Page 106 of Forbidden Bond

A man of few words. She followed him down the stairs and round into the playroom. Without turning on the light, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through a door to the left. Then they were going down. Huh, so quick welcome to the basement stairs. At the bottom, there was another door, and a turn.

“What’s going on?” Her heart pounded. “What happened? Is someone hurt? Where’s Conn?”

“Taking care of business.”

Niall opened another door and shoved her into light. The glow burned her eyes, as she shielded them, a door closed, the one behind her.

“What the…?”

“We’re here.”

“We?”

Was that Strat? Yes, he put her in a car, drove up a ramp, and then they were out, on the road.

“What’s going on?”

“Incursion,” Strat said.

“What does that mean? What incursion? I don’t—what the hell is going on?”

“Heard we’re breaking up,” her friend said.

Wait, did he mean…? How could he possibly know about that already?

“We’re not breaking up,” she said, “I’m giving you back your life. Go back, what do you mean incursion? Who’s incurring?”

That didn’t even make sense. Nothing did. She’d been lying with her man, warm, sleeping, comfortable, and now she was out in the night. Her head couldn’t catch up.

“Byrnes,” Strat said.

And, shit, if that didn’t put the danger into immediate perspective. “Oh my God, Madison! They’ve come for her, haven’t they? They want her back! If they get her…” Would they snatch the woman and run, or stick around to dish out a little payback? “This isn’t good. This is bad. Really bad. Really, really bad.”

She’d been obsessed with her choices hurting the people she loved, now she didn’t even have a chance to speak to Conn, to find out his plan.

“Byrnes can want, they won’t get,” Strat said, shifting his hands on the wheel. “Shit, did I sound like a McDade there? Better turn that dial if I’m out on the street in the morning. Bet the Gambattos have a few want ads in the paper. Think Ire’ll write me a reference?”

Could there be a crappier time for this to happen? What made it worse? He wasn’t even mad. He wasn’t sad or bitter or spiteful, there was a blade of anger, one sliver, but it was matter of fact.

“No one was ever throwing you in the street. I love you; I’d do anything for you. I want you safe, to have the life you want, and this isn’t it. You chose to leave this life already. You’re my friend, my best friend, and you only got into protecting me because I took you to Conn, I put you in front of him. I need tofix this for you. I have the ability to do it, Conn trusts me on this. No penalty, you get away clean.”

“Know why Ire trusts me to guard you? Me? The old, fucking, washed up has-been?” She tsked at him. They might tease, but he was worth any other two men, three, sometimes four, depending on the guys. “Do you?”

“Because you love me.”

“That’s damn right. Irish doesn’t have to tell me to protect you, it’s automatic. He doesn’t have to train me how to fight or warn me to get in front of any bullet meant for you. Why? Because you’re my girl, you’re not a daughter, you’re not a child, you’re smart, capable. When you’re not griping and you’re thinking straight, we make a helluva team. Quit trying to make everyone’s choices for them. Live your life, not mine.”

“My brother hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“And he’s right. He should hate me. Every person I love has been touched by my decision to be with Conn.”

“Immie’s decision to be with the cop influenced my relationship with her. Jagg, the same. Just like me and Bette’s choice to break up influenced Ford and Im. We’re a part of each other’s lives, we’re family.”

“Strat—”

“The day I came to Stag with you, when you were in trouble, I chose to be there. You said it would out us and I walked in anyway. Remember that? ‘Cause I fucking do. I made that choice.Imade it. I’m not ashamed of you. You ashamed of me?”

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