Page 17 of Lorcan

“You deserve to know,” she said. “Now you know why I have to leave before they find me here. They’ll bring so much shit to this place, and you don’t deserve that.”

Confusion replaced the panic, and I slowly came to the realization that she had run from them. She was hiding from her own family.

I took her hand. “You can trust me. I can help you find somewhere to go. I’ve got contacts everywhere.”

“It would be best if I just ran,” she said, that sad smile making its way to her face again. “But thank you for the offer.”

“Why are you running from them?” I asked her, curiosity getting the better of me.

“They’re monsters.”

Immediately, I felt something stir inside of me, and I knew there was no way I could let this girl go. She was hiding from her own family, and they were meant to be the ones who helped you. Blood was always thicker than water.

“I should get packed,” she said, pushing up onto her feet. I shot to my feet quickly to help her. My rough thumb grazed over the back of her hand, feeling the soft skin there and wondering just how anybody could hurt this woman.

She gazed up into my eyes, those blue eyes searching mine for something…a reason as to why I was keeping her here, maybe.

“I think you should stay with Teeghan and Sloane,” I found myself saying without realising why.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, but I know you need to be safe and they know how to be safe. We’ll have to send them away soon and I think you should go with them.”

“I barely know them, Lorcan.”

“Ireland isn’t going to be safe for a while, Bridget.”

“What’s going on?” she asked. I saw her breath hitch as she asked, and her eyes were darker blue now, searching mine for an answer. She was scared.

“Our enemies are closing in, and those who I once thought were allies, are coming for what’s mine. There are only a few I trust, and one of them is going to take you girls back to his mansion and keep you safe.”

“How is leaving going to be safer?” she asked me. I wish I had the answer, because it scared the shit out of me that we were leaving the girls in a foreign country with no one to keep them safe but I knew Saverio would never betray me.

“I know this is a lot to ask, but you must trust me.”

I cupped the side of her face and pulled her face up to mine, claiming her lips softly. She tasted like strawberries and it almost undid me right here, right then. Finally, I found the will to pull away.

“Damn you,” she muttered softly, her breathy voice doing things to my crotch that I needed to get a handle on and quick. “That’s just playing dirty.”

“Only way I know how to, love.”

I pulled away, feeling the loss of her warmth immediately, before I took her right here on the deck, backing away to a safe distance. My cock aching in my pants.

“I’ll organise it now, and I’ll see you in your room later.”

I didn’t give her a chance to argue before I disappeared into the house, trying to shake free the ache deep inside of me.

This was for the best.

I needed my wits about me and knowing she and the girls were safe was the only way.

Bridget

The nerve of him to kiss me like that and pretend like I’m just going to fall in line. Lorcan O’Farrell may be the ultimate man I’ve tried to manifest my entire life, but he will not boss me about. I stormed up the stairs, running to my room and started to pack the clothes into my backpack before I lost all sight of what my goal was - to escape.

I ran about the room in a flurry of movement to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Of course, because I was in a mild panic, I needed to pee.

Goddamn this nervous bladder.

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