Page 29 of Bound

My tears mirror Fiona’s as I pull her into my lap. I hold her close to me, trying to comfort us both as my heart continues to pound in my chest.That voice. It sounded just like them.Unable to shake the visions of bar racing through my thoughts, I rock back and forth, repeating, “I’m so sorry, kiddo. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

A loud thud hits and vibrates the front door. I scream and clutch Fiona to my chest as it thuds again, the force so strong that it causes a picture of the boys to fall from the wall and crash against the floor. A third hit causes the wood frame to splinter, and the door violently swings inward on its hinges. Declan barrels through the open threshold, his gun drawn, with four men immediately on his heel. Terror laces his voice as he yells, “Quinn! Fiona!”

“Dec,” I sob from where I sit on the floor, shielding Fiona’s eyes.

Declan runs through the apartment and continues to shout our names. Finding us on the floor, he shoves his gun into the backof his pants and drops to his knees beside us. His arms wrap around us both, pulling us painfully tight as he plants kisses across our faces. “Thank fucking God.”

“Daidi,” Fiona cries, pulling from my hold and crawling into his arms.

“It’s okay,a stóirín.” He pulls her into his embrace. “You’re okay.”

Holding her firmly against him with one arm, he keeps the other wrapped around me. “You’re both okay,” hisfear-filled eyes meet mine. “Both my girls are okay.”

Sucking in a shaky breath, I hold his gaze and silently shake my head. I am currently very much not okay.The fear I had for myself didn’t hold a flame to how terrified I was that something would happen to Fiona.

“The building is clear, sir,” Rory announces when he barges into the room.

“I need you to stay with Quinn for amoment,astóirín.” Declan gives Fiona a squeeze and passes her back into my lap. He places a tender kiss on my forehead before pushing himself from the floor and to his feet.

He calmly crosses the room, pausing a few feet from Rory to glance back at me. While his demeanoriscalm, I’ve seen that look in his eyes before.It’s the same way he reacted years ago at the frat party.

Rage. Uncontrollable rage.

I turn Fiona’s face away from him, and I cover her ear with my palm as I press the other to my chest.

Declan glares at Rory as he closes the last couple of feet between them, fisting his shirt and driving him violently into the wall when he reaches him. Spittle sprays from Declan’smouthand over Rory’sface,as he snarls, “How the fuck this happen? How in thefuckdid they almost get to my family?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

DECLAN

Shoving my forearm into Rory’s throat, I pin him to the wall with the weight of my body. Struggling to breathe, hechokes out,“They came up the back. They took out Nolan and Sully.”

“My family!” I seethe, my body coursing with equal parts fear and rage. Balling my fist, I throw a punch into hisgut, forcing him to blow out a heavy groan. His body attempts to bend to ease the pain, only causing him to choke harder on my wedged arm still against his windpipe. “They almost got to my fucking family!”

My home is a fucking fortress. Men surround this building day and night, watching over everything.Everyone. There isn’t an inch of this place not monitored by security cameras. Making it thisfar,to my floor—tomyfront fucking door—is not something that any of my enemies should ever be able to do.

“Where the fuck were you?” I snark, pulling the gun from my waistband. I shove the muzzle under Rory’s jaw with enough anger that he winces as his head snaps upward. He’s the best man I have. He’s been with me for years, and in charge ofensuring the safety of my family since before Fiona was born. I trust him to keep them all safe when I can’t.

Trusted him.

Rory opens his mouth to explain, but he’s pinned so firmly beneath my forearm that he can barelybreathe,let alonespeak. Yet, his lack of response only fuels my ire. Grinding the muzzle into the skin under his jaw, I snarl, “Where the fuck were you? You’re supposed to fucking protect them!”

Failing me and myfamily isn’t just disappointment. It’sfuckingbetrayal. You don’t betray the Evans brothers because there is only one punishment.Death.

Flipping off the safety on my pistol, my index finger flexes against the trigger. Rorydoesn’t try to yell. There are no sobs or tearsofa man aboutto meethis maker unwillingly. Instead, hestandstall and holds my gaze, ready to receive what he knows is coming.

“Declan!” Quinn shouts from behind me. With my arm still wedged tightly against Rory and the trigger half-cocked, I turn my head. I find her standing several feet from me with Fiona protectively wrapped around her. She stares at me silently for a moment before softly pleading, “Stop.”

Her emerald eyes are unwavering, and I cannot pull away from her gaze. Staring at her, I find my heated breaths slowing to match hers as my misplaced ragebegins to subside.

“Let him go,” Quinn gently insists. “You know he’s not responsible. He would do anything to keep us safe, and you know it.”

My hands fall to my sides, pulling the gun from Rory’s jaw and my arm from his throat. He crumples to the floor, choking and desperately sucking in the air that I had been denying him. Drawing in a deep breath, he looks up from his crouched position on the floor. His eyes full of gratitude. “Thank you,” he heaves, looking at Quinn.

Stowing my gun in my waistband, I watch as Rory climbs from the floor. He swallows hard and rubs at his throat. His voiceis hoarse, but he answers my questions. “I was in the lobby, sir. You had an unexpected delivery that needed to be dealt with.”

“A delivery?” I inquire, knowing that I am not expecting any packages.

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