Page 113 of Ruthless Savage

Now, I know for certain Francis was the one who blew up the car and sent her that note. He will pay for it all.

My rage surges, my blood pumping loudly in my ears. “Son of a bitch!”

Mason is in with them. But how? Why? It doesn’t make sense. Why would he need money? Is it for gambling? Greed?

I need to find out everything. He’s going to squeal like a pig when I’m through. I just need someone watching Eriu while I do what must be done.

I think back on that name. Camora.

She was only one, maybe younger, when I killed her parents and left her wailing in the crib. She became orphaned, thrown into the system ’cause of me. They were the last two people I murdered for the Palmers before they killed my brother.

I’ll destroy every one of them for trying to hurt Eriu.

The time has come for me to end this once and for all.

ERIU

I stretch my limbs, yawning with the biggest grin on my face, remembering every sordid detail of last night.

There’s a throbbing between my thighs, but I enjoy every second of it, knowing why.

Rolling over, I no longer see Devlin lying beside me. His space is cold and empty. My eyes pop open, and I sit up immediately.

The clock on the wall reads seven in the morning. Where could he be this early?

As I swing my feet over, my eyes flick toward the nightstand, noticing a note there.

Picking it up, I find that it’s from Devlin.

Hey, love. I had to go to a meeting. But I’ve got Rogue watching you. Don’t go anywhere. He’s been instructed to keep watch and not to let you leave. Don’t ask me why. I’ll explain once I figure everything out. I miss you.

Devlin

He’s drawn a trinity knot after his name, like the ones I drew when I wrote him letters in prison. I clasp the note against my chest, grinning like a fool, my heart flipping in my chest. That means more to me than he realizes. And he just admitted he misses me! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was possible.

Of course, I’m gonna ignore the fact that I’m a prisoner in his beautiful apartment. But Devlin wouldn’t keep me here unless it was for my own safety.

Needing a shower, I slip out of his shirt and head for the master bath, turning on the water and getting inside, the steam coating the prickles on my arms from the chill in the air. I grab my shampoo, pour some onto my palm, and lather my strands before washing my body and rinsing off completely.

Drying off, I roll a towel around my head before throwing on one of his shirts, then using his blow-dryer to dry my hair.

Not knowing what else to do, I return to the bedroom and open some of his drawers, finding everything neatly folded. I didn’t expect Devlin to be messy. He’s one of those kinds of guys, like military types, except as far as I know he’s never been in one.

When I open another drawer, there’s a piece of paper sticking out of the corner. Being nosy, I reach inside and grab it, finding a stack of papers.

As I unfold them, I realize they’re the letters I wrote to him while he was in prison.

He kept them all. A sting creeps behind my eyes. That means so much to me.

I place them back where I found them, but when I do, I realize I missed two photos that lay hidden underneath.

I stare at a smiling Devlin, maybe twelve, with a younger version of himself. That must be his brother.

Emotions plague my vision at the thought of what he must’ve felt when he lost him.

The other photo is of a family, Devlin and his brother, and an older couple, who I presume to be his parents. They all look so happy. Devlin has his father’s face, but his mother’s eyes.

How could she give up on him? How could she throw him out the way she did? He was just a child. My heart breaks for all of them.

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