Chapter Thirty Quinn
A fter fucking Isla in the SUV, we’d stumbled into her house and collapsed in her bed. The sun was up when I’d woken up to her mouth sucking down my morning wood. We’d fallen back asleep before she had to get up at noon to make it to her afternoon classes.
I’d then gone home and gotten ready for the work day. It was almost six when I’d finally made it to Alainn . When I opened the door to my office, I momentarily recoiled at the sight of Callum sitting at my desk.
“What are you fecking doing?” I demanded.
Callum barked out a laugh. “Hello to you, too, boyo.”
After crossing my arms over my chest, I muttered, “Hello.”
Holding up his hands, Callum rose from behind my desk. “I’m sorry for infringing on your turf. I forgot how prickly you can be about your things.”
“Bullshit.”
As he came around the side of the table to meet me, he clapped my back. “We’ve got a problem.”
“More threats from Mikita’s crew?”
Callum grimaced. “No. This conflict is on our home turf.”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Trust me. You aren’t going to like this.”
After I eased down in my chair, Callum perched on the edge of my desk. “Owen asked for a meeting with me last night. He wanted to bring something to my attention that’s been happening here.”
“Why didn’t he come to me?”
Callum sighed. “He said you were too close to the issue.”
I furrowed my brows at him. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“As you know, Owen accompanies Caterina with her mission work here.”
“Yes, I’ve seen him.”
“Last night, he noticed Kellan escorting one of the dancers to the private rooms.”
My jaw unhinged at the comment. “Fuck me. I didn’t think he’d ever partaken in any of the dancers. Ever .”
“This is the first time.”
“Considering he’s of age and overdue a little sexual gratification, what’s the problem?”
“It seems he only has eyes for one dancer.”
I shrugged. “So, he has a preference for a particular pussy.”
“This ‘particular pussy’, as you call it, is raking in three times what normal dancers do.”
With a chuckle, I replied, “Who would’ve thought Mr. Tight Ass would be blowing his wad in more ways than one?”
Callum rolled his eyes. “That’s not the point.”
“Come on, Cal. It’s his money to spend. Considering a percentage of that comes back to the club, I don’t see what the problem is with Kellan being generous.”
“There’s not a percentage coming back.”
I sucked in a harsh breath. “Excuse me?”
“Kellan hasn’t been taking the house’s percentage out on this dancer.”
Now I understood Callum’s concern. As far as taking care of the club’s finances, I’d never given one thought to Kellan ever cooking the books. He’d never exhibited that he possessed a dishonest bone in his body.
But that’s the thing about a woman. Or I should say pussy. It warps your mind and ruins even the best of men.
Reaching for my phone, I said, “I’ll call him in.”
Callum shook his head. “There’s more.”
“Jaysus,” I muttered.
“Owen worries the dancer is taking advantage of Kellan’s kindness to milk him dry in more ways than one.”
“Fine. We’ll call her in.”
“You may rethink that option.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Isla.”
At the sound of her name, I froze. Air wheezed from my lungs, and my heart ceased to beat. After a few seconds, a shudder echoed through me as my heart restarted.
Isla was giving private dances after I’d specifically forbidden her. Isla was giving private dances to my brother. Behind my back. In secret.
No, it couldn’t be. Isla would never deceive me. She would never step out with anyone, least of all my brother. She’d told me herself she wasn’t interested in any of my brothers. She was everything that was good and pure in the world. Surely, Callum was mistaken.
“She doesn’t do lap dances,” I protested.
“She does for Kellan.”
This isn’t happening. It can’t be fucking true. “Owen saw them with his own eyes?”
Regret flashed in Callum’s eyes. “He did.”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “He saw her dancing for him?”
With a shake of his head, Callum replied, “He watched them go into a room together.” At what must’ve been my questioning look, he said, “I pulled the tapes from the room.”
“And?”
“They’ve been erased from the time period that the two of them were in the room.”
I fought to breathe. For a moment, the pain of Isla cheating on me disappeared. In its place was pure blood betrayal. After everything we had been through, Kellan had deceived me. He’d taken what was mine. “How could he do this?”
Callum snorted. “For fuck’s sake, Quinn. You’re actually going to blame Kellan and not some outsider piece of ass you’ve known for two months?”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” I growled.
Throwing up his hands, Callum countered, “Would you listen to yourself? You’re just as blinded by her as Kellan is. You’re both completely and totally pussy whipped by her.” He began pacing in front of my desk. “I have to admit that she’s good. She snowed me as well.”
“There still could be another explanation.”
Callum stared sadly at me. “I don’t believe so, brother.”
A fissure line had cut through my chest at Isla’s actions. My bruised heart began to thump with a growing rage. Just like Maura, Isla played me. But I wasn't enough. She’d taken advantage of Kellan as well. “Get her in here.”
“I’ve already called her in. She should be here in twenty minutes.”
“Good.”
Callum’s brows creased with worry. “Are you sure you want to be a part of this?”
“I’m a man for fuck’s sake. I’m not going to slink out of here with my tail between my legs.”
“I wasn’t insulting anything about your manhood. I’m just concerned about you.”
“I’m not going to kill him or her if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
At the pity flashing in Callum’s eyes, I growled. “Fuck you.”
“For caring about you? For feeling like my heart is being ripped out for you?”
“I don’t want or need your sympathy.
When a knock came at the door, my chest clenched. Callum nodded at Owen who opened the door. Dare came in first wearing a solemn expression. Then with slow, hesitant steps, Isla walked into the room. Her usually peachy complexion appeared white as a ghost. Her blue eyes darted around, nervously taking in the office décor. At the sight of Callum sitting at the desk, she swallowed hard.
Since it was her off day, she wasn’t outfitted in her usual sultry attire. Instead, she wore black leggings and an oversized white sweatshirt with the letters MIT emblazoned on it. Her long blonde hair was swept into a messy bun while simple glasses sat atop her perky nose.
At the sight of me, hope bloomed in her expression, and a smile lit up her face. “Hey you,” she said. When I stared impassively, her lips turned down. “Quinn?”
I still didn’t respond. Instead, Callum replied, “Thank you for coming in so quickly, Ms. Vaughn.”
“Quinn, what’s going on? Why aren’t you speaking to me?”
“I’m the one who called you down, Ms. Vaughn,” Callum replied.
Isla gave a jerky nod of her head while her fingers anxiously played with the cuff of her sweatshirt sleeve. Her teeth nibbled anxiously over her bottom lip, and I could tell it was taking everything within her to keep her mouth shut.
Callum motioned to one of the chairs across from the desk. “Please. Have a seat.
After quickly dropping down into the leather chair, Isla placed her hands on her knees that were visibly shaking. The part of me who still loved her desperately wanted to go to her. To wrap her in my arms and tell her everything was okay.
But I didn’t.
Heavy silence draped the room. From her shifting in her seat and her trembling hands, Isla was fighting to keep herself in check.
And then the dam broke.
Unable to hold her tongue any longer, Isla blurted, “Please, Quinn, talk to me. Tell me what I’ve done wrong.”
Callum narrowed his eyes at her. “In my club, I ask the questions.”
“It’s not your bleedin’ club,” I spat.
Cutting his gaze from Isla to me, Callum cocked his brows. “Aye, you’re right, brother. But I am the leader of this family, am I not?”
“Aye,” I begrudgingly replied.
“Then I’ll be handling the interrogation.”
Isla squeaked before clamping a hand over her mouth. When we turned our attention back to her, she stammered, “I-Interrogation?”
“Yes, Ms. Vaughn. It’s come to our attention that a rather large sum of money has been passing between our younger brother and yourself.” What little color was left in Isla’s cheeks drained from her face while her pulse sped up in her neck. At the physical manifestation of her guilt, my heart sank further while my fists clenched at my sides.
After Isla swallowed, Callum leaned forward in his chair. “A sum of money he hasn’t been honest with when it comes to the business.”
Isla’s blue eyes widened. “I don’t know anything about the money, I swear.”
“But he has been spending cash on your company, correct?”
Isla locked her sorrowful gaze on mine before slowly nodding. “Yes,” she murmured.
My heart constricted in my chest like a vise. Although hurt, anger roared through me, causing my fists to clench at my sides. The first woman I’d cared about since the bomb was fucking my brother.
Not only was she fucking my brother, but she was playing me like a fool.
The monster within me snarled to be freed. To inflict physical pain on Isla that mirrored my emotional pain.
At Dare’s low growl, Callum leaned forward in his chair. “Normally, I don’t give two fucks whose dick you dancers are riding, including my brothers. But you see, Ms. Vaughn, Kellan isn’t cut like the rest of us?—”
“No, he isn’t.” At Callum’s sharp intake of breath about being interrupted, Isla rushed on. “He is one of the kindest, most generous men I’ve ever met in my life.”
“It’s his generosity that has us concerned.”
“I don’t understand.”
With a roll of his eyes, Dare growled, “Quit with the innocent act. You know exactly what you’re doing to him, you heartless bitch.”
At Isla’s horrified gasp, Callum held up his hand. “Keep yer fuckin’ trap shut,” he ordered Dare. While Dare glowered at Callum’s admonishment, he eased back to lean against the desk.
“The next question I ask you better answer with complete and total honesty.” His eyes narrowed. “Your life depends on it.”
“Y-Yes, S-Sir,” she croaked.
“Are you fucking our brother?”
As a shriek escaped Isla’s lips, crimson shot across her cheeks and then streaked down her neck. “N-No.” After a moment of her chest heaving to catch her breath, she furiously shook her head. “It’s not like that with Kellan and me.”
“What is it exactly?” Callum demanded.
“We’ve never been physically intimate in any way. Ever . ” Isla turned her gaze to mine. “You’re the only man I care for, Quinn. I swear.”
At the absolute truth reflected in her sapphire eyes, the tightness in my chest receded. She hadn’t been playing me for a fool while fucking my brother behind my back.
As much as I wanted to let her off the hook, the issue of her taking Kellan’s money remained.
Callum appeared to be weighing her words. After a few moments, he cocked his head. “Then enlighten us, Ms. Vaughn. If the two of you aren’t fucking, what is it that you are doing with my brother that ends with a financial transaction?”
“I promised not to tell,” she protested.
At Callum’s growl, Quinn stepped forward. “Isla, I know you want to be honorable to Kellan, but he’s in serious trouble at the moment. The more we know before we have to speak to him the better.”
Isla stared intently into my eyes before she finally bobbed her head. “We just talk.”
“Like dirty shit?” Dare questioned.
Isla ducked her head. “No, it’s not like that. It’s very innocent.”
“You seriously expect me to believe that my brother buys your time to merely talk?” Callum countered.
“I swear it on the saints,” she replied.
I’d fought to keep silent, but I couldn’t anymore. “Out of all the dancers, why did he target you when he knows what you mean to me?” I questioned.
“Because I’d experienced trauma like he had.”
“Your parents?” I questioned to which Callum and Dare exchanged a look.
She nodded. “Kellan needed someone to talk to, but he felt it was too complicated to reach out to a therapist.” After glancing between my brothers and me, she added, “He was also afraid of what you all would think of him if he went to therapy.”
Callum grunted. “Silly eejit. Like we would’ve thought of differently.”
“Wouldn’t we?”
At my question, both Callum and Dare snapped their attention to me. “It’s not like we’re mental health advocates, which is unfortunate considering the way we were brought up.”
“Good point,” Dare mused.
“I’m his leader. There’s nothing he can’t talk to me about,” Callum boasted.
Isla shook her head. “I promise he couldn’t.”
While Callum grumbled under his breath, I asked Isla, “In all these times together, he’s really never touched you?”
“Not entirely.”
At the thoughts of Kellan’s hands anywhere near Isla’s body, my fists tightened at my side. I tried to keep my expression impassive even though I felt murderous.
“After we talk, he likes me to hold him for a little while. Or sometimes he holds me.”
“Well, fuck me,” Dare muttered under his breath.
“What is it you talk about?” I asked.
Isla’s tongue darted out to nervously lick her lips. “That’s between Kellan and me.”
“Excuse me?” Callum questioned.
“Just like a real therapist, I won’t betray his trust.”
“Considering your involvement with Quinn, you’re well aware of the business we run.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Then surely you can see why it is integral to know if that said business has been compromised.”
“It hasn’t.”
At Callum’s lethal expression, my muscles tensed. “You will tell us the content of the conversations, Ms. Vaughn,” he demanded.
“Please don’t ask that of me.”
“You mistake my intent.” Callum slowly rose to his feet. “It’s not a request—it’s a demand.”
“Leave it,” I growled.
Callum cut his eyes to mine. “I will see this through.”
Although her body trembled and jerked in fear, Isla shook her head. “I won’t betray Kellan.”
“Then perhaps I need to acquaint you with a harsher line of questioning.”
When Callum started around the desk to Isla, I lunged at him. My body slammed into him with such force I crashed his back against the bookcases. With blood roaring in my ears, my hand gripped his throat. “If you even think about laying one finger on her, I’ll fucking end you. Brother or not, no one touches her.”
Callum’s eyes bulged. To my surprise, he didn’t try fighting me. He just stared in astonishment as he gasped for air. Within seconds, Dare, Owen, and Fionn flew to us and began extricating me off of Callum.
After bending at the waist, I pinched my eyes shut and tried to curb the monster roaring within me. I’d never raised a hand in malice to any of my brothers. Since we were toddlers, we’d brawled like brothers do, but it was never out of anger that currently coursed through me.
Callum’s heavy breathing filled the room as he tried to catch his breath. Once he recovered, he shook his head at me. “Did you actually think I’d hurt her?”
“You were within your rights as the leader of this family to investigate any potential compromise to the organization.”
Clenching his jaw, Callum repeated, “Did you actually think I’d hurt her?”
“I was ninety-nine percent sure you wouldn’t. But I had to protect her from that one percent.”
A smirk curved across his lips. “Never thought I’d see a day the notorious Quinn Kavanaugh was brought to his knees by a woman.”
“I must’ve learned from the best since you’re constantly on your knees from Caterina,” I spat back.
A chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Touche, mate.”
Just as I righted myself, the office door blew open, and Kellan stormed in the room with Caterina on his heels. Pure venom—the likes I’d never seen on him—filled his expression. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he blared.
Before any of us could answer, he dropped to his knees in front of Isla’s chair. With remorse filling his face, his hand tenderly cupped her cheek. “Are you okay?”
My heart twisted in my chest as regret reverberated through me. Choking envy cut off my oxygen. I’d never envied Kellan.
But at that moment I did.
I envied his trust. His ability to express his emotions. His ability to put everyone’s needs above his own. He knew he was walking into a fucking firestorm, but he hadn’t cared.
His only worry had been for Isla.
I’d claimed to care for her–to love her even–, yet I’d allowed the travesty of an interrogation to happen. I’d allowed her to be stripped vulnerable to the verbal abuse of my brothers. I’d hurt her because I’d foolishly believed she was cheating on me with Kellan.
I was a fucking bastard.
After tearing his gaze from Isla, Kellan narrowed his eyes at me. Shooting to his feet, he stormed over to me. “How could you do this to her? How could you drag her in here and question her like a fucking criminal?”
“Kellan–” Isla began.
He shook his head at her. “He claims to care for you, yet he allows you to be treated like this.”
Kellan’s words wounded me the same as if he’d punched me. Anguish and regret raged through me so hard I fought to breathe. Choking on the emotions I needed a release.
“Hit me.” At Kellan’s wide eyes, I nodded. “Go ahead. Hit me as hard as you fucking can.”
“Quinn, no!” Isla protested.
“There’s no physical pain that you or anyone else can inflict on me to make me feel any worse than I already do.” As Kellan still stared at me in disbelief, my chest rose and fell with harsh breaths. “Fucking hit me, so I can at least bleed for her!” I roared.
Kellan blinked at me in surprise. “I can’t.”
A mirthless laugh tumbled from my lips. “Come on, boyo. You know you want to have free rein for a piece of me. Hell, I’m giving you my fucking permission.”
“You know that’s not who I am.” He threw his hands up. “Jesus, all this masculine bullshit of guns and fists is why I needed to talk to Isla in the first place. You can’t always take your emotions out on someone. You have to talk about it.”
“So what can I do?”
That question was both for him and for me. I didn’t know what the fuck I could do to stop the agony coursing through me from hurting Isla and losing her.
“Tell me why you didn’t put a stop to it?” Kellan demanded.
Instead of replying to KelIan, I glanced past him to stare at Isla. “Because I was a jealous prick. The last woman I cared about played me for a fool, and I thought you were playing, too. My own self-loathing made it impossible not to believe the bullshit Callum was saying.” After jerking a hand through my hair, I sighed. “But I was wrong not to believe you, and I was so fucking wrong to ever let Callum question you. There won’t be a single day I live that I don’t regret every single thing that happened to you in this office.”
My gaze flicked back to Kellan. “I wish I could be like you, brother. I wish I could wear my heart on my sleeve and give love so freely. Maybe if I could, I wouldn’t have lost the woman I love.”
With that, I stalked past the others and out the office door. As I started down the hallway, Isla called to me. “Quinn, don’t go!”
When I turned around, I shook my head at her. “Stay away from me, Isla. I’m no good for you. That’s very apparent.”
Isla slowly walked up to me. “Don’t you dare run away from me.”
“It’s the best thing for both of us.”
“No, it isn’t. We need to talk.”
“What else is there to say? I failed you in every way possible today.”
“That isn’t true. You were going to fight Callum to protect me.”
“It was too little, too late.” I clenched my jaw. “How can you say that to me after what I did to you?”
“While I can’t say I’m not incredibly hurt and angry, I do understand why you did it.”
“It sure as hell doesn’t make it right.”
Isla shook her head. “I’m to blame as well.”
“How can you possibly say that?”
“I should’ve told you what was happening. When Kellan asked me to keep it a secret, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do anything behind your back, especially after you asked me the night of the gala to never be alone with your brothers.”
“Your intentions were honorable. You were just trying to help him.”
“But in the process, I ended up hurting the man I love.”
I sucked in a breath at her words. “You love me?”
A smile played on her lips. “Yes, Quinn Kavanaugh, I love you. One major fuck up isn’t enough to drive me away.”
With a shake of my head, I argued, “We’ve only known each other two months.”
“Is there a time frame for falling in love?”
I scowled at her. “No, but it’s too soon.”
She laughed. “It is not.”
“You need more time.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not someone who is easy to love, so you need more time to figure it out.”
Isla’s blue eyes darkened. “Don’t tell me what I need or feel, caveman.”
“You can’t love me,” I countered.
“Too bad. I do.”
“No, you can’t.”
She swept her hands to her hips. “Do you know how infuriating you are right now?”
I jerked my hands desperately through my hair. “You can’t love me,” I murmured.
Isla placed both her hands on my cheeks. “Listen to me. I do love you.”
“But I’m a monster, Isla.”
“I know exactly what you are, and I still love you.”
“You deserve better.”
She shook her head. “I don’t deserve a perfect man, and you’re certainly not getting a perfect woman in me.”
“I sure as hell am.”
Isla rolled her eyes. “I love you, Quinn. Get it through your stubborn head that nothing you can say or do is going to change that. Am I going to make you pay for believing something so ludicrous as I was having an affair with Kellan and stealing money? Oh yes. You’re going to do a lot of groveling before I let you lay one finger on me again.”
“I welcome the punishment.”
“Seriously?”
“I do. Even if it kills me, I’ll make it up to you.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Cocking her head at me, she asked, “Are you all right now?”
“I haven’t been alright since the day the first cry of pleasure tore from your lips as you rode my cock.”
When heat flared in Isla’s eyes at my admission, I continued on. “I’m not alright because a wee faerie goddess stormed into my life and turned everything upside down. I want things–I desire things–I didn’t before. The only time I’m alright is when you’re in my arms or my cock is buried inside you.”
I jerked her to me. “I love you, Isla. I’ve loved you since the first day I met you.”
“You didn’t even know me,” she protested.
“I still knew that day.”
As I started to bring my lips to hers, a throat cleared behind us. When I turned around, Caterina stood behind us. “If you wouldn’t mind coming back to the office, my husband would like to apologize for his behavior.”
“Let me guess. Callum’s in the doghouse as well?” I asked.
Caterina jerked her chin up. “He’ll be sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future.”
Isla giggled. “He can always sleep with Quinn because I won’t be warming his bed any time soon.”
I groaned at their united front. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
“Oh, it’s not over by a long shot,” Isla replied with a wink.