Page 53 of Desecrated Reign

Suddenly, the world around me blurs, and I watch in slow fucking motion as Aodhán’s car misses the bend completely and barrels straight ahead, breaking through the crash barrier and disappearing into the thick forestry.

The echo of impacts shoots up my spine, rattling every bone in my body, and my fight or flight mode kicks in. I’m no fucking use to Saoirse if I end up eating trees with the bumper. As I approach the turn, I downshift, dropping my revs as I slow using the engine not the pedal, then reaching for my handbrake, I pull the lever. The Mustang slides into a spin, but I counter steer, keeping control as I drift to a stop at the side of the road. Within seconds, I’m bolting from the car and take off running, catapulting over what’s left of the guard-rail to get to Saoirse.

As I wade through the thick terrain, the car comes into view, and my heart plummets into my shoes. The front is totalled, the bonnet crunched against a large tree branch and the windshield shattered. Smoke plumes from the engine, billowing into the air, and the only thing I can think of is getting Saoirse the fuck out of there in case it goes up in flames.

As I race toward the rear doors, I call out her name but get no response. The erratic thumping behind my ribcage picks up pace, and the knot in my stomach coils tighter, forcing acid to burn my oesophagus. Around us, the chaos bleeds into the silence of the forest, and the deafening nothingness adds to my panic. Assessing the wreckage, I ignore Gabriel slumped against his headrest and tug the back door open. I couldn’t care less about that motherfucker in this instant—or at all for that matter. Saoirse is my only concern.

“Saoirse?” Her name rips from my throat, catching on the dry that barrels from the depths of my chest. “Baby, can you hear me?”

Chin tucked against her chest, I can’t get a good look at her from this angle, but I can clearly see the rise and fall of her breaths, and that eases some of the initial fear. If she’s breathing, she’s alive.

Unconscious, her body is a dead weight as I try to move her twisted torso from between the two front seats, but with the way she’s sprawled, I can’t. Her arms are at a precarious angle with how she’s still wrapped around Gabriel, secured by her binds, so instead of trying to lift her, I start there.

Thankfully, knowing what the day would hold, I prepared for the worst, so I snatch the pen knife from where I’d tucked it in my sock. Within seconds, I’m drawing the blade to her wrists and slipping it beneath the twine. It takes a few tries to slice through the numerous wraps, but finally, I cut through the last string. “It’s okay, love,” I say more to convince myself than her. “I’m gonna get you outta here. Hang in there for me, okay?”

From there, I push my emotions aside, ignoring the tear rolling down my cheek and focusing solely on untangling her flailing limbs. Once I have her free, I tuck my hands underneath her and carefully lift her from the car. Keeping her gathered against my chest, I ease us both onto the forest floor, and finally take my first good look at her.

There are no words to describe seeing someone you love hurt. Every fibre of my being wishes it was me who was in the car, not her, because right now, with blood trickling from her temple, her wrists swollen and abraded , and her collarbone protruding at an unnatural angle, she looks so fucking broken it shatters me.

Bringing my hand to her face, I sweep the small fringe pieces to the side. “Baby… I’m gonna need you to wake up, okay?” I drop my forehead to hers, careful not to put any pressure on her open wound. With a heavy inhale, I fill my nose with her scent, relishing in the lavender body wash she’s always used. “Can you open those amber eyes? I need to see them, love. Please show them to me.” My voice cracks as tears wet my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, mo bhanríon. I promised he’d never hurt you, and he fucking did. Never again. I swear to you, baby. He will never hurt you ever again. Déanfaidh mé cinnte de.” I’ll make sure of it.

“What was that, boy?”

My head snaps up to find the devil crawling out of hell. He’s a little busted, and he’s dragging his leg, but he’s still fucking breathing too much air for my liking. My protective instincts kick in, and I shift Saoirse to my right as I draw my gun from the belt of my tux. Within seconds, I have the barrel trained on him, and he halts, holding his palms up in surrender.

“Now, now, Rí beag. Are you really going to choose a little whore over your own father?”

“Don’t call her that,” I grit through my teeth. “And for the record, I’d choose her over everyone. Every. Single. Time.”

“Silly boy.” He reaches into the waistband of his trousers, but before he can pull his gun on me, I shoot him right in the fucking dick. He drops to his knees, wailing out in pain and flooding the forest with agony.

“That one was for Éanna.” I grit through my clenched teeth as I lower my sight to his chest, and fire off another shot. This one straight into his black heart. “That one belongs to my mam and my sister, for every time you broke their hearts.”

His body slumps forward, chest hitting the forest floor, blood bubbling past his lips. He fights against the life draining from his eyes as he lifts his gaze to mine, begging me to put him out of his misery.

“Want to know something funny, Dad,” I taunt, twisting the corners of my lips as I aim the gun between his eyes. “You thought Saoirse was my weakness. But she’s yours.” His eyes lift to the unconscious girl in my arms. “Because now you’re staring down the length of my barrel, and her face is the last thing you’ll ever see.”

I don’t hesitate. I pull the fucking trigger, blowing his skull open. “That final shot, that was for me and Saoirse, for all the mind games you played with us.”

35

SAOIRSE

My lashes flutter as I ease open my heavy lids, reluctant to expose myself to the blinding light overhead. It’s been a few hours since Rohan brought me to the hospital, and although I am exhausted—falling in and out of restless sleep—the pain searing through my shoulder keeps me from getting the rest I need.

Upon our arrival at the hospital, the doctors checked over me and ran a few tests. I have a dislocated shoulder, a few superficial bumps and bruises, a sprained wrist, and one hell of a concussion; but before they can treat me with anything more than a few painkillers, they insisted they needed the blood tests results. Routine, apparently.

While awaiting the results, they ushered us into a busy waiting area where they left me on a gurney. That was until Lorcan stepped in and demanded a room where I could rest in private. Because nothing draws attention like a banged-up bride, am I right?

Within minutes of Lorcan’s outburst, I was moved to my own room in a private ward. I don’t know how he managed to secure me a bed so quickly, but I’m guessing money talks, especially in Ireland’s best private hospital.

Feeling stiff, I shift slightly and greet the wall of muscle next to me. Blinking through the light assaulting my eyes, I tilt my chin, peeking through heavy lashes to find Rohan hasn’t moved an inch since the last time I last woke. Still propped upright against the pillows, his palm holds his sleeping head up. He’s careful not to touch me while somehow providing a safety net by curling his lean frame around mine like a shield. He hasn’t said much since I woke up with my head nestled against his chest as he carried me from the forest towards Liam’s car. Mainly because he’s been too focused on staring at me with a look of guilt that dim his green eyes.

I’ve tried to convince him he’s not to blame for his father’s actions, but for whatever reason, he’s hell-bent on carrying the weight of what happened on his shoulders, especially surrounding Aodhán’s involvement.

Trying to get comfortable with lying on my back, I scoot my bum then hiss through my teeth when a sharp pain ricochets across my shoulder and a pounding ache crawls across the backs of my eyes. My audible discomfort rouses Rohan from his nap, and his haunted eyes pop open. “Are you okay? Are you in pain? Did I hurt you?” A rapid fire of questions barrel past his lips.

Not wanting to worry him too much, I downplay the pain with a tip of my chin. “I’m fine, I promise. My head’s a little sore… my shoulder, too. But honestly, I’m fine.”

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