10. Keir
Keir
I f looks could fucking kill, my little Jynx would’ve lodged a dozen daggers in my chest by now. She glared at me, but underneath that anger, underneath all that rage , was fear. I could see it, I could smell it, and I would find out why she was so afraid.
“The unknown number texting you, who was it?”
All the fire and righteous indignation suddenly funneled out of her body, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “You met him … Grady.”
“That piece of shit from your apartment?”
Every single message had been threatening, demanding, or both. What did Grady have on her that made her…
I tapped on the messages again, scrolling to find the one that read ‘ Time’s up. Have you delivered the message?’
“You’re telling the truth?”
“Of course I’m fucking telling the truth,” Molly snapped back. “Why would I place myself in the middle of a clan war when all I want to do is go home?”
“Back to Dundalk?”
She shook her head. “Back to Dublin.”
Dublin? I needed to do some more digging.
Before I could ask, her phone beeped. It was a new message from the unknown number.
“Who is it?” she asked in a small voice, as she dragged the blanket closer around her naked body.
Tapping the attachment, I found a photo of a younger girl with raven-black hair, walking to school, given the backpack and uniform. It was shot from behind, and the shadow of whoever took the photo fell over the girl’s shoulder.
“Keir, tell me who it is.”
Tossing her the phone, I watched as she picked it up and stared at the screen. All the color drained from her face. “This is impossible,” she whispered, more to herself than to me. When her blue eyes met mine, tears were already pricking the corners. “Grady is—He’s dead.”
Aye, the bastard was dead. Zero regrets.
“Who’s in the photo, Jynx?” I asked just as softly, unwilling to break the mood.
“My sister. Orla.”
Unless Grady was a top tier ghost, there was no way this message came from him. “You’re sure this number belonged to Grady?”
Her eyes widened, and a single tear tracked down her cheek. “I—I assumed it was him. He’s the only person from my past who knows— knew the truth.”
“He was a member of Clan Fiach,” I told her. “Did you know that?”
Her head bobbed once. “He said he was a Sentinel.”
“Sentinels don’t piss without permission from their Quartermaster, so why the fuck was he here, making threats against you?”
“Grady was angry when I disappeared.”
“Why did you leave Dundalk, Jynx?” My tone was uncharacteristically soft. Compassionate.
More tears fell, and the stone wall around my heart shifted slightly. Sucking in a deep breath, her lungs stuttered out the oxygen as she said, “He used to hit me. Made me believe I forced him to do it.”
Jesus fucking Christ. Only a weak man would resort to violence to keep their woman in line. “What did Grady mean when he said you could pay him back for his silence?”
She flinched, her body recoiling, like my words were a physical blow.
“Jynx?”
She sucked in a couple of mouthfuls of air, then met my intense stare with her broken one. “He knows what I did in Dublin.”
Easing onto the bed beside her, I reached out to push some of her hair behind her ear, but hesitated and dropped my hand. Instead, I looked down at the blanket wrapped snugly around her. “What did you do in Dublin?”
She was silent for a beat, making me prompt her again. “Jynx?”
She shook her head firmly. “Grady used it to blackmail me into delivering the bullet to you.”
Whatever had happened in Dublin was off-limits for now, at least.
“Why leave it with me?”
“You’re a member of the clan.”
“No other reason? You could’ve dropped the bullet off with anyone as long as he was a clan member?
” I tried to keep the offense from my voice, but the reality was, my ego had taken a hit.
Of course, she gave the bullet to me. I flirted with her in that café.
She flirted back, and that was her in with me, I was convenient.
Sure, she had only been an easy fuck for me at the time.
A way for me to forget that the woman I loved had chosen a murderous hitman.
To forget that I didn’t deserve Fallon’s kind of goodness in my life.
I wasn’t sure if Orin deserved her either, but he’d won her all the same.
Maybe she’d even healed him a little, too.
“I’m sorry,” Jynx said, bringing me back to reality.
Rejection stung, but being a convenience hurt more.
“Why was Grady, or whoever the fuck has the phone, sending you photos of your sister?”
“Grady said if I didn’t do what he asked, if I didn’t deliver the warning, then he would hurt my mam and sister.
He already stole the cash I sent them by mail, forcing my mother to go back to prostitution.
I had no choice,” she pleaded, trying to get me to understand where she was coming from—worse, I did. “Will the clan give me protection?”
I shook my head, still processing her words.
“But you promised I could see Finnan.” She clutched her phone tightly, shoving it in my face as a prop. “Don’t you see!? Whoever’s been sending me these messages isn’t done with me. My sister is still in danger. I’m still in danger. I need clan protection!”
I ignored the way her cheeks flushed with color. How the tears she’d cried had fallen in tracks down her skin. “The only way a woman can be a part of the clan is on her back,” I said.
All the color drained from her face, as her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “But Fallon?—”
“Fallon belongs to Orin. She’s his woman. That affords her some grace with Finnan. He still wanted her to work at Velvet to earn her keep, even though he agreed to Orin’s demands and kept her on as a medic.”
“But I could be a medic, too. I’ve got about two more years of knowledge than her. I’d be the better choice.”
Firmly, I shook my head, anger burning in my gut. “It’s all about you, isn’t it, Jynx. You don’t give a fuck who you step on to get what you need.” And fuck yes, I was talking about myself. Fallon’s choice still fucking rankled, and my envy lingered.
Molly didn’t back down. She raised her chin, staring me dead in the eyes as she snapped, “I protect what’s mine from any and all outside threats, even if that means taking someone’s life.”
“Whose life have you taken?” I demanded, my anger seething beneath my skin. “Who have you killed to protect?” When she remained silent, I vowed I would find out. “Don’t feel like talking? Fine. I’ll drive you back to Galway.”
Her hand snapped out, her fingers wrapping tight around my forearm. “What about my sister?”
I shrugged. “What about her?”
“I told you what you wanted to know. You said the clan could offer me protection.”
“ No , what I said was you were in no position to negotiate.”
“But I gave you the information you wanted,” she pressed, desperation now clinging to her words, every angle of her body held stiff.
Folding my arms, I replied, “We won’t give you the protection you seek, because you gave away your one bargaining chip.” Leaning in, I got so close I could see the seafoam flecks in her scared blue eyes. “So now you’re worthless to Finnan, to the clan…”
I reached out, wrapping a hand around her throat, and felt her pulse jump and thunder against my palm as I tightened my fingers. “And to me.”