Page 48 of Creatures in the Night

“I’m sorry? My responsibilities?”

“Your purse, lass,” he clarified. “Kevin was able to cancel all your cards and get you a new license issued.”

“How did he manage to do that?” I asked warily.

“He’s very resourceful,” he answered evenly. “Plus, it only takes a woman’s voice on the other end to sound convincing.” Lochlan shrugged like it was no big deal. “Your new license, social security card, and credit cards will also arrive with your new last name.”

“That wasn’t necessary,” I mumbled.

“Tell that to my brother,” he snorted as he re-bandaged my arm. “Considering that he took care of all the paperwork on his end days ago, it was time to finally bring you onboard.”

My brows furrowed. “Paperwork?”

“There’s no prenup, lass,” Noah said. “My will has been updated, and everything is being processed to add you to my bank accounts and deeds to whatever I own.”

“Have you lost your mind?” I gawked. “I don’t even want to be married to you.”

“Look, we didn’t drive up here to hear you tell us how much you want to divorce my cousin,” Declan said before Noah could lose his shit on me again. “We already know that and don’t necessarily blame you. However, you’re going to have to table your marital issues in favor of telling us what happened with the shooting, lass.”

“I already told Noah what happened,” I replied stubbornly.

Instead of getting irritated with me, Declan sat down on the couch next to me, Lochlan still on the other side of me, examining my head. “I know you did. Still, lots of shit can get lost during the translation, so I’d like to hear it from you.”

Once Lochlan had finished checking on the stitches in my head, I let out a deep breath, then told The O’Brien exactly what I’d told Noah. I did my best to recite the telling with the same details and my same suspicions. I didn’t sugarcoat it or let Noah believe that we were all good just because of what we’d done earlier. I could admit to my body wanting him, but that was as far as I was going to take it right now. I also hadn’t lied about believing that Declan had also been in on it the entire time.

When I was done, Declan’s blue eyes took on a serious glint, and I could see where I had probably crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. It was one thing to insult Noah, but it was quite another to call Declan O’Brien a murderer to his face. I’d gotten brave because Noah had been treating me with kid gloves, and I was probably going to have to pay the price for that now.

Still, I didn’t regret it.

If I was going to die, then I was going to do it standing on my feet.

Finally, Declan said, “Lass, even though I have four brothers of my own, and even though Noah has Aran and Lochlan, no one knows my cousin better than I do, and the truth could be said of him. Noah and I grew up together, and we’d done it with the understanding that we were next in line to lead this family, so that placed us apart from the other Murphys and O’Briens in the family.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I just said, “Okay.”

Declan’s face softened a bit. “I tell you that to say that I knew what I was doing when I chose you to marry Noah,” he said. “Though the situation that your parents found themselves in was unfortunate yet beneficial, I did my homework well before proposing the arrangement to Noah. I knew that he’d fall in love with you once he spent enough time with you, and because of that, I can tell you with absolute certainty that he isn’t the one behind your shooting.”

“I’d be a fool to believe you,” I replied truthfully, proud that my voice sounded strong.

“Yes, you would be,” he agreed with a small smile playing on his lips. “However, it’s the truth. We also aren’t ones to murder our wives, lass. That’s not how being married to an O’Brien or Murphy works.”

“I’d be a fool to believe you,” I repeated.

Declan cocked his head to the side. “And what would it take to make you believe me?”

“Make Noah grant me a divorce,” I answered automatically, even if I wasn’t so sure of what I wanted anymore.

“That’s not happening,” Noah bit out as Lochlan let out a low whistle, scooting away from me.

“Is there something else that can convince you, lass?” Declan asked evenly.

I shook my head. “I just want my life back, and that’s impossible if I stay married to Noah.”

Declan’s blue eyes slid Noah’s way. “What do you want to do?”

“Take care of business” Noah answered. “If she wants to spend her days wishing for a divorce that she’s never going to get, then let her.”

For some reason, I felt his words like a thump in my chest. He sounded like he was giving up on me, and I hadn’t been prepared for the feeling of that. I hadn’t been prepared to feel anything other than elation at the prospect of freedom, though that wasn’t exactly what he was giving me, right? Noah refused to set me free, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he wouldn’t be done with me at some point.

---