Page 49 of Tempting Fate

Apparently, it doesn’t sit right with many of us.

“Been talkin’ with Hades, Angelis, and Cass.” Duke lists off mine and Slash’s fathers and Brutus’ older twin brother. “We’re getting ready to hit him with a few questions.”

“Have fun with that,” I quip. “I suggest adding a tranq to his whiskey before you corner him.”

Duke snorts.

Lily starts screaming again.

Without hesitation, I lower my shoulder and charge through the hard bodies keeping me from her. Despite my order, Slash and Toker follow me. The old-timers surge forward but no one swings a punch, and I should be grateful that once I’ve knocked the first two out of the way, the rest of them move aside.

Except I’m more angry than appreciative.

They shouldn’t have stepped between us to begin with.

When I reach my bedroom door, Charlie slaps at Brutus’ chest to free herself from his constricting embrace.

“He wouldn’t let me in,” she reveals, rushing over to me.

After folding her into a hug, I pat Charlie’s back. “I know.”

“I don’t want a fight,” she whispers to me. “It’ll do Lilianna no good and only make things worse between you two.”

Her soft request sets the hair on the back of my neck on end. I shoot Brutus a look over the top of her head, and the arrogant chin lift he gives me is enough to snap my control. With gentle hands, I move Charlie over to Slash. Once she’s out of the way, I lunge for my president.

He sees me coming and takes a step forward to grab me first.

It doesn’t matter.

I’m younger.

I’m angrier.

I’ve had enough of his bullshit.

With my forearm across his throat, I pin him to the closest wall. Not one Shamrock tries to step between us. I’m not sure why, but right now, I don’t care. The chips can fall where they must after I’ve made my point.

This is between me and my father-in-law to be, not the president and his VP.

“Challengin’ me like this means war,” Brutus snarls in my face.

Using all my weight, I slam him hard against the cinder block. “Bring. It.”

“Help. Me.” The colour blanches from his face when Lily’s screams turn into shrieks filled with terror. “Zeke! Zeke! God! Slash!”

I don’t bother to attempt to decipher his strange reaction, not when my woman is calling for help. Shoving Brutus out of the way, I rail on the older brothers who stood around watching this go down without attempting to intervene. “You all needa get the fuck outta my face for the night… but let me warn you before you find somewhere to hide—if I see any y’all in the mornin’ and you don’t have an apology for my old lady on the tip of your tongue for your part in this bullshit, there’ll be hell to pay.”

“You can’t order?—”

I point a finger in Brutus’ face and the rest of his objection dies on his tongue. “I just did.”

Without waiting to see everyone’s next move, I push open my bedroom door. After kicking it shut with my heel, I toe off my boots and undress, then head for the bed where Lily is flailing about. Her shrieks have died down to sobs, but I know she’s still caught between her nightmare and consciousness. Slipping into bed, I lay on my side and pull her back to my chest. Harsh shaking racks her entire frame, and the lack of response to my touch tells me she’s more asleep than awake.

No doubt whatever Doc gave her has locked her into what she once called ‘nightmare land.’ To hear Lily tell it, it’s a state of artificial sleep where she wants to wake up to escape her memories but can’t.

She fears it more than she does her actual trauma.

I should’ve known this was a possible outcome tonight.

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