Page 16 of My Irish Mafia King

“Killian,” she yells.

I turn, staring down at her, shocked by her expression. She looks afraid of me. She stares at me like I’ve always feared in my darkest nightmares. Like I’m a monster.

I turn back to Shane. His face is a mess, swollen and disfigured, his pained eyes visible somewhere in the carnage.

“Killian,” Lucy whispers. “What did you do?”

“I saved you,” I snarl.

“Is he dead?”

“Not yet.”

She stifles a sob. I tuck Shane’s pistol into my waistband and then lean down, grabbing his arm and hauling him to his feet. Glancing at the woman, I say, “Come with me. I’m going to get you to safety. You’re never going to see this bastard again. If you have family, I’ll make sure you’re reunited with them.”

“Ruh-really?” she whispers, looking at me like I’m a demon. Is she wrong?

“Yes. But we must go. Now.”

I drag Shane from the apartment, down the stairs, and out the back fire escape, the woman walking quickly at my side. “Walk,” I growl in Shane’s ear. “I don’t want to draw attention to us.”

That’s a misguided thing to say. Blood is pouring down his face.

In the car, I call Ronan on speaker.

“Killian?” he says, answering.

“I need a favor.”

Seven

LUCY

When I tell Toby I’m closing the bakery early, he can clearly see that something is wrong. “I heard the commotion,” he whispers. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I reply.

“Come on, Lucy?—”

“You’ll get your entire shift’s pay,” I say sternly. “Please, just leave it. This is a personal matter. After the last customer leaves, close up as normal. Okay? Can you work with that?”

Before waiting for an answer, I head back upstairs, my mind struggling to catch up with what just happened. Killian is a kind, handsome, funny, cultured, and sophisticated businessman. Killian is the bright spot that lights up my mornings. And now…

I stare down at the shattered glass from a picture frame, at the blood streaking the floor and the walls. Clover barks from the bedroom, demanding attention. My memory flashes with vivid, violent images of what just happened.

Killian was like a different person, but he saved me. Shane deserved it. But thatmuchviolence… it’s a shock to the system. It’s like I can’t process it. It was so savage. He didn’t stop, even when it was clear Shane couldn’t fight back. It’s a side of Killian I never dreamed existed.

I take a breath, trying to calm myself down. One step at a time. First, I’ll clean up the glass. Then I’ll get some warm soapy water and clean up the blood before it sets into the wallpaper and the rug. After that, I’ll hold Clover and wonder if the world will ever make sense again.

I go through the steps on autopilot. After around twenty minutes, I’m sitting on the couch with my Chihuahua. She licks my face with sweet doggy kisses, like she can sense my mood and is trying to make me feel better. I cradle her, whispering that everything’s going to be okay. No idea if I’m telling the truth.

The apartment buzzer’s makes me leap to my feet as if shocked. I didn’t know how on edge I was until I almost had a panic attack at the sound of the buzzer going off. Clutching the needy Clover to my chest, I walk to the intercom.

“Killian?” I whisper.

“I’m a friend of his,” a man says. “Ronan. I’ve known Killian since we were kids. He told me to tell you he said old Irish gods sent the rain when you were in the cave. You liked the story. You laughed about it. Does that mean anything?”

Yes, it does. I remember the tall stranger, the first grown-up man I felt like I could trust, making me giggle with his silly stories.

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