Mob Bride (The O’Rourke Brotherhood #5)

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Carrie

I think I’m going to be sick as I wait for an answer.

“No, cailín , that’s my cousin. That’s Dillan’s little sister.”

I speak in the present tense as though she’s still with us because the idea of using the past tense is too final. It’s too real that she’s never coming back. I’m not in denial, but I also don’t need to rip my heart apart.

“That’s Colleen? She was breathtaking, with a slightly darker shade of red hair but the same brilliant emerald eyes.”

“Yeah, see those dimples? I remember exactly when that photo was taken. She’d just convinced my parents I was the one who let our family dog run through the house and leave muddy prints all over the carpet, when in actual fact, she did it knowing full well my parents would blame me for it.”

“But the hug you’re giving her?—”

“I know how we look together if you don’t notice how similar our faces are. Dillan snapped that photo right before I picked her up, hoisted her over my shoulder, and hauled her out to the pool, where I dumped her in fully clothed.”

My mouth opens in a perfect circle of surprise. From the scorching look Shane gives me, it does things to him. I glance down at the bulge in his pants. It does things to his cock. My guess is he’s picturing my lips wrapped around it. This isn’t the right time to get even wetter than I already am. I’m a sloppy mess when I’m around Shane.

“Your whole family really is that close, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we are by necessity, but we also are by choice. I genuinely like hanging out with my brothers and cousins. We’ve all been best friends since—well—as long as any of us can remember. Finn and Dillan have a unique friendship. I guess because they’re a few years older than the rest of us, and the two who were always on their own. Sean and I came as a package deal, so there’s never been one without the other. Seamus was two months premature, so for most of the year he and Cormac are the same age. They’ve been inseparable just like Sean and me because of it. That’s always meant Finn and Dillan are the ones who don’t have a second pea in a pod without each other. But even beyond that, we’re still all close.”

“That’s an interesting family dynamic.” I can imagine but not fully understand that since I’m an only child.

“I don’t feel any less connected or love Finn any less than I do Sean. It’s just different with my twin. We have that intuition science hasn’t proven, but so many pairs of twins say they feel. But just because Finn isn’t my mirror image, doesn’t mean I’m not super close to him too. I am. There’s something unique about sharing the exact DNA with another person. I’m intuitively closer to Finn and Sean than I am my cousins. I know Cormac and Seamus feel the same way.”

“Doesn’t that leave out Dillan? It must be isolating being an only child now and the mob boss.”

“When Colleen was still alive, she and Dillan were so equally matched you’d have thought they were the twins. If there’s such a thing as platonic soulmates, Dillan and Colleen were those. They were so in sync with one another I know there were things Dillan shared with her he probably shouldn’t have. But she was the other half of his coin. She was his conscience when he was ready to have none. I know he keenly feels her loss every day. It’s something none of us will ever get over. I can’t fathom how my aunt and uncle survive it. They wouldn’t have if not for Dillan. But now that Dillan’s married, he’s found a romantic soulmate. He and Mair are so well-matched you couldn’t think of a better couple.”

Hearing that makes me wonder if Shane might be my soulmate. I’ve certainly never been attracted to another man the way I am him.

I don’t believe he’d bring me into this world if he didn’t think there was a possibility I could be. It would be foolhardy on so many levels to bring me closer to him if this weren’t for good. But I know it’s too soon to be sure of that.

He slides his hand into mine, guiding me into the kitchen.

“Are you hungry, cailín ?”

“Yeah, actually, I am. I hadn’t thought about it earlier, but now that we’re in here, I just realized I’m starving.”

It doesn’t take us long to put something together. We suspend our conversation while we make some lunch. We work well together in the kitchen, and it feels so natural, like a moment of domestic tranquility. This is the sort of thing I want to get used to. The life I want to build with somebody, one like my parents have. Like I assume the couples in his family have.

As I watch Shane, I keep trying to picture us here in five years, ten years. When we’re old and gray. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. I’ve learned a lot about the man he is because the traits I’ve seen are so deeply ingrained, they can’t change. Family, duty, honor, loyalty, and love are who he is and always will be. They’re traits I admire. He’s the hottest man I’ve ever met, but that’s not the entire reason I’m attracted to him. That wouldn’t make our relationship last. It’s who I know he is to his very core. I don’t need to spends months or years with him to know those qualities run bone deep. It’s why it’s been so easy to fall harder and harder for him.

I don’t know his entire life’s story, and I never ever will. I can accept the lies and secrets because those qualities I admire are the ones driving him to protect the people around him. The man I know him to be already tells me more than hearing childhood stories or hearing about his high school and college glory days.

But reality stomps back in like an elephant after we’re done with the dishes. We sit on a love seat together, each of us in a corner, turned to look at the other.

“Is it possible for me to call Steve and Angela to let them know I’m somewhere safe?”

“Do they have a way of tracking you here?”

“Normally they would, but I’ve turned off the tracker before. I have a bracelet that’s a thick silver band. There’s a small spot where someone smelted the metal together. That’s where the tracker is. The clasp is like a latch. One end of the latch releases the bracelet, the other turns it on and off. I’d just gotten out of the shower when Tymoteusz and his men barged in, so I had to get dressed.”

“Barged in? Were you wearing anything?” Rage vibrates from him.

“My bathrobe.”

I won’t tell him it wasn’t closed. He’d Hulk out if he knew. I keep talking before he can linger on that.

“I took off the bracelet just before Tymoteusz dragged me out. I left it behind in my apartment. I can always tell them I took it off to shower, even though it’s completely waterproof. It’s submergible to like a hundred feet, if not more. I have a way of setting it on my computer to look like I’m somewhere I’m not. Like at I’m at my apartment, when there are times I’ve been other places.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. He knows I mean when I was with him.

“Do you think they’ll know by now?”

“Probably. They can’t get in touch with me because I don’t have the pager or the phone we usually use.”

“What will they say to you?”

I grimace. “They’ll insist I come to them and stay there. That’s why I haven’t rushed to contact them.”

“What will you do about that?”

“I’ll tell them I have a better place outside of the city, where I can regroup and figure out when it’s safe for me to come back. They’ll tell me I should go straight to the office, then they’ll put me in a different safe house.”

“That definitely won’t protect you, Carrie. Now that Jacek knows, he won’t give up. He’ll continue to pursue you until he finds you. There’s no way he can back down because Bartlomiej will push him to find you. Once Jacek does, Bartlomiej’ll let Jacek work you over. He won’t do it himself. He’s always had his brother do his dirty work for him, and I fully believe Bartlomiej will sanction Jacek going after you. He’s already put a hit on you, and time will not calm him and convince him to call it off. Just the opposite. It’s just the permission Jacek needs to do it himself. The man was always batshit bonkers, but after his time in the military, he didn’t come back quite right. He is the poster child for PTSD. He’s every horrible stereotype of a syndicate man and a wounded warrior I know.”

“I learned that well before I went in. It’s all in his VA file. He didn’t pass the psychiatric exam when he got out. It’s only gotten worse with time. I saw it that night he attacked me. It was in his eyes. If I believed anyone needed an exorcism, it would be him. Even if I’d hoped Bartlomiej might call off the hit once he calms down, what you said doesn’t surprise me.”

“Bartlomiej isn’t the type to calm down. He only gets himself more and more amped up, and Jacek contributes to that. Feeds off of it. It’s their dysfunctional codependency. It won’t be over for Bartlomiej until you’re dead. That’s how it works. The pot bubbles, then boils over spectacularly.”

I don’t doubt him, but my expression must make him think I do.

“He won’t back off, Carrie. I’m not exaggerating. I can’t stress that enough.”

“I get what you’re saying, Shane.”

“Do you want to call your handlers now? I have burners you can use. They’ll never detect where you are because I have jammers here at the house.”

That doesn’t surprise me either. “Yeah, I’ll take you up on that. Better sooner rather than later.”

I glance at the clock he has on the mantel. It’s definitely a well-maintained antique. Shane notices where I’m looking.

“It was my nana’s before she passed away. Finn inherited the bar she ran, and Sean got much of her jewelry. I got several of her household decorations. Seamus and Cormac inherited stocks, bonds, annuities, while Dillan got all the properties. It might not seem evenly distributed, but each of us got the things we most wanted.”

It surprises me he’s telling me something so private, but I know he’s trying to let me in more. Trying to show me he won’t be closed off when he doesn’t have to be. I appreciate it.

“It was a hard loss for all of us, but having things like her clock on the mantel to remind me of her makes the loss a little easier. She was gone from us years before she actually died. Dementia stole her from us, but it wasn’t long after Colleen’s death that she passed as well.”

I reach for his hand and slip mine into his and give it a squeeze. I hear sadness warring with fondness in his tone.

It’s only been two-and-a-half hours since I bolted from the car. It feels like it should have been much, much longer, but really we’ve spent most of that time driving from one place to another.

“Could I have a phone now, please?”

He leaves me in the living room as he heads into his study. I hear him on the phone, but I don’t know who he’s speaking to.

“She’s going to contact her handlers. I’m giving her a burner right now. She’s not sure what she’s going to say. I’ll be there for the conversation.”

I can’t hear whatever the other caller says, so it’s silent for a moment.

“I spotted the extra guards already positioned around the neighborhood, so it shouldn’t be a problem if they decide to show up.”

They? I assume he means Bartlomiej or Jacek.

“Yeah, I know we have ways of blocking their entry, but I don’t want that.”

Block their entry? Does he mean barricade us in here?

“Even if they figure out where she is, I don’t want to make a bigger fuss than need be. I don’t know if they’ll know the house belongs to me or not, but she doesn’t have her tracker on, so that shouldn’t be an issue. And if Bartlomiej and Jacek show up or they send men, kill them.”

He meant my colleagues at first. There’s silence again, and I still don’t know who’s on the other end.

“Okay, I gotta go. Just wanted to touch base. Keep me posted, Dillan.”

I lean back over the sofa, and I can see down the hallway to his office. He slides his phone back into his pocket and opens the bottom desk drawer, then pulls out a phone still in the package. He also grabs a pair of scissors before straightening. I shift, so it doesn’t appear like I was spying. He heads back in here, and his expression tells me he knows I listened and watched.

Of course he did.

He hands me the phone and scissors. I’m certain he wants me to see they’re still unopened.

“Shane, I trust you. You didn’t have to keep it in the package, and you don’t have to let me cut into it.” I take both items and pull apart the plastic.

“I know, but there’s a lot of times when I won’t be able to reassure you. Right now, I can. I’ll seize these opportunities when they’re available.”

That fills me with happiness I didn’t know I needed. Once the phone’s out of the package and I’ve turned it on and set it up, I sit here staring at it. I’m still incredibly conflicted about what I need to do. There’s what I believe is a simple answer, but that doesn’t make this any easier. I eventually dial the number and put the phone on speaker.

I hope Shane understands my faith in him since I’m willing to let him hear this call. I could easily step out of the room and go somewhere else or let it be a one-sided conversation. Instead, I’m letting him be privy to it.

“Hello, Kaja.”

That voice.

That’s not either of my handlers. That’s Bartlomiej.

I don’t know what to say, so I stare at the phone.

“Cat got your tongue? Or have you let Shane swallow it?”

I turn toward Shane, terrified. He remains quiet but shakes his head. He puts his finger to his lips and points to the phone. His hand rolls in the air as if to tell me to let our silence continue, but also like he wants Bartlomiej to get on with it. Bartlomiej will fill the gap. He can’t stand silence, and he loves the sound of his own voice too much.

“You can play the silent game with me, but it won’t get you anywhere. We didn’t get here in time to catch your handlers, but we know who they are now. We won’t stop until we have them. Unless—” He pauses for effect. “—Unless you turn yourself over to me, then we’ll leave your handlers alone. They’ll be none the wiser.”

Bullshit they will.

I know Bartlomiej, and from the expression on Shane’s face, he doesn’t believe a word Bartlomiej’s saying.

“Turn yourself over, and we won’t go after the mob, either.”

That’s laughable. He might be a bur in their backside—might cause a minor problem here and there—but by no means is he in a position to do anything significant to them. The only way he could is if he had the bratva on his side. Considering how the last time went when they saw each other, there’s no way the bratva will help them, even if it’s something like this.

Shane pulls out his phone and taps the notes app. He types furiously.

They won’t stop Bartlomiej and Jacek. They won’t help either. That I’m confident of.

Bartlomiej keeps digging.

“Are you with Shane now? Hey, Shane. I’m sure you can hear this. You know, I know exactly where you live, and I bet you took her to your house. You think you’re so safe there, but you’re not safe anywhere. I can get to you if I want, and that’s exactly what I want. If it’s not me, then it’ll be Jacek. After what he did to her last time, we both know you’d rather I be the one who gets to her. I’ll make it nice and quick for you, Kaja. Or should I say, Carys?

That makes both of us go rigid. If he’s figured out my real name, then it won’t be hard for him to tie me to Mom and Dad. They’ll be the next set of targets. Maybe Bartlomiej would take them hostage, but I doubt it. I think he’d truly go for the jugular and take them out to punish me. Shane writes me another note.

I’ll tell Dillan to get them somewhere safe right now.

I nod. I watch him switch over to a group text.

Shane

Bartlomiej’s on the phone with Carrie. She called her handlers. He’s there and has their phone. He just threatened Meredith and Rhys. We need to get them out.

Seamus

I’m closest to their house. I’ll go there now. I’ll make sure they’re safe. I’ll take them to the property on Staten Island.

Relief spreads throughout me, but it’s short-lived.

“Carys, I can practically hear you breathing. I hear it’s labored. Is that because you just finished fucking Shane? Or is it fear? I think it’s the latter. I think you know he can’t protect you from me.”

Shane shakes his head and rolls his eyes to reassure me. The only person who’s going to die—the only people who’re going to die—are Bartlomiej and Jacek.

“Until later, Carys, my love.”

The venom in his voice perverts the comment, and a shiver runs through me.