揑 know,?she whispers. 揘ow, are we sleeping out here under the stars tonight then, or are you going to take me to bed??
My cock twitches at the way she says that and I抦 grateful for the distraction. But she yawns as she nestles her head against my chest and I remember it抯 the middle of the night and she has been through so much in the past thirty-six hours.
揥e抣l stay here a little longer.?I dust my lips over her hair and she sighs contentedly.
揙kay, but I might fall asleep right here.?
揟hen I抣l carry you to bed if you do, sweetheart. And to address your earlier question, seeing you with my brothers still makes me as hard as iron and I still want to fuck you as much as I always have.?I kiss her again and pull the blanket all the way over her as I wrap my arms tighter around her body.
揇evil,?she chuckles softly and the sound makes me smile.
Half an hour later she is fast asleep in my arms as I carry her to my bed. Crawling in beside her, I pull her to me and she mumbles my name.
揑t抯 okay, sweetheart. Go back to sleep,?I whisper in her ear and she smiles sleepily as she wraps an arm around my neck.
We lie in the darkness. I listen to her soft, steady breathing as her heart beats against my own and I have never felt more at peace in my entire life. I only wish that it could last. But my uncle is still out there and I know there will be no lasting peace for any of us until he takes his last breath.
Chapter 32
Jessie
I watch my four handsome men eating their breakfasts and my heart flutters in my chest. How is it that one person gets to be lucky enough to deserve the four of them? I swear one day I抦 going to wake up and this will all be a dream that I抳e concocted in order to survive my time with the Wolf. Perhaps one day I抣l wake up and still be in his fortress in the hills.
Thoughts of Paul Ryan make my heart flutter for an entirely different reason and I know it抯 only a matter of time before he makes his move. I have no idea when or where, but the one thing I am sure about is that we need to act first.
揥hen is the funeral??Mikey asks, snapping me from my own thoughts and reminding me why Shane and I came to Ireland in the first place.
揥ednesday,?Shane replies before taking a gulp of his coffee.
揝o only four more days before we can go home??Liam adds.
揧ep,?Shane nods his head.
揌ome??I interrupt them.
揧es,?Conor frowns at me.
揃ut we can抰 go back to New York while Paul is still here.?
揥e抳e got more resources in New York,?Shane says as he places his mug on the table.
揧eah. We抮e kind of sitting ducks here,?Mikey says, earning him a withering glance from Conor and Shane. As though I didn抰 already know that. It抯 been three days since they rescued me from the Wolf and during that time they have been incredibly attentive and loving, doing their best to distract me from the fact that their uncle is out there somewhere waiting to pick me off.
揑 agree, which is why I think we need to find him before he finds me.?
揥e抮e trying to find him, sweetheart, believe me, but it抯 not that easy.?
揑 know that. Unfortunately, he won抰 be found unless he wants to be and I can抰 sit around waiting for that to happen,?I say and the anxiety that is building in the pit of my stomach makes my voice go up at least a few octaves.
揘one of us want that to happen, Angel,?Conor says as he places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
揝o we only have one choice then,?I swallow hard because I know they are not going to like this suggestion.
Shane narrows his eyes at me. 揂nd what抯 that??
揑 reach out to him厰
揊uck no!?Conor snarls.
揘ot a fucking chance in hell,?Shane agrees while Mikey and Liam scowl and me and nod their agreement.
揑t抯 the only way.?
揑t抯 not happening, Red,?Mikey snaps and my heart sinks, because I thought at least he and Liam might hear me out.
揃ut there抯 no other way to draw him out. If we don抰 do this now then who knows when we might get the chance again? I can抰 go through my life wondering when he抯 going to come for me.?
揌e will never lay another hand on you, Jessie!?Liam frowns at me.
I only wish I could believe that. 揚lease just hear me out??I plead but I am met with four serious faces.
揂nything could happen to you, Jessie,?Conor snaps.
揧ou are not putting yourself at risk like that,?Shane adds and it is clear that the subject is no longer up for discussion. I lean back in my chair and glare at the four of them. I could continue arguing with them but I know there is no point. They have made it abundantly clear that they抮e not interested in what I have to say, despite the fact this is my life we抮e talking about. I blink back the tears. I know it抯 coming from a place of love, but they don抰 understand how it feels to live a life in constant fear.
揧ou think he抣l go to the funeral??Liam asks.
揘ot if he has an ounce of sense,?Shane snaps.
揑 think we should all go,?Conor adds.
揂ll??Mikey frowns at him.
揥e抮e here now,?Conor replies with a shrug. 揥e can抰 let Shane and Jessie go on their own and I抦 happy for the opportunity to spit on his grave.?
揧ou still want to go, Jessie??Shane asks.
揙h, so my opinion counts now, does it??I snap.
Shane stands quickly and pushes his chair back, making me jump. He leans his face close to mine. 揇on抰，？he snarls and then he walks out of the room leaving his three brothers looking at me like I just poked the bear.
I know what I have to do, whether they are on board or not.
揝orry,?I say quietly to them and Conor wraps an arm around me.
揟here is no way we could let you put yourself in danger like that, Angel,?he says softly.
揑 know.?
I lie in bed, sandwiched between my sleeping giants, Liam and Mikey. This is my safe place. I feel so protected and content when I am with the brothers. The deep ache in my chest almost takes my breath away, because I know this cannot last. Paul Ryan is out there. He has been watching me for who knows how long. He will always be watching. Waiting to make his move. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And next time, he won抰 make a single mistake.
I blink away a tear and it rolls down my cheek. I can抰 go on living the rest of my life wondering when he is going to take me. I can抰 continue living in my past. I will not spend another day being afraid. Paul Ryan has taken enough of my life away from me. He has my past, but he won抰 have my future. I know without a doubt that the brothers won抰 change their minds and consider my plan to lure their uncle back to me while we still have a chance. I know he抯 still in Ireland. I feel him. I抦 as connected to him as I am to his nephews now.
I untangle myself from Mikey抯 arm and slip quietly out of the bed. He groans and rolls over and I freeze. 揜ed!?he mumbles, but then he drifts back to sleep.
I pull on my clothes and sneakers. This has to end tonight. It is the only way for me to be free. When the Wolf found me at the hotel, I was unprepared. I was paralyzed with fear. But now I know who he is. He抯 just a man. Paul Ryan is no longer an elusive phantom who plagues my nightmares, but a living, breathing human being.
I take the Glock from the nightstand and then with a final look at Liam and Mikey, I sneak out of the bedroom. They will wake shortly and notice I抦 gone, I have no doubt. In fact, I抦 kind of counting on it. I have no desire to do this alone.
I grab the keys to the Land Rover and take the red lipstick from my purse before scrawling a note on the window beside the front door. It抯 time to take control of my own destiny.