Page 57 of Monsters in the Dark

“We’ve known each other a week, Declan,” she replied seriously. “Actually, you don’t even know me, or else you’d know that the rings on my fingers are weapons, too.”

“I know enough,” I retorted, finally realizing how she’d gotten free from the goddamn basement.

“Declan,” Noah warned.

“Lochlan, you stay here until Tearney and Brody come back, and-”

“You’re seriously going to leave him here alone?” Keavy gawked.

“I feel extremely insulted right now,” Lochlan remarked absently.

“He’ll be fine,” I assured her. “He’s a Murphy.”

“Oh, well…why didn’t you just say so,” Keavy drawled out, the only thing missing was the roll of her eyes.

“Look, we need to let the police question us, then we’ll figure out the rest from there,” I told her. “I’m done discussing this with you, lass.”

“You’re going to regret this when I’m no longer suffering from a gunshot wound,” she threatened.

“Baby, the last thing that I’m ever going to regret is you,” I shot back.

Luckily, Keavy was too tired to argue any further, and two hours later, we were back at her apartment, and I was helping her pack for her stay at my place. Little did she know that I was going to have her completely out of here by the end of the month. Honestly, by the looks of the building, she was renting month-to-month, no lease to worry about, not that I couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the penalty.

After all, there was no going back now.

Chapter 34

Keavy~

We were back at Declan’s place, and even if I’d wanted to leave again, I just didn’t have the energy for that kind of adventure right now. The loss of blood had really done a number on me, and all I wanted to do was sleep for five days, though I’d take a solid ten hours at this point.

Instead, I was sitting in a bathtub full of bubbles, my shoulder protected by enough plastic wrap to outrage environmentalists everywhere. Luckily, none of my neighbors had been active this late at night, so no one had noticed my bloody shirt, and after changing my clothes, the trip to Declan’s had been one without any concerns.

“How are you feeling?”

I didn’t bother opening my eyes when I heard Declan’s voice. I also didn’t bother with lecturing him about walking in on me during my bath. After all, it wasn’t like I had anything that he hadn’t already seen before. It was also his house, so there was that.

Instead of answering him, I asked something that was none of my business, but since he kept talking like he had actual plans to marry me, I felt like I was owed an answer. “What’s going on between you and Kasen Sartori?”

“Oh, fer feck’s sakes,” he bit out.

With my eyes still closed, I said, “I heard quite a bit when Noah was advising you to get rid of me, and now I’m curious.”

I heard him sigh before he said, “There’s nothing going on between me and Kasen Sartori. I’d be a dead man if there were.”

“Then what was Noah talking about?”

“Kasen Sartori found herself in a…sticky situation, and instead of letting her husband come to her rescue, she handled business herself,” he explained. “Yeah, Nero ended up annihilating an entire syndicate to avenge her, but she hadn’t needed him to, and I respect that kind of strength. I was impressed enough to request a meeting with her, and without telling her husband, she had agreed.” Declan let out a low chuckle. “However, she had insisted on the time and place, and then she told me and Noah that if we ever contacted her again, then it better be to kill her because she didn’t have time to dick around with men that just wanted to waste her time.”

“I like her already,” I replied, meaning it.

“Mrs. Sartori and I have a mutual respect for one another, and that’s it,” he went on. “Nero doesn’t appreciate it, which is understandable, and Noah just likes to bust my nads.”

“And Nero Sartori let you live, why?”

“Because he’s indebted to his wife for the rest of his life, so knowing that it would upset her if he killed me, he’s chosen to take the high road,” he answered drolly.

“Why would it upset her?” I asked.

---