I swallowed, my tattooed hand hovering over the piece…
…and I knocked it over.
No one said a word as we stepped over bodies, trudged through blood, and kicked rubble across the floor absentmindedly. I silently let the tears fall, deciding I don’t give a fuck if it makes me look like less of a man. I’m a man that just became an orphan while also becoming free. All the chains holding me back are broken…as is the heart that was already pitch black and dead. We walked out of the front entrance to the O’Dell compound, and I trained my eyes forward, trying not to think of my father lying next to the enemy in that room. Three figures came into view in the dark as we inched towards a safe distance away. They’re waiting. And one of them might be trying to hide it—but she looks awfully glad to see that I’m alive.
She hasn’t changed her bloody clothes…
Bridget lurched forward, eyes blown out and puffy, and gripped the front of my shirt in her fists. “Daddy?” Seven slowly approached behind her on bare feet.
“Went out the way he wanted…” I choked out. Her mouth hung open and her lip wobbled, and I could see every angry curse and every unending question in her devastated expression. “Got my last order.”
Leach handed me a small black remote with a single red button, and I looked over Bridget’s shoulder at Sev. Declan steeled himself, pulling Bridget against him while she broke down and I closed the gap between us, holding out the device.
“Malek…I—”
“Clean her up,Nathair Bheag…”
Her arms tightened around herself and the wind blew her knotted gray hair over her shoulders and off her face. She really does look fucking gorgeous in death. Simon waddled closer and she glanced down at him warily.
“Last job.Boom.”
We locked eyes again, and after a long silent stretch…I saw that confidence spark back to life. Her filthy hand covered mine, and she took the remote as we all turned around to look at the house. A quick beep set it off, and the ground shook as the bitch exploded, starting in small blasts that surrounded the gates, and ending with three massive ones that sent the entire building into the sky.
Our deal is settled.
CHAPTER 27
The Mortician
After all this…being in my apartment couldn’t feel like a bigger blessing. Malek came clean about the vacation house before we went back for my car, and I surveyed that damage for myself. He’s about to inherit a fortune. I’ve been assured that it’ll be fixed and updated before anybody has time to figure out what really happened here. It’s not like the place doesn’t need it…but I don’t know if I can even go back there again. Bridget and Declan went back to Belfast to dismantle whoever is left lingering now that she and Malek are in power, and plan whatever needs to be done with the house. I finally decided to change clothes before making the drive behind Malek back home, and he insisted on going into the house first. In light of recent events…I’m not arguing.
I set my bag by the door, and he checked every corner of the apartment. When he didn’t come back right away, I pulled a beer out of my fridge and lingered in the kitchen. The cold air chilling my bare legs is hitting way too close to home for me after being stuck in that basement nearly a whole day. Seems I’m gonna have to actually get that therapist now. I know this is gonna be a thing. I just have no idea how the fuck I’m supposed to talk about it without incriminating all of us. I pulled out a second beer and slammed the refrigerator shut. Malek stood quietly behind it.
“Double fistin’?” His smirk curled up one corner of his mouth, but it was wary and tired. I know he’s going through it, and one would think I’d have a word of comfort in the businessthat I’m in, but…after all these years, I’ve learned none of it really helps anybody anyway.
“Nah. We need to talk.” I handed him one of the bottles and his jaw feathered when he dropped his eyes to the floor. He knows what’s coming, and it’s just making this harder on me. I never wanted this shit. But now that I have it, it’s left me with no other choice than to do what I think is right to protect not only myself…but my family. No more close calls. No more dangerous bullshit. Back to lousy lays and boring dates—and that’s gonna be alongtime from now.
“I know. There’s somethin’ I need you to do first, though.” He reached out with his other hand, grabbing mine and tugged me behind him towards my bedroom. I heard the water running and my heart ached a little. I’m not used to feeling like this, and it fucking blows that this gesture is overshadowed in hurt. Malek led me into the bathroom and the tub was filling with steaming water and suds that smelled like coconut shampoo. A scent that I was just starting to really love on him. He turned me to face him and took my beer, setting them both on the bathroom sink while he lifted the hem of my tank top. I let him slowly undress me, and he took his time, like he knew exactly what I was about to tell him, and he’s committing me to memory before he has to let me walk away. “In ya get.” His hands gripped my hip bones, and I swallowed hard, nearly forcing him to make me move to the tub.
The water’s blissfully hot. A perfect buffer to how shitty I feel right now. I lowered myself into it and submerged, palming my hair back as I stretched out relaxing while he dropped the toilet lid and sat down. He popped the top off my beer and handed it to me before doing the same for himself…and then we just stared at each other in silence.
“You don’t have to say it, ya know…” Malek took a swallow and let the bottle hang from his fingers between hisknees. “Deal’s a deal. And I get it, Sev. I really do. I’ll never forgive myself for puttin’ you and Bridget…and yourfamily, in that shit. You’ve always deserved better than me. I’m just a selfishgit.”
“I’m selfish too.” I took a sip, flicking my fingers through a pile of suds and staring at them like a coward. “I chose to believe whatever this is was real.” He shifted on the toilet seat and my eyes drifted towards him. He looks equal parts shocked and understanding.
“Itisreal, Seven. It might have started out one way, but…that changed.”
“Yeah? Forgive me for not believing that, Malek. You wanted the love of your life back…not me. Knowing what I know now, my heart breaks for you. But you came in here and flipped my entire life upside down for a person that isn’t even alive anymore. And you let me believe every bullshit line that I was perfect, after spending my life the exact opposite, just to find out I was only perfect in whatever way suited your grief.”
He shook his head and lowered it, raking a hand through his hair. “That’s not at all true, but I understand why you think it. You’re right in sayin’ I flipped your life on its ass. I did. I chased after you when I shoulda just let you walk away. There’s no denying that. But I swear to you…on my life…onBridget’s…I chased you because of the personyouare, Viper. Not because of the person shewas.”
“You don’t know me, Malek. You think you do, but you don’t.”
“Don’t I?” I turned my bottle up, looking away and hoping I could hide whatever thinks it’s about to leak out of my fucking eyes. This sucks. I heard him move and fixed my eyes on the tile of the shower wall while he knelt beside the tub. I heard my shampoo bottle fart, and gnawed my lip when he rubbed his hands together. “Sit up.” I did, and turned away, giving himmy back. The way my eyes wanted to roll back when he started shampooing my hair…massaging circles into my scalp. Using those sinful hands to settle me.
“I’ll admit. When you made me give up that finger and didn’t wanna look at me, I was curious. I did what I always do, and invited myself onto your last nerve…and you looked at me, and I thought I’d fuckin’ die. The truth is, looking back…I onlythoughtI saw Shavonn first that night. I pissed you off, and you snapped your teeth at me…” He chuckled under his breath and his thumbs kneaded out the knots in my neck. I felt myself give under it and closed my eyes. “It’s been you ever since. It was you I couldn’t stop watchin’ on that phone. Your voice I couldn’t stop hearing.”
“It’s just words, Malek.”
