared to be deep in thought. “No one but you and I would have to know about the money.” When I started to protest, he held a hand up. “You could waitress instead of doing lap dances. You’re still working for me that way, and it wouldn’t be like I was just completely giving you the money.”
“But what are the odds you’re going to pay me obscenely more than the other waitresses?”
“Pretty fair.”
“Quinn,” I groaned.
“Oh let him do it,” Brooke urged.
“You’re seriously taking his side?”
Brooke gave Quinn a contemptuous look. “Only if he can assure me of your safety as a waitress.”
“I will personally oversee Isla’s shifts.”
“You’re going to be my stalker?” I demanded.
The corners of his lips quirked. “I would think of it as more of a date.”
Brooke snorted. “That’s a fucked up date when your girl parades around half-naked for patrons.”
Before I could admonish Brooke, Quinn narrowed his eyes on her. “I thought we were on the same side.”
“You assume too much.”
“Is that right?” Quinn countered.
As she nodded, Brooke took a step towards Quinn. “I never wanted her in your fucking club to begin with, and I sure as hell don’t now that she’s been assaulted. I begged her to take my inheritance for school. Anything to keep her from doing what she’s been doing.”
Cutting his eyes to me, Quinn said, “I didn’t know she had other choices.”
I squared my shoulders to face both my sister and him. “I did, but I didn’t. I made the choice that I felt was best. Despite what happened last night, I’d do it again.”
“Why?” Quinn demanded.
My heart started beating wildly in my chest. “Because without the club, I never would’ve met you.”
Quinn’s blue eyes popped wide at my admission. As he continued standing there in astonishment, I added, “You were worth it.”
“Seriously, Isla?” Brooke demanded with a wounded look.
“I’m sorry, B. I never wanted to hurt you with my decisions. But you know as well as I do, you can’t help who you fall for.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I would think that you could try not to fall for the dangerous mafia man,” she countered.
“Brooke, please.”
With a shake of her head, she started out of the kitchen, but Quinn stepped into her path. “I can understand your aversion to me.”
“That’s astute of you,” she snapped.
Although his jaw clenched, Quinn remained cool and calm. “The moment I first saw your sister, I knew there wasn’t another woman in the world I could possibly want. But I fought my feelings. Like you, I didn’t want her involved with a man like me. I didn’t want to do anything to hurt her physically or emotionally.”
He drew in a ragged breath. “Staying away from your sister has been miserable. But I would continue to do it if she didn’t want to be with me. I don’t know what the future holds. A month or a year from now maybe she’ll finally discover she’s way too good for me–”
“Quinn,” I protested.
“Let me finish.”
“Fine.”
“If she discovers she’s too good for me and leaves, I’ll always make sure she’s protected from my world. And by extension you and your son. You have my word.”
When Quinn extended his hand, Brooke eyed it with disgust. At the same time, Henry lunged in her arms and reached for Quinn. At first, she stared at Henry in horror. And then the longer Henry babbled and stretched out his tiny arms for Quinn, the more her horror faded.
Finally she gave in to Henry and handed him to Quinn. Tears stung my eyes at the sight of Henry patting the scars along Quinn’s face, and the sweet expression on Quinn’s face as Henry did it.
With a sigh, Brooke shook her head at Quinn. “I still don’t like the world you come from and the danger you put Isla in. But I suppose it’s only fair for me to give you a chance.”
“How diplomatic of you,” I mused.
With a shrug, she replied, “It’s the truth.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “They say children are a good judge of character, and in this case, I’ll go with Henry’s, rather than my own.”
Quinn gave her a genuine smile. “While I appreciate his choice, I would argue that perhaps he’s drawn to me more because I have a penis than because I'm a good person.”
As my eyes bulged in horror, Brooke laughed. “True. You are an oddity considering we don’t have too many men around here.”
I rolled my eyes at them. “I’m so glad the two of you could ruin a sweet moment.”
Brooke jerked her thumb at the backdoor. “While Henry’s occupied, why don’t you help me get the groceries in?”
Quinn shook his head. “I’ll have Shane do it.”
As he reached for his phone, Brooke creased her brows. “Who is Shane?”
“His bodyguard.”
She snorted. “Since he’s bringing in the groceries, he sounds more like Quinn’s bitch.”
With a smirk, Quinn countered, “Yeah, go ahead and say that to him when his 6’7”, three hundred pound self gets in here.”
“We can at least go help him,” I replied. When Quinn started to protest, I argued, “The sooner we get the groceries, the sooner I can make us breakfast.”
Both Quinn and Brooke yelled, “No, you’re not!”
I pinched the bridge above my nose. “Guys, I’m fine.”
“You’re going to lie down right now,” Brooke instructed as Quinn nodded.
“I’ll have breakfast delivered from my house. Our cook always makes enough.”
Brooke’s brows arched into her hairline. “You have a full-time cook?”
“Yes. I do.”
A devious little grin broke out on her lips. “Okay, Isla, if you don’t marry him maybe I will!”