Page 13 of Destructive Truths

Using the bat for leverage, I push myself to my feet, whip my phone from my pocket, and pull up Saoirse’s number. After pressing the call button, I pace back and forth as I wait for her to pick up. Nothing. I dial twice more and still no answer. “Shit!”

“What the fuck, Liam!” Beibhinn appears out of thin fucking air and pushes past me to get to Rohan. She drops to her knees next to him before tossing a look over her shoulder. I see the cogs in her head moving as she assesses me, eyes flicking between me and the bat clutched in my left hand. “What the hell did you do?”

“Me?” Her accusation pisses me off more than it should. But after everything, I can’t really blame her for her mind going there. After all, things between Rohan and me have always been tense, and there is also the fact he stole my date right out from under me and probably fucked her seven ways to Sunday. Rohan has always loved to get under my skin, and unfortunately for me, he’s figured out Saoirse is now the best way to do it.

Her brows hike up, disappearing beneath her white mane as she tries to read my facial expressions.

“For fuck’s sake, Bev. I didn’t touch him. I found him here.”

“Well,” she demands as she interprets the disappointment on my face. “What was I supposed to think when you’re standing over him with a fucking bat?”

“Touché.”

“Who would do this to him? Sure, Gabriel has a lot of enemies, but Rohan can look after himself.”

“I don’t know, Bev. Whoever it was, they dumped him for a purpose. But, as you can see, he’s not exactly talkative right now.”

Her fingertips settle on Rohan’s neck, then once she’s finished checking him over, she tosses a look my way. “Pack your ego away and get over here. I need help to get him into the house.”

“What!” He’s not stepping foot in our lodge. She can pack him into her Defender and take him home. There’s no chance on earth I’m playing nurse to a fucking King.

“Jesus, Liam. Get the fuck over yourself. We can’t leave him out here. He’ll catch his death. He’s ice-cold as it is. Not to mention the extensive injuries. He needs help.”

Her tone is fierce, leaving zero room for any argument. With a heavy exhale, my shoulders deflate. “Fine. But I’m not babysitting his arse. I’ve got shit to do.” Like finding my raven-haired princess.

EIGHT

ROHAN

Overcome by throbbing pain I can’t pinpoint, I’m immobilised. Everything fucking hurts, right down to my marrow. My flesh stings, my bones ache, and my insides feel as though they’re alight, scorched to ashes by reckless flames. It’s a familiar feeling. My mind is awake, but I’m still floating in the blackness of a semi-conscious state.

With heavy limbs and closed eyes, I lie still, listening to my surroundings, wondering where in the fuck I am. Copper coats my mouth, leaving a horrific taste on my tongue, but as I try to dampen my lips, a groan ripples in my chest and a piercing pain clamps my jaw.

The pulsation between my ears pounds to a steady beat, distorting the surrounding voices to nothing but a dull murmur. Fucking hell! Why does it feel like a convoy of buses hit me then catapulted me into the air, only to land in a field of overgrown nettles?

The relentless throbbing continues, but the hushed voices become louder as Beibhinn rips Liam a new arsehole.

The Devereux twins.

“Pack it in, you overgrown ape. Sure, Rohan’s not your biggest fan and vice versa. But he’s still family. He needs our help.”

“Don’t pull the family card, Bev. Blood may be thicker than water, but it’s harder to swallow. He might be my cousin, but he hasn’t been family in a long fucking time.”

The feeling is mutual, cunt!

“When did you turn into a hate-filled bastard? You should know better than anyone. We are not all products of our surnames. Yes, Rohan is a King, but he has Brady blood in his veins, just like you and I.”

“Mam hasn’t spoken to her sister in years, and if Rohan were worthy of saving, Elouise would have taken him with her when she ran.” Low blow, Liam. Then again, you always were beneath me. “We both know Rohan’s cut from the same cloth as his old man. So, excuse fucking me if I don’t want to nurse baby Cain back to life.” Well, that’s just insulting. I’m nothing like that devious prick.

“Fine, do whatever you want. But good luck finding Saoirse without him. Considering he was the last one with her.”

Saoirse. Fuck. I need to get to her.

My thunderous roar vibrates through me, gathering in my chest and ricocheting against my windpipe. But unfortunately, the fierceness of the cry dies as it pushes past my lips, filling the air with nothing but a disgruntled, pain-filled groan.

My eyes peel open—slightly—giving way to a blurry blonde. “Rohan.” Beibhinn drops next to me. “Can you hear me?”

Clenching my stomach muscles, I attempt to lift myself into a sitting position, but a sharp pain shoots across my rib cage, forcing me to lie back down. “Fuck.”

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