Chapter 15 #3
“I think that’s a man of God, isn’t it?” I laughed.
“And you’ve never had a problem with that.
” I sat up straighter, ignoring the twinges in my neck and down my spine.
“Which reminds me, that doctor? Dr. Goodheart. What a name for a doc.” I cackled.
“Is he good with hearts? Or maybe he’s actually a heartbreaker? Does he break all the hearts?”
Sloan rolled his eyes, his mouth curling in amusement. “Pet.”
“Come on, it’s hilarious. It’s like having a killer with kill in his name. Oh wait.” My grin widened. “That’s you. Oh fuck. You’ve got kill in your last name.” I cackled so hard I thought I heard a rib snap.
He merely shook his head. “Pet, tell me again how I ever fell in love with you.”
“I’m a fucking catch, that’s how.” I waggled my eyebrows at him, but it was ruined by a yawn that ripped out of me when I hadn’t expected it. “Good in bed, too. A hole to die for. Or should I say, a hole to kill for. That should be the title of a Bond movie.”
Sloan pinched the bridge of his nose, the tension in his shoulders releasing. “I think you’re still high from whatever drugs they gave you.”
“Nah, I’m just funny.” I poked the tip of my tongue out at him. “It’s why you keep me around.”
“Your humor is not why I’ve kept you.” The smile on his mouth told me another story.
He loved meeeee. Despite the lightness that had taken hold of him, an edginess lingered in his eyes and dimmed the joy that bloomed inside me.
The emotional turmoil had been there since I’d first seen him after jail, but it’d grown since.
Sloan kept his emotions behind a facade, but something new was rising inside him.
Another yawn. Damn it. I was wrecked. As each minute passed, the heaviness in my eyelids grew as exhaustion took over.
Sloan’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket before answering.
“What?” He listened, and I watched him, taking note of the hardened lines on his face and his furrowing brow.
“Bring him back to the mansion. Take him to the basement until I’m ready to deal with him.
Good job.” He ended the call and smirked at me when I cocked my head.
“Which one is it?” I asked, grinning.
“Lorcan.” He nuzzled my hand, clearly proud of his men. “Aspen tracked him down. I guess they made a game of it and wanted me to know he was the winner.”
“How did the men find out Lorcan was your half brother?”
He kissed my knuckles, moving from one to another. “Is that what they said?”
“Yeah, they knew. But Lorcan did, too, I guess. He’d said so after you went to Rikers.”
He heaved a sigh. “I don’t know, Pet. Maybe Lorcan’s not as stupid as I thought he was, and there’s always been rumors floating around. My father wasn’t the most loyal man to his wife. That’s news to no one.”
“I’m glad you’re not like him in that area. I don’t want an open relationship, Sloan. I only want you.” I held in a groan. Talk about over the top, but it wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t mention that if he slept with anyone else, I’d cut out their eyes and chop off their balls.
He chuckled, more of the stress lines in his face smoothing out. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m yours and you’re mine. You know I’d kill anyone who touched you.” His eyebrows dipped seriously. “Which reminds me, I need to have a word with Senan.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Semen is very persistent.”
He rolled his eyes. “He only flirts with the unattainable. I think he likes to keep life interesting, and it pisses Tiernan off, so that’s a positive.”
That made sense.
“What are you going to do with the cousins?” An uncomfortable stiffness slid down my neck to my upper spine, and I winced, rubbing at the pain. I wasn’t sure I could handle a few months of this. Hopefully, the symptoms only lasted for a little longer, but at least I wasn’t seeing Dad anymore.
That shit was terrifying. Though, I’d miss Bridget. She was nice, even if she was a figment of my ill imagination.
Sloan blanketed our hands with his other one and rubbed across the back of mine with comforting pressure, his thumb working magic on an ache I hadn’t even realized was there until it started to fade under his attention.
“They’ve been loyal, and I don’t know what would have happened to you or Fionn if they weren’t here.
They can stay. We’ve lost numbers in this mutiny, so we need them to reestablish our forces.
That’s the only thing keeping Senan alive. ”
His lip twitched and I had a feeling he wouldn’t kill him anyway. Senan wasn’t interested in me. By the sounds of it, he was looking for a reaction from either Tiernan or Sloan.
“What are you going to do with Lorcan?”
It didn’t matter either way. He’d been virtually useless in the company. He was officially considered Sloan’s advisor, but he’d done jack diddly shit. Sloan certainly didn’t need any advice that Lorcan could give.
Sloan’s gaze darkened. “I’m going to remind our men why I’m in charge. He might be blood, but he’s not family.”
“You’re going to kill him?”
“Yes, Pet. I haven’t decided how yet, but it’ll be painful and drawn out.”
“Good. That’s my boss.” I pretended to swoon which earned me a laugh.
He shook his head with more seriousness, jaw tightening again. “You have no idea how much of a scare you gave me, Pet. I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Because of a few hallucinations?” I teased, trying to lighten the gravity of his words. Or maybe I was trying to ignore the guilt that churned in my stomach, mixing with the nausea already there. I hadn’t meant to end up in hospital. Lack of sleep could do wild things to people.
“Not just them.” His eyes flashed, irritation twisting his mouth.
His displeasure leaked out of him in waves that had his shoulders loosening, and I flinched.
“Yesterday, you were afraid of me. You begged me not to hurt you and yanked out your IV. You were on the floor against that wall.” He pointed at an area to my left, baring his teeth, but by the slight tremble in his hand, I could tell it was from pain, not anger.
“You were hurting yourself, slamming your fists against your forehead again and again, screaming at me not to kill you. Do you know what kind of torture that is, Pet? Because I do, and I never want to see you in that position again. I nearly killed Goodheart after he sedated you because you weren’t better.
I would’ve done it, too, if Fionn hadn’t come in.
The only thing that stopped me, though, was you.
Calling for me. You saved Goodheart’s life. ”
I swallowed, the hurt seeping from him into me. I’d never seen Sloan so upset and lost, and it was my fault. Why the hell hadn’t I contacted Rory? I could’ve saved us from all this trouble.
I stroked my thumb over his cheek and laid my palm against his jaw. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I didn’t mean to. It was stupid. I was stupid.”
“Never again, Conall.” His grip on my hand tightened, and I winced, not because it hurt, but because he never used my name unless he was serious—or absolutely livid.
Instead of promising again, I dragged him down for a kiss, and his mouth pressed softly against mine. I’d missed this, and I made a mental note to keep myself healthy. Not for me but for him.
When we broke apart, he smirked. “Bet you missed me.”
I huffed. “Maybe.”
He laughed and it was the best sound I’d ever heard.
I sighed and swept my hand over my neck, pausing when I finally realized my collar wasn’t there. I was so used to it being one with me to the point I didn’t feel it when it was on, but now it wasn’t. The difference was uncomfortable. Frowning, I tapped my neck. “Where’s my collar?”
Sloan chuckled and pointed at the nightstand beside me. Relief washed over me when I saw it sitting there, the silver metal gleaming under the lights. He grabbed the collar and unbuckled it with the fingerprint scanner before placing the leather around my neck and fastening it together.
I closed my eyes, savoring the snugness. I wasn’t myself without this collar anymore. It was another body part as far as I was concerned. “Thank you, Boss.”
He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Always, Pet. Now sleep. You need it.”