Page 28 of The Chief
“Sentinels don’t piss without permission from their Quartermaster, so why the fuck was he here, making threats against you?”
“Grady was angry when I disappeared.”
“Why did you leave Dundalk, Jynx?” My tone was uncharacteristically soft. Compassionate.
More tears fell, and the stone wall around my heart shifted slightly. Sucking in a deep breath, her lungs stuttered out the oxygen as she said, “He used to hit me. Made me believe I forced him to do it.”
JesusfuckingChrist. Only a weak man would resort to violence to keep their woman in line. “What did Grady mean when he said you could pay him back for his silence?”
She flinched, her body recoiling, like my words were a physical blow.
“Jynx?”
She sucked in a couple of mouthfuls of air, then met my intense stare with her broken one. “He knows what I did in Dublin.”
Easing onto the bed beside her, I reached out to push some of her hair behind her ear, but hesitated and dropped my hand. Instead, I looked down at the blanket wrapped snugly around her. “What did you do in Dublin?”
She was silent for a beat, making me prompt her again. “Jynx?”
She shook her head firmly. “Grady used it to blackmail me into delivering the bullet to you.”
Whatever had happened in Dublin was off-limits for now, at least.
“Why leave it with me?”
“You’re a member of the clan.”
“No other reason? You could’ve dropped the bullet off with anyone as long as he was a clan member?” I tried to keep the offense from my voice, but the reality was, my ego had taken a hit. Of course, she gave the bullet to me. I flirted with her in that café. She flirted back, and that was her in with me, I was convenient.
Sure, she had only been an easy fuck for me at the time. A way for me to forget that the woman I loved had chosen amurderous hitman. To forget that I didn’t deserve Fallon’s kind of goodness in my life. I wasn’t sure if Orin deserved her either, but he’d won her all the same. Maybe she’d even healed him a little, too.
“I’m sorry,” Jynx said, bringing me back to reality.
Rejection stung, but being a convenience hurt more.
“Why was Grady, or whoever the fuck has the phone, sending you photos of your sister?”
“Grady said if I didn’t do what he asked, if I didn’t deliver the warning, then he would hurt my mam and sister. He already stole the cash I sent them by mail, forcing my mother to go back to prostitution. I had no choice,” she pleaded, trying to get me to understand where she was coming from—worse, I did. “Will the clan give me protection?”
I shook my head, still processing her words.
“But you promised I could see Finnan.” She clutched her phone tightly, shoving it in my face as a prop. “Don’t you see!? Whoever’s been sending me these messages isn’t done with me. My sister is still in danger.I’mstill in danger. I need clan protection!”
I ignored the way her cheeks flushed with color. How the tears she’d cried had fallen in tracks down her skin. “The only way a woman can be a part of the clan is on her back,” I said.
All the color drained from her face, as her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “But Fallon?—”
“Fallon belongs to Orin. She’s his woman. That affords hersomegrace with Finnan. He still wanted her to work at Velvet to earn her keep, even though he agreed to Orin’s demands and kept her on as a medic.”
“But I could be a medic, too. I’ve got about two more years of knowledge than her. I’d be the better choice.”
Firmly, I shook my head, anger burning in my gut. “It’s all about you, isn’t it, Jynx. You don’t give a fuck who you step onto get what you need.” And fuck yes, I was talking about myself. Fallon’s choice still fucking rankled, and my envy lingered.
Molly didn’t back down. She raised her chin, staring me dead in the eyes as she snapped, “I protect what’s mine from any and all outside threats, even if that means taking someone’s life.”
“Whose life have you taken?” I demanded, my anger seething beneath my skin. “Who have you killed to protect?” When she remained silent, I vowed I would find out. “Don’t feel like talking? Fine. I’ll drive you back to Galway.”
Her hand snapped out, her fingers wrapping tight around my forearm. “What about my sister?”
