Page 20 of Dublin Devil

Lying in the guest room in the Quinn’s safe house, all I can think about is my father selling me to the Russians as a bonus for closing the gun deal. Does he think I’m one of his whores? Is that what he was thinking when he picked my dress last night? I thought his obsession with keeping me away from boys was a father being overly protective.

Was this his plan all along?

Using my body to broker an alliance and close a deal isn’t the part I wanted to play in the family business. I wanted to be respected and trusted with important tasks like my brothers have been since they were old enough to drink.

It’s why I’ve been studying PR for the past two years at uni. My father has a reputation for being unhinged and erratic. I intended to help with the optics of our family and swing public opinion in our favor like the Quinns do with their Quinn Laws.

Apparently, Da puts more value on my intact hymen.

Does Mam know? Is she worried because I didn’t come home from last night’s meeting? Will she stand up to Da or will she stand by his decision?

I know the sickening truth without having to ask.

Samantha McGuire is the backbone of our family organization. She’s the strategic one—not Da. If Da came to this idea of offering me to the Bratva, it likely wasn’t his idea. It could’ve been Billy’s.

In that case, maybe she didn’t know.

Da has been acting crazy for ages now. He hates the reputation of being Mad Mattie, but he’s earned it.

There are some days I swear he’s fucking nuts.

A door slams downstairs and then the murmur of male voices drifts up through the floorboards. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but by the tone and the rising volume, it doesn’t sound good.

Is Tag back? Did he come back to make sure that I’ve been sent home and realize I’m still in his house? What will he do to me? Probably carry me to the Liffey himself and toss me into the icy cold water.

What will he do to Sean for disobeying him?

WhyisSean disobeying him? I may have been raised on the south side, but everyone knows that the Quinn brothers stick together. Sean and Tag are the oldest and they are known to be really close.

Why would Sean ignore his brother’s wishes and keep me here? It’s not like I want to be here.

Well, there’s a part of me that wants to stay here a little longer, to hide from the mess I’ve made until I’m stronger, until I have a plan.

If I’m being honest with myself, I like the way Sean cares about my well-being. I know it probably has more to do withnot having another dead McGuire on their hands than actual affection, but it doesn’t feel like it.

I close my eyes and exhale. I don’t have feelings for Sean Quinn. Ican’thave feelings for him.

There is no mixing of Quinns with McGuires.

Oil and water.

Kerosine and flame.

A wild, unbridled flame with panty-dampening tattoos and a scowl that makes me want to climb him and bite that scarred lip of his.

I give myself an inward shake.

That’s not helping.

Tag wants me out of his house, and I don’t blame him. My brothers would never protect a Quinn. If they found one bleeding in the gutter, they’d shoot him and leave his body in the street to rot.

There are no McGuire Laws of conduct.

Maybe that’s the problem.

Maybe if my family had a code to live by, they’d actually have some ethics.

Knuckles tap gently on my door and Bryan sticks his head in. “Sean brought lunch. Are you feeling well enough to join us?”

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