Page 94 of The Chief
“How did he know your mother?”
“He used to be one of her johns, when they were both younger, I suppose. But he claimed she was now his business partner. She ran his brothels, and in exchange, Owen got me.”
“Your own mother sold you?”
She shrugged, then the reality of the news hit her. She blinked up at me with anguish on her face. “My own mother sold me.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her close, tucking her head under my chin. “She doesn’t deserve you, Molly.”
“I know, I’m not upset for me. I saw her spiral after my father’s death. She’d turned to drugs to numb the pain, but the habit cost her more than money. It cost her me.”
“What do you mean?”
“She knew what Brian was doing to me and didn’t give a fuck. She said it was a life lesson I had to learn.”
My anger seethed beneath my skin. Killing women wasn’t my thing, but for Molly, I would make an exception. My jaw was clenched so tight my head ached. “She said that?”
Molly let out a humorless laugh. “So it’s not so hard to believe she’d sell me, is it?”
“I would kill her for you. If you asked, I’d do it.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But despite her shortcomings and failing me … I don’t think Orla believed Owen when he told us our mam had organized the kidnappings. She still thinks she’s a good woman.”
I went to cup her face but growled when the thick bandages around my hands stopped me. Not giving a shit, I pulled the metal clasp off and unraveled the bandage from my least damaged hand. Molly cupped my hand to her face, staring at me like I was her life raft in a sea of grief and deception. “Just say the word, Jynx, and she’s dead.”
“Is that your solution to everything?” she asked, her blue eyes darting between my own. “To kill it?”
Shrugging, I explained, “It’s the life I’ve led. What I’ve learned.” Leaning forward, I claimed her mouth in a searing kiss that felt like a vow. I wanted her to know I would burn down the world for her, and viciously murderanyonewho sought to hurt her. In fact, her mother might come by an accident if I heard one more thing about her actions against my woman.
I let my hand drop, skimming the side of her breast over her clothing, and smiling at her sharp intake of breath. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”
She looked down like she’d forgotten what we were doing in here. Slowly, on account of one broken hand and one mangled one, I tugged the hoodie over her head, letting it drop to the tiles beneath us. She shimmied out of her jeans and underwear, leaving her only in her bra.
I cupped her breast, feeling her nipple bead against my palm. Deep in her throat, she made a small whimpering sound. Lowering my head, I took that sensitive bud between my teeth through the lace, biting down.
She hissed, her hands coming to rest against my shoulders. I wanted to feel her fingers tugging my hair when I ate her pussy, but I didn’t want her in pain.
“Like that, baby?”
“You know I do.”
With a wicked grin, I shifted to her other breast, nibbling her nipple into a firm peak.
“Your body is so responsive to me, Jynx.” I placed one more open-mouthed kiss against her breast, then motioned for her to lose the bra. Reaching behind her back, Molly unclasped it and dragged the straps down her shoulders, but kept the cups over those nipples, hiding them from my view.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy now,” I teased.
“No, but I wanted to ask you something before we got distracted.”
I toyed with one of the straps, dragging it past her elbow and revealing more of the top of her breast. “You can ask me anything.”
With just the tip of her finger, she drew circles against my pec. My nipples hardened under her touch, and she dipped lower to scrape her nail against the peaked flesh. A hiss escaped me, telling her everything she needed to know. That she had complete control over me.
“In Finnan’s office before, when he asked about Fallon, and you said…”
Grabbing a clean face washer from the small pile beside the sink, I turned on the faucet and waited for the water to heat. “I said she was nothing to me, and I meant it Jynx.”
Peering up at me, she asked, “Just like that?”
