Page 31 of A Temptation Too Great

She shakes her head. “No, Brody. You can’t make that promise, because I’m not going to let you ship me off if you fail. This is us, fighting together.”

I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Moira, I’m not like Shane. I’ll never send you away.” I pause, then add, “Well, maybe to Da’s for a bit. But you and our baby are staying with me.”

“Together,” she says, and I nod.

“Together.”

We pull up to our house, and Da comes in with my men. I call Aidan, who heads over with Fiona so we can start working on a plan. But before we get too far, the gate guard calls in.

“Mr. Tiernan, there are several police cruisers out here with warrants.”

I look at Aidan and my da, unsure what’s going on. We can’t fight this without risking more trouble. Da’s men are still in custody, and the solicitors are trying to get them released. Maybe this is to question Moira, but the mention of warrants makes me doubt that.

“I’m calling our solicitor,” Aidan says as my phone beeps.

“Let them in,” I tell the gate guard, and answer the second call. “What’s up, Lex?”

“I need to talk to Moira. I’m on my way to you now.”

“Okay.” I hang up and head out of my home office to the family room where the girls are playing with Lorcan. “Moira, Lex is on his way. He needs to talk to you.”

“Is everything okay?” I see the worry on her face, and I don’t want to scare her. The hair on the back of my neck is rising—things just feel off. I decide to change the subject.

“Did you get some food? You need to eat.”

Fiona and Aidan found out about the baby as soon as they arrived because I was stressing about her eating and slipped up. Moira said she wanted to wait to tell everyone, but I’m done waiting.

Pounding on the door makes me turn, and the unease in my gut intensifies. I glance at Carson and Breeze. “Don’t leave her side. No matter what.”

“Wait.” Moira jumps up, but I nod at my da, who holds her in his arms.

I open the door and find an army of peelers in full gear waiting. They expect a fight. They want one, even. But I’m not giving them the satisfaction.

“Mr. Brody Tiernan, you are under arrest for the murder of Captain Barry Kelly, and for multiple counts of murder tied to the street walkers you’ve been killing over the last several years.”

“I want my solicitor present,” I say firmly.

“No! He didn’t do any of it.” Moira breaks free from my da’s hold and rushes to my side. “My father isn’t dead. I haven’t been notified.”

Aidan steps forward just as the peelers turn me around and cuff me.

I face Moira. “Baby, be careful. I love you. Protect yourselves.”

I’m ushered out the door and shoved into the back of a car. Moira is breaking down in Aidan’s and my da’s arms as she’s told her father was found dead several hours ago.

I don’t have an alibi for the time before Moira arrived at the club. Well, not one I can give them. I was committing murder, just not the one they think.

This is how he’s going to get to Moira.

She won’t have me here to protect her. I just hope my men keep their word and don’t leave her side.

Chapter Twelve

Moira

I scream and cry, my body thrashing against the hands holding me back. Brody is being framed, I know it. But I also know I’m his alibi for the last three hours. If my father was killed before that, he has none.

I finally collapse in Aidan’s arms, and he passes me to Carson, who carries me into the house as they take Brody away. I’m terrified. Once he’s behind bars, he’ll be on his own, forced to fight for himself, and that could land him in even more trouble. They didn’t waste a second to take him away the moment he asked for a solicitor.

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