14. Keir
Keir
M olly cried out quietly in her sleep.
When I moved over to her, I found her shifting restlessly beneath the quilt; her face pinched, her mouth set in an angry snarl.
“Leave her alone,” she mumbled, her body twitching. Sweat had broken over her brow, and if I had to guess, whatever nightmare had her in its clutches would leave a mark when she woke.
Looking at the time on my phone, I cursed and pocketed the device.
We had to get going. Kneeling beside her pallet, I winced as the stitches in my thigh pulled.
The cold seeped through my sweats within seconds and I was pissed all over again over the fact that Jynx had chosen a cold, hard floor over sleeping next to me.
Clearly, she didn’t trust me, but I had to take some ownership of that, as we didn’t exactly have the best start.
Reaching out, I brushed some hair from her face, tucking the damp strands behind her ear.
Her lush mouth opened on a soft sigh, and all I could imagine were the ropes of my cum painting those lips, her pink tongue darting out to taste it.
She signed, turning her head into my touch.
“Jynx, wake up,” I told her, enjoying the moment of quiet.
Her lashes fluttered against her cheek as they opened, and for half a second, she stared at me like she didn’t want to jam a dagger through my heart before she sat up with a scowl.
“You’re watching me while I sleep now?” she asked, her tone laced with venom.
“It’s the only time you’re quiet,” I replied, enjoying our banter. It was safe, with no attempts at murder. No accusations of trying to get in her panties, although I knew I would again. Of that, I had no doubt.
She pulled the quilt against her chest. “What time is it?”
“Early. Get dressed. We’re leaving in twenty.”
Her blue eyes went wide. “Where are we going?”
“Dublin.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
Reaching over, I pulled a pile of clothes from the bed. I didn’t want to know why Caolan had a stash of women’s clothes roughly Molly’s size. “These should fit you.”
She glanced at the jeans, sweater, bra, and panties, which looked small enough for her slender frame, then at the pair of sneakers. I threw a knife holster along with a butterfly knife onto the pile last, watching her reaction.
She reached out and ran a fingertip over the handle of the knife. “You’re going to trust me with a knife?”
“You need a weapon,” I said, begrudgingly.
Molly blinked up at me. “Why?”
Fuck, I hope I’m not making a fucking mistake . “I won’t leave you unarmed.”
She seemed to think about that for a moment before stating, “I need a shower.”
“There’s a fresh towel on the vanity.”
“Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?”
“Who says I want something from you? I want to get to Dublin so we can help your sister.”
Her expression quickly shifted from distrust to horror. “Orla,” she whispered, scrambling up from the floor and snatching up the clothes before she raced into the bathroom.
While she was still sleeping, I’d spoken to Finnan about my plan.
He hadn’t been interested in helping Molly but had agreed that luring in whoever had ordered the hit would be a useful bargaining chip.
My motives weren’t altruistic, though. I wanted Molly indebted to me.
She’d fucked with my clan, and I would take my pound of flesh from her pussy.
Fifteen minutes later, Molly emerged from the bathroom dressed in the borrowed clothes, her damp hair hanging in loose waves across her shoulders. There was a set to her jaw, which wasn’t there before, so she’d clearly given herself a pep talk.
“I’m ready,” she announced, straightening her spine.
“We’re not going to war, Jynx.” I knew as soon as those words came out that they were untrue. We were walking into war, but neither of us were prepared.
“I’m ready,” she repeated, shifting anxiously in her borrowed shoes.
Grabbing myself a jacket, and throwing another hoodie in Molly’s direction, I unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway.
It was early—just after five—but I wanted to have as much time as possible in Dublin to draw out the threat.
Dublin was Sionnach Clan territory, but they were surrounded by the Fiach Clan.
Given Molly used to live in Dundalk—though at the very edge of their empire—I was confident the attack was going to come from that direction.
Molly was soundless beside me, not uttering a single word until we were in the Rover and racing down the drive, so her whispered question echoed like a shotgun blast. “What if we’re too late?”
“We won’t be.”
“The message yesterday morning said I had twenty-four hours.”
I glanced at her. “Yeah.”
“That means we only have four hours left.”
“We’ll be fine, Jynx.”
“Why do you call me Jynx?”
Ignoring her question, I turned on the radio as I navigated toward the M6 and began our drive east. By the time we reached Athlone, the silence between us was bugging me.
I pulled into a service station, feigning the need to take a piss.
The forecourt held a few cars and trucks, so I insisted Molly come inside.
When I emerged, she was clutching a bar of chocolate.
“You want that?” I asked her.
She looked down at the package cradled in her hands, then at me. “I’d rather have a coffee, but this will have to do.”
With a roll of my eyes, I snatched up the chocolate bar and took it to the counter.
“You want to get a coffee, too?” I asked, handing her back the chocolate bar.
“God, yes,” she replied.
There was only one other person waiting, so our orders arrived quickly, then we returned to the Rover.
Molly was mid-sip when I asked, “What were you dreaming about?”
She turned to look at me. “I wasn’t dreaming.”
“You were having a nightmare, Jynx.”
Her lips thinned in displeasure.
If there was one thing I’d learned about Molly O’Reilly, it was that she didn’t like to be noticed.
She let out a huff and turned to look out the window. “And so, what if I was?”
“Sometimes it’s good to talk about that shit.”
A mocking laugh burst out of her, and she shook her head. “Believe me, talking won’t do a damn thing.” She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. “What are you planning to do?”
“We’re going to see your mam and sister.”
She turned to me with a frown. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about the why. The plan is tight.”
Finnan had wanted to know what the fuck was going through my head too, but I knew this was the way to get the reaction we needed.
By the time we reached Dublin, I was ready to be out of this car. Molly’s scent had invaded every piece of leather, surrounding me and burrowing in deep. We hadn’t spoken since our last conversation, and I had a feeling her nightmare had been playing on a loop in her head.
Molly’s mum lived in Tallaght, in the southwest of Dublin, just north of the River Dodder.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but the tidy houses and wide streets weren’t it.
When we pulled up to the white pebble dash house with a brown door and trim, Molly instructed me to park on the road.
Ignoring her suggestion, I pulled into the drive, as I cast a glance at the neighbors’ cars.
Nobody else drove a Rover in this area, which already pinned a spotlight on us.
Despite this being Sionnach territory, I hadn’t cleared my visit with Gael O'Mahony. It was risky to not make a courtesy call first, but after Molly was settled at her mam’s house, I would phone him myself.
Not waiting for Molly, I got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Movement twitched the lace curtain next door, but I studiously ignored it as I rounded the hood and popped open the front passenger door.
Molly eyed me apprehensively. “What are you doing?”
“Opening your door.” I flashed her my good boy smile, putting on the necessary show.
She slid out, suspicion flashing in her blue eyes. “Why?”
“Because I’m a gentleman.”
Under her breath, I heard her mutter, “Gentleman don’t assault women in their sleep.”
Sliding my hand around her waist, I pinned her against the car with my hips while cupping her jaw. Molly’s pupils dilated, her breath rushing from her parted mouth.
Putting our faces close, I whispered, “Assaulting women isn’t my thing, Jynx. Bringing them pleasure. Making them writhe. Now that’s more my thing, and from the way you squirted all over my mouth and fingers, I know I achieved that. You begged me to fill you with my cock and cum?—”
“Not your cum,” she interjected. “I never said cum.”
I smiled against the shell of her ear, hearing her breathing hitch. “No, you never said cum, but you did beg for me. You begged me to fuck you.”
She went to shake her head but stopped once she felt the bite of my teeth on the lobe of her ear, letting out a started cry that made my cock twitch.
“You begged me. Admit it.”
Panting, she managed to squeeze out, “Never.”
Her defiance was a fucking aphrodisiac. I rolled my hips into her again, enjoying the sound of her gasps. “Why do you have to be so fucking quarrelsome?”
“Quarrelsome?” she repeated.
“Quick to disagree and pick a fight,” I explained, knowing full-well she knew what I’d meant.
She let out a huff, her hands coming to rest on my hips. She gave me a little shove, and I backed up a bit. “I think you’re the one who’s quarrelsome.”
Leaning forward, I nipped at her neck, then soothed the sting away with my tongue. “Hmm, and what other word do you have for me?”
She arched her head back, exposing more skin for me to kiss, and I sure as fuck took advantage. My cock was begging to be let out, but I was well aware of how exposed we were right now.
“Belligerent.”
“Only with clan business,” I countered.
“Ornery.”
“Only if I don’t get regular pussy.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Charming.”
“When I need to be.”
“Sweet.”
I jerked back, frowning. “When was I sweet?”
Glancing down at the ground, she shrugged. “You talked me down from my panic attack.”
“Finnan doesn’t like women who make a scene.”