Page 55 of Until Ireland

“Holy fuck.” Ireland pressed her palm to her forehead and stared at the kitchen counter. “Holy fuck.”

“I’m guessing those are good holy fucks?” I pried, trying to read her emotions.

She nodded then jumped into my arms for a kiss. “Very good.” Relief filled me. She peered up at me. “Thank you, Mack.”

I pressed me forehead to hers. “You never have to thank me for taking care of you, cupcake. It’s my pleasure.”

A sneaky twinkle sparked to life in her emerald eyes. “Prove it.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” I said as I carried her back to our room.

Chapter Eleven

Ireland

“Surprised Mackfinally let you out of the house, let alone allowed you to come to work,” Hunter teased as I strolled into the garage two days after we took the hit to our business.

I’d made the choice this morning. I could no longer hide out at Mack’s ranch house. Not when my brothers were here dealing with whatever fallout we’d gotten for housing a stolen car. “It wasn’t an easy argument to win.” I shrugged before dropping my bag on the countertop where we checked customers in. “If you want to get technical, it was our first official fight as a couple.”

Mack had raised some good points, but I wasn’t going to run and hide. I was done with both. So, I did what I should’ve a year ago. I stood my ground. Besides, Mack was returning to work today, so why shouldn’t I?

“I bet.” Hunter smirked.

Arguing with me wasn’t always pretty because, duh…I had a temper.

My eldest brother had kept in constant contact with Mack over the last two days. To say Hunter worried about me was an understatement. He’d been my rock when the shit had gone south last year. And, although I hated to admit it, I’d shut down on the situation because in my mind, I was weak. Edgar’s abuse had done something to me. His actions had broken me in a way I couldn’t explain. Healing from the damage left me jaded and a bit more standoffish too.

Hunter told me it was because I’d always seen myself as this force of nature, nothing or nobody had ever been able to stop. Edgar had when he put his hands on me. It made me realize I wasn’t the Billy Badass I believed I was. My stomach churned, flipping and turning like it always did when I thought about how I suffered because of Edgar. Mack now knew everything since Hunter couldn’t keep his trap shut. He had zero issues telling Mack all the nitty-gritty details I’d glazed over when I told him then Cobi about my experience with Lux and the owner.

Which reminded me. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, big brother of mine.”

“Me?” Hunter paused in his typing to lay his hand on his chest as if an innocent bystander. “What the fuck did I do?”

“All the calls with Mack.” I held up my index finger. “What are you two? Best buddies? I didn’t need you saying shit to Mack about Edgar. You even blabbed about my bike being stolen. I didn’t give you permission to say shit to anyone.” I gave him the stink eye. “Asshole.”

Hunter snorted. “Color me surprised you hadn’t told him.” He pointed at me. “You were wrong not to explain what was happening to him, and you know it. So, you better think hard if you want to continue down this road.”

I rolled my eyes, not willing to give in that easily. Instead, I quickly changed the subject. “How’s business been?”

“Steady,” Hunter said as he clicked through the ordering program. He didn’t look as stressed as he did the other day. In my mind, that was a good sign. “It’s not like we knowingly took in a stolen car, Ire.”

“I know but—” Small towns could be odd in how they dealt with things like this. From what I’d learned from the people and area over the last year, I’d hoped and prayed they wouldn’t ostracize us before realizing what had happened wasn’t our fault.

“Also, we reported it the second we noticed the problem.” He paused, looking at the screen in frustration. Hunter needed glasses when working on the computer but damned if he wore them, claiming they made him look nerdy. As if a pair of glasses could do that to my brother. “Besides, Cobi seems like a decent guy. I highly doubt he’s going to be airing our dirty laundry to the townsfolk.”

I nodded in agreement. Mack had assured me of the same.

“Listen.” I leaned on the counter, eyeing my brother up. “Do you happen to know if Mack saw those pictures you took of me after everything with Edgar?”

Hunter stopped typing and looked at me. “Not from me. I sent them directly to Cobi. Matter of fact, when Cobi was asking me about them, Mack hung back, giving us time to talk. Why?”

I shrugged. “It’s embarrassing.”

Hunter pushed the chair back, placed his elbows on the counter, and stared at me for so long it made me nervous. “Yeah, it sure as shit is. But not for you, Ire. Those bruises are a stain on Edgar. Not you. Told you the same the night it happened.”

“Yeah, you did. Still…” I left the rest of what I was going to say unsaid. Hunter had been the one I’d run to after Edgar had laid his hands on me. Truth be told, it could’ve been worse. Much, much worse. Edgar had threatened me with other horrors, and I never told Hunter, nor Mack, or Cobi. I’d worked hard to put the shit with Edgar behind me, and I hoped I was stronger for it. But finding out Mack had purchased the Aston from Lux had thrown me back into the dark. Thanks to Mack, I’d come to see the light, though I was carrying around my guilt.

Lux, specifically Edgar, was still in deep and selling stolen cars. It was not okay, and I was planning on doing something about it. Not that I was going to tell my brother or my overprotective Alpha boyfriend. Both of them would lose their ever-loving minds.

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