Page 39 of Destructive Truths

Confused by her abrupt reaction, I step towards her, closing the distance she wedged between us. “Talk to me, Free Bird. Please. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.”

Her eyes dart around us, flicking between the old ruins and the beautiful view before finally settling back on me. “My mam.” She swallows. “She, erm. She told me about this place. She, erm, she…”Saoirse’s shoulders shake, and discomfort creeps across her face, making me feel the unease that weighs her down. “I don’t want to be here, Liam. Can we please go?”

Her unease has the protective side of me on high alert, and I know what I need to do without hesitation. A barrage of questions threatens to slip off my tongue, but with how on edge she is, I hold them in, storing them for later when she’s not about to shut down and close me out completely.

Fuck watching the sunset. That’s not what she needs.

“Sure, darlin’. Let’s get you home.”

* * *

We arrive back at the Ryan manor, and almost an hour later, Saoirse has barely spoken a word. Instead, she’s tracing slow and lazy circles on my stomach where my T-shirt has risen. The silence between us is deafening, but I don’t want to push her by forcing her to open up. It’s clear she’s lost in her thoughts and needs a little time to process whatever is going on in her head.

So, for now, I give her what she needs—a safe place to land.

Together, we lie on Saoirse’s bed, with her tucked against my side as I hold on tight. Bringing my hand to her head, I tease my fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her. Finally, she lifts her cheek from my chest and cranes her neck. “I’m sorry for ruining your plan.”

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’. There will always be another sunset.”

A sad smile crawls across her face, and I wish I knew what’s upsetting her so I could fix it. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but when you’re ready, maybe you’ll tell me what happened to make you clam up the way you did.”

She pushes up onto her elbow, and her tongue swipes at her lower lip. “It’s not anything you did. I promise.”Her eyes close briefly as she draws in a breath. Then her focus shifts onto me. “A few days ago, when we were at the cabins, my mam told me why she ran from Killybegs.” She pauses. “Sorry, this is hard to repeat, so I’m just gonna give you the CliffsNotes.”

My hand settles beneath her jaw, and I swipe my thumb across her cheek. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

“No. I want to, Dev. You planned this romantic day for us, and I bailed. The least I can do is explain why.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I am. It’s just a little rough for me. But you have to promise you won’t tell anyone, okay? Not even Beibhinn.”

Leaning forward, I drop my lips to her forehead. “I promise, Free Bird. You’re safe with me, always.”

Saoirse swallows, nodding her head. “My mam told me that the night of her second trial, before it was set to begin, Gabriel and a few of his friends brought her to this place in the mountains and they—” Her eyes drift towards the window, but I catch a glimpse of the lone tear sliding down her cheek. “They raped her. Over and over again. Then they beat her to a pulp and left her for dead. It was there, Liam. The Hellfire Club is where they took her.”

Fuck! I always knew Gabriel was a piece of shit, but hearing what he did to Éanna makes me fucking murderous. Somehow, I push past the rage boiling like acid in my gut and concentrate all my energy on Saoirse. The last thing she needs is me flying off the handle, especially when she is so delicate. Wrapping my arms around her, I rock back and forth as she soaks my shirt with her salty tears. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I would never have taken you there if I had known. I’m sorry.”

Her chest heaves as she fights through her emotions. “’S okay.” She hiccups. “How were you to know?”

A few minutes pass, and I stay wrapped around her, giving her the comfort she needs. All the while, one question eats at me. “Saoirse?”

“Hmm?”

“Is that—” I hesitate, unsure of how to broach the subject “Did your mam— Shit.”

She must realise what I’m trying to ask because she answers for me. “No. I’m not… My mam was already pregnant with me before that night. She and Lorcan met a few months earlier. Honestly, it’s a miracle she didn’t miscarry.”

My eyes widen as I pull back. Shock ricochets through me, rattling my bones. Did she just say—? Surely not. “Lorcan’s your dad?” I can’t stop the words as they flee my mouth.

Realisation dawns on her face, raising her brow as her hand flies to her mouth. “Liam. You cannot tell anyone. Please. Nobody can know.”

Fuck, how has it taken me this long to piece that together? It makes total sense. I feel stupid for never questioning it before, but I believed him when he told me the syndicate tasked him with keeping Saoirse and her mam safe. It never even dawned on me to dive deeper. And why would I have? Lorcan is a descendant of the original High King families. What reason would he have to lie? And why would he hide her for eighteen years, like she was nothing more than a dirty secret?

Unless… “The syndicate doesn’t know he’s your father, do they?”

Saoirse shakes her head from side to side. “They can’t find out either, Dev. Dealing with Gabriel is enough. If they knew I was the heir to two quarters, the other original families would start a riot. Mam and Lorcan have done everything possible to keep anyone from finding out—including me—but now that I’m back here, it’s become harder to conceal.”

Fuck. This just got a shitload more complicated. If my dad or anyone else finds out, Saoirse’s safety would be compromised even more than it already is. The need to keep her safe overtakes every other thought I possess. Then it hits me. Saoirse needs more than me to protect her.

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