Page 175 of Inferno

“What?” I ask, grabbing a mug and pouring her a cup.

“She’s the one, isn’t she?”

“The one?”

She nods and takes the mug from me.

“The one who gets your blood flowing. Brings the light back in your eyes. I see past your anger, boy. Your mom and dad fought like cat and mouse at the start too, you know?”

The front door opens, and relief washes over me. My brothers can be my escape from this conversation.

“This is different. Mom never tried to kill dad.”

Her mouth makes an ‘o’ and it’s my turn to laugh.

“How many love stories start with attempted murder?” I say as a joke.

Her features soften, her eyes creasing as she looks at me.

“You never know. Fate works in mysterious ways, Declan. Keep your eyes and your heart open, you never know when it might try to kill you or give you the woman of your dreams.”

“Noted.” I hold up my mug to her and pull out my cigarettes.

“You good?” I ask a red-faced Conan.

“Are you impressed?” he replies, snatching my coffee out of my hand.

“With who? Me and Finn saved your ass.”

“I was just about to snatch her!”

Finn slips onto the barstool. Mrs. Richards pours him and me another coffee.

“Thank you,” I mouth, turning my attention back to Conan.

“Yes. I’m impressed you removed your bullets. Less so that you gave her room to try and escape. We’re under orders to keep her held here.”

“Look, I saw the marks over her wrists, and I probably didn’t do the cuffs up tight enough. I felt bad, okay?”

I tilt my head.

“See. You aren’t a monster, Con. But this time your heart was misplaced.” I keep my voice stern, but his words trigger my brain.

Those marks, her pain, it has an effect over me that I want to swallow down.

“Wait. Here?” Finn pipes up behind me.

“Yes. Here I can keep an eye on her.”

He taps his rings against his mug and I turn to him.

“Inferno is much more secure.” He arches his brow.

“We’ve all seen what she’s capable of. She’s my responsibility, she stays here.”

He nods and takes a slow sip of his coffee.

“She might kill you in your sleep.”

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