“I’d kill you for Brody if you did that,” Carson says with a bite in his voice. “I know what it’s like to lose the love of your life and future.” The guys all look at him in shock.
When he leans against the counter next to me, I reach for his hand and squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. Doesn’t mean the pain isn’t still there. It’s just not as bad as when it happened.”
“I’m still sorry for your loss.”
He nods and then folds his arms over his massive chest.
I listen for a bit but feel my eyes growing heavy. Before I know it, I’m being carried upstairs to our room and laid on the bed. I drift in and out, worried about Brody, until I hear the doorbell ringing.
I slip out of bed and make my way to the water closet, then to the dressing room where I change into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Quietly, I head to the stairwell to overhear who’s at the door.
“I’m here to take Ms. Kelly in. She’s being requested for questioning.”
“No,” Carson says firmly.
“I can get a warrant if I must,” the peeler responds.
A warrant for what?
“Is she under arrest for something?” Aidan asks.
I come down the stairs and see Niall on his phone. I’m sure he’s calling the solicitor who’s supposed to be helping Brody.
“She’s not leaving here. If you want to question her, you can wait for her solicitor, then ask her whatever you want,” Niall says as soon as he gets off the phone.
“I’m not leaving without her,” the peeler says. I recognize him. He’s friends with Eoin. “I’m staying here until the solicitor arrives.”
“Then you’ll wait in your car.” Aidan opens the door and directs him out.
The peeler turns to look at me. “If you try to escape, I will arrest you. You’re being questioned regarding your father’s death now too. Your shag buddy threw you under the bus.”
As soon as the door closes, Niall is at my side.
“He would never.”
I look up at him, then over at the other brothers and men in the room. “I know that. He was just trying to get a reaction out of me. It’s not going to work. I know where Brody was. Neither of us did it.”
“Good girl.” Niall wraps an arm around my shoulders as he leads me to the kitchen and directs me to sit.
Fiona is cooking, and the food smells good. My stomach growls. After throwing up everything earlier, I’m starving.
I look out the window and realize it’s almost a new day. Brody still isn’t here. The sun, far off on the horizon, is getting ready to rise.
Brody
* * *
They’ve been questioning me for hours, but my solicitor and I mostly sit in silence. Eoin isn’t here, and I wonder if he’s watching me from behind the glass. One of the peeler’s mobiles vibrates, and he glances at it before turning toward the window and shaking his head. Yep, the arsehole is back there.
The peeler turns back around. “Mr. Tiernan, are you covering for Ms. Kelly? Because we’ve been made aware she doesn’t have an alibi for the time of her father’s murder. Maybe she killed him so she could be with you. Do you require an initiation? Maybe that’s what it was.” He pauses, watching me as my jaw locks. I grind my teeth, itching to tell this arsehole where he can go.
“Well?” the other officer asks.
I glance at my solicitor, who just nods.
“That line of questioning is just trying to get a rise out of my client. If you’re done, we’re leaving.”