Page 51 of Crimson Tears

“Cillian, I…” Panic seizes me for a moment before he wraps his arms around me.

“It’s okay, Sweetheart. I know. Don’t worry.”

I relax into his hold, his comfort making me realize just how tired I am. I don’t want to give Cillian or Boris the wrong idea, but I don’t want to be alone right now either.

“Couch?” I ask quietly.

“I’ll bring you your tea,” he says before pressing a kiss to my temple.

I head to the couch to grab blankets and curl up on my side next to Cillian. The aroma of the hot tea wafting through my senses makes my eyes feel even heavier, and after the first sip, I set it down and lay my head in Cillian’s lap.

His fingers comb through my hair, and all too soon, exhaustion takes over. Just as my eyes begin to close, I swear I hear footsteps walking away from us.

???

I slept like shite, but Cillian never left my side. I woke up once to find his head back and his breathing smoothed out. It was strange to see him so relaxed and at peace. His toned arms decorated with intricate tattoos were on full display for me to stare at.

I have no idea how long I watched him, but it felt like forever. I wanted to see every piece of art on him to try and understand him more.

The emotion emanating from him when he confessed that the neck tattoo was for me took me by surprise, but I didn’t want to say anything then. Last night, however, I got my fill of each mark visible to me.

The wings on the backs of his arms, the knife on his bicep dripping with blood, and on his forearms were familiar eyes dripping with crimson tears. All of it told a story that felt too close to home, and yet made me feel at peace.

I don’t know if I will ever be able to talk to Cillian about what happened with my sister, and I am beyond grateful he hasn’t asked. He hasn’t asked about anyone actually. Not even my father.

As I fell into a deep slumber, my head was a mess of questions. For Cillian, for Boris, and for what this day would bring.

I’m about to get up and make some coffee when the doorbell rings. Cillian sits up with a jerk and I stand, grabbing the gun from under the couch and flicking off the safety in a second.

Before we take a few steps, Boris is in the hall with his gun drawn and ready. I nod to him, setting all emotion aside. Evie isn’t supposed to be here till ten and it’s hardly past six in the morning.

Banging fists beat against the door, and a very familiar voice rings out. “Open up! We need your help.”

Damien?

I check back with Cillian and Boris before racing to the door and wrenching it open. Sure enough, Evie and her three husbands are there.

“We got news. We need to go now. Two locations. They changed the drop points. I’ve tried to call you for the past twentyminutes.” Evie’s breath rushes out of her, causing my anxiety to spike.

It’s not often she looks this wound up. My phone must have died since I didn’t have it on the charger last night.

“Here is the location,” Alexi hands me a folder. “Keep an eye out. It is as if they found a way to sense when we are coming.”

“When do we think they’re moving?” I ask, grabbing the file and flipping through it. Two trucks with shipping containers on the back are sitting outside what appears to be abandoned warehouses.

“I got heat signatures on the trucks to confirm the kids were there,” Lev says. “Twenty minutes later the driver received a call. They scrambled the lines, but it looked like the men around were already moving.”

“How far out are these?” I ask. I need to throw on some clothes, and we need to grab our gear.

“Two hours.” Damien looks at Boris. “I notified all police to ignore our vehicles. Just get there.”

“We need to go,” Evie says, already walking back to the car. “We will update you as soon as we have anything.”

I nod and rush inside, heading straight for my room as I yell at the men. “Boris, show Cillian the weapons closet. Get all three cars loaded. I’m going to get dressed and then we will head out.”

They don’t answer, so I assume they know how to follow orders. I quickly dress in a long-sleeved black shirt and some leggings along with black boots I can run well in. I have no idea what this is about to entail, so I grab my jacket and two for the boys just in case we need to settle outside at any point. The weather is nearly freezing this morning.

Removing my long-range rifle from the safe in the closet as well as my custom handgun and weapons belt, I attach everything swiftly.

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