Page 27 of Destructive Truths

Her shoulders rise, and she draws in a deep breath before releasing it with a heavy sigh. “I want to go home. Back to the Ryan manor.”

Beibhinn’s face appears between the seats. “Huh? Why would you want to go back there after everything? It’s not safe.”

“Nowhere is,” Saoirse bites. “But I’m done hiding. Unbeknownst to me, I’ve spent my whole life running away from my mother’s past. It ends now. The Ryan manor is my home, Bev. Mine. I’m not letting some power-hungry arseholes take it away from me.”

Beibhinn flops back into her seat. “You win.”

“Beibhinn!” I argue. “She can’t go back there. We promised Lorcan we’d keep her safe. Now you want to drop her off, miles away from anything?” Taking my eyes off the road, I glance towards Saoirse. “Sorry, Free Bird, but you need to stay where we can protect you. Donnacha tried to fucking drown you. There is no way you’re going back to that house alone.”

If looks could kill, I’d be six feet below ground. Saoirse’s rage spears from her eyes and burns my skin. “Who said I’d be alone? Beibhinn is coming. Isn’t that right, Bev?”

My sister’s hyena laugh floods the cab, and then once again, she’s peeking through the two front seats. Her fingers pinch my cheek. “Yes, dear brother. She’s totally right.” Bev turns and winks at Saoirse before sliding her attention back to me. “She won’t be alone. Besides, you and I both know, out of the two of us, I’ve got the better shot.”

I mean, she’s not wrong, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. “You two will be the death of me.”

The girls share a look, one I don’t have the vagina to decipher. Finally, Beibhinn claps her hands together. “Ryan manor, here we come. But first, let’s drop the testosterone home so I can grab Tommy and the gang.”

“Who?” Saoirse cranes her neck to peer back at Beibhinn, the crease marring her brow with confusion is comical.

“The Shelby brothers,” Beibhinn adds. “Aka, my guns.”

“Ignore her. My sister has a sick obsession with Peaky Blinders.”

Saoirse flips back into her seat, and her head thumps off the headrest as a sweet, sensual laugh floods the cab. Fuck me, I could survive off that sound alone, which makes keeping her an arm’s length from my heart even more difficult.

A few minutes pass, and finally we pull up to the gate-lodge. My stomach coils with hesitation. I don’t want Saoirse to go back to that house, but I know it’s something she needs to do. Ever since she arrived in Killybegs, I’ve tried to give her the space she needs to come to terms with the life she was born into. Unlike Rohan, I haven’t pushed or pulled; instead, I’ve stood back and let her sift through the heavy shit. Maybe that’s the wrong approach, but there is something niggling inside me, telling me it’s what she needs to grow into who she will inevitably become.

After putting Beibhinn’s Defender in park, I grip the steering wheel as hesitation digs its ugly teeth into my skin, keeping me in place.

The back door opens, and Beibhinn hops out. “I’ll be right back. Let me pack a few bits.” As she passes Saoirse’s window, she shouts. “S, I’ll grab you a few things, too. You must be running out of shit to wear.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Saoirse offers with a soft, almost sad smile.

Once Beibhinn is out of sight, I click off my seat belt and turn to face Saoirse. For a second, I say nothing as I take in every curve on her face. Her amber eyes stay locked on mine, and like it or not, I lose a part of myself in their depths. I reach for her, my hand settling beneath her chin. Soft and gentle, I trace her jawline with my thumb as I tease my tongue bar between my teeth.

Her breath hitches when my cool digit caresses her bottom lip. “Are you sure this is what you want, Free Bird?”

With a slight tip of her chin, she nods. “It’s what I need. Leaning on you would make me weak. I need to learn to be strong.”

“I don’t like it, but I get it.”

Her palm covers my hand as she leans into my touch. “Thank you, Liam.”

“For what?”

“For believing in me enough to give me the space I need to navigate these waters.”

Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I allow her to see something I don’t share with anyone else. Something vulnerable, raw, and real. The old me—Devin, not Liam. Before she can crawl too deep, I barricade the walls around that dumb kid’s heart. “Strength. Loyalty. Respect.” Three words to remind myself of the task I need to stay focused on.

With a slight tilt of my head, I claim her with a kiss, moulding her mouth to mine. For a second, she hesitates, but when I brush the tip of my tongue along the seam of her lips, all the tension floats away and she leans into me, taking as much as I give. Each stroke unlocks something within me, a need to hide her away and keep her from all the madness this town thrives on. Each brush solidifies the reasoning behind all my actions… her.

I pull back, unsatisfied and craving more. A gentle whisper against her lips. “And the crown they do it for.”

Finally, I do the last thing I want to do. Reaching for the door handle, I exit the car and place all my trust in my sister, hoping like fuck she’ll keep the girl clawing at my chest safe. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Free Bird. If you need me, I’m only a phone call away.”

“Good night, Liam.”

“Night, darlin’.”

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