Chapter 35 Dare
Chapter Thirty-Five
DARE
I stand in the small, shitty room she’s rented with the cash in my wallet, looking at the peeling wallpaper with anger making my stomach roll.
The moment I saw her being assaulted by some arsehole, I’d lost it. And I couldn’t seem to get myself back together.
I’m furious at her for leaving like this, for putting herself in danger, for betraying us.
And what’s worse is she won’t tell me why. Just says she needs all of us here, and what can that mean other than that she’s chosen one of them?
I take a ragged breath.
She still hasn’t come out of the bathroom, and in the back of my head, I’m worried that I hurt her. I know how big I am, and I didn’t wait to prep her.
I’m ready to go knock on the door and check on her like the absolute fool I am when my phone buzzes to life in my pocket.
Liam.
Fuck.
I grit my teeth and answer the phone, planning not to tell them a single word about finding Isla.
“Did you find her?” I step out onto the creaky balcony, bracing myself on the chipped painted wood of the railing.
“No.” Liam’s usual bark is just a sad sigh, and he sounds so defeated.
I squeeze my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“We've looked everywhere within a ten-mile radius. If she was ever here, she’s gone now.”
God damn it. He doesn’t sound angry. He doesn’t sound like Liam at all.
I draw in a heavy breath and blurt it out.
“She’s here. With me.”
The line goes silent, and I bounce on my heels, nervous.
“Liam?”
Something crashes in the background, doors slam, and I wince.
“It‘s Cill. Liam is... collecting himself.”
I wince again, knowing I’m due for a beating from Liam.
“I’m sorry, okay? I lied to you two because I was worried about what Liam would do.”
It’s not exactly a lie, but it’s not the whole truth, either.
I am worried about what Liam will do, but at the same time, I know deep down he couldn’t hurt her. I know he loves her as much as I do, in his own way. The real reason I lied is that I want her all to myself.
But that’s not going to happen. We have to figure this out just like we always have—together.
“I’ll send you the location. It’s a bed and breakfast in Culver.”
“Culver?”
I hold my phone away from my face so his yelling curses don’t hurt my ears.
“I said I was sorry, Cill—”
“Stay there. Don’t even fucking think about moving. We’re on the way.”
The balcony door slides open, startling me, and I nearly drop my phone over the railing.
Isla stands there, her face freshly wet, looking none the worse for wear, thank God.
“Are they coming?”
“Aye. You’re getting what you want. Like always.” I can’t help the venom in my voice.
She sighs and leans against the glass door. “It’s rickety out here. Not like the balcony at the gala.”
At the gala.
God, things had been so much simpler back then when I thought I’d just take her for a leisurely roll in the hay instead of all this drama.
“Don't start.”
She frowns. “Don’t start what? Talking about how we met? I could’ve mentioned how you lured me into a trap, but I didn’t.”
“I know where I fucked up, okay, a gh—Isla?” The pet name almost slips past my lips, but my fury and jealousy still won’t let me. "I know what I did wrong, but you can't seem to accept responsibility for what you did.”
She scoffs, looking away from me with her arms crossed. “What did I do, Dare? Finally went for my freedom? Why is that wrong? You all just assumed I would stay there. I was fine with being locked up and not having a say in anything, but did any of you ever ask me to stay?”
She throws her arms up in the air. “What if this were you? Could you imagine being locked inside a house for months on end with people making all your decisions for you, without the freedom to even come to the garden or go to the supermarket? Can you honestly say you’d never go for it?
Because I can’t. And you sleep like the dead, Dare.
I could have escaped the first night we hooked up if I’d wanted to. ”
She is right, of course, she’s right.
I walk toward her. “And why didn’t you?”
She groans and slides open the door, stalking back inside.
But I can’t give her space, not now, not after she left me. “You can’t walk away from me again.”
“I'm not going anywhere. I just... I needed a minute. And I was afraid you were going to fall off that damn balcony; it’s barely standing up.”
“Don't change the subject.”
Isla runs a hand over her face. “What are you even so mad about? Just because I want them here before I tell you everything?”
I roll my shoulders around. “Maybe. Why do you want to wait for them? What does it matter unless you’ve chosen someone else?”
“I already told you I haven’t chosen anyone. I refuse to choose.”
“Then what are you doing, Isla? Just dragging this out? Newsflash, if we wanted to kill you, we could’ve done it already. You’re safe with us. With me.” I point at my own chest to emphasize the point.
She just looks at me pointedly, her hands on her hips, and if I wasn’t so fucking angry, it might have been cute.
I groan. “Who is it? Cill? It’s Cill, isn’t it?” I know I sound desperate and pathetic, but the words won’t stop coming. "I could make you happier, you know. I could fuck you better—”
“Dare, stop.” She claps a hand over my mouth.
I look down at her, searching her face until she slowly removes her hand.
“It’s not like that.” Her voice is so small I can barely hear her.
“Then Isla, please, tell me what it is like. I’m going crazy right now. I need to know where I stand.”
“I’ll tell you all when they get here.”
I throw my hands up in the air, groaning. “So what, I’m just supposed to wait here for the ten hours it’ll take them to get here?”
“You can do whatever you want,” she says flatly. “I’m taking a nap.”
She storms to the bed, and I pace back and forth in front of the balcony. After a few moments, I can’t not look at her.
She’s on her stomach, snoring softly, and everything in me wants to climb into bed with her, tell her I love her and I don’t care if she wants all of us; I’m only hers.
But I can’t. My anger, pride and jealousy won’t let me.
Not to mention I’m pretty sure Liam would kill me if he walked in on that.
It only takes eight hours for them to arrive, and Isla sleeps right through it, only waking when the banging on the door starts.
I’d sent them her location as well as her room number, and dread settles over me as I swallow hard and head to the door.
I slowly open it to see Cillian there, glaring at me.
I hold up my hands. ”Cill—”
He punches me in the stomach, and I groan, doubling over, all the oxygen rushing from my lungs.
As I choke and try to recover, he and Liam burst into the room, and when Isla walks into the room, rubbing her eyes, they both go stock still.
Cillian is the first to move, heading toward her and putting his arms around her slowly. He leans down and kisses the top of her head, and he’s trembling all over.
I hate him because she doesn’t pull away.
I’m finally catching my breath, and I look over at Liam, who’s standing by the door, just staring at her with bright blue eyes.
Cillian pulls away, and Isla promptly bursts into tears.