Page 34 of Conall's Reign

Conall nodded, his expression determined. “You’re my wife now, which makes you a target. Finn is one of my best. You’ll be safe with him.”

Finn stepped forward, his voice low and polite, tinged with a hint of an Irish accent. “Mrs. O’Kelly, it’s a pleasure.”

I managed a faint smile. “Thank you.”

Conall’s hand rested briefly on my lower back, guiding me out of the room. “You’re not scheduled at the hospital today,” he said as we walked. “But if you want to go anywhere, Finn will take you wherever you need to go. This is your home now, and you’re free to explore within reason.”

The phrase burdened my chest. My new reality was sinking in, piece by piece, and I wasn’t sure I liked what I heard.

But Conall? He seemed perfectly at ease, with every movement and word reminding me that this was his world. And now, whether I liked it or not, it was mine as well.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

conall

The man hunglike a rag doll, his weight pulling on the chains that bound his wrists to the hook. The bay was silent except for the faint drip of water into the drain below and Sean’s boots scuffing against the concrete floor as he paced. Blood stained the man’s shirt, and his face was swollen to the extent that one eye had completely disappeared beneath swollen, purple flesh.

He still wasn’t talking.

Sean had spent hours working on him, employing methods that were both precise and brutal. My enforcer was thorough—he knew how to keep a man alive and conscious long enough to reveal every last secret. But this bastard was either too stubborn or too stupid to break.

I stepped closer, the soles of my shoes clicking against the floor with a deliberate sound. He flinched at the noise but didn’t look my way. His head lolled forward, and blood dripped from his split lip onto the concrete.

“You’ve had a long morning,” I said, my tone calm and nearly conversational. “But I’d bet it hasn’t been as long as the one you’re about to have. Would you like me to paint a picture of what happens next if you continue testing my patience?”

His head tilted slightly, a weak gesture of defiance. “Go to hell,” he rasped, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Sean’s jaw twitched, and his fingers flexed at his sides. He lived for moments like this, but I raised a hand to stop him. It wasn’t time yet.

“See, here’s the thing,” I said, circling him slowly. “You didn’t go after just anyone. You came after her. That makes this personal.” I crouched in front of him, meeting his one good eye. “You don’t seem like a man acting alone. So, who sent you?”

He exhaled a wet, gurgling laugh, his head thrown back. “You believe you’re untouchable, O’Kelly, that you can hide her away and keep her safe. You’re a fool.”

My blood ran cold at his words, but I didn’t show it. The bastard wanted a reaction, and I wouldn’t give him one. The implication that I couldn’t protect her echoed in the bay, and even my men along the edges of the walls had heard. “Who do you work for?”I spat at him, following it with a hard blow to the back of his left ear, making his head snap and blood fly.

His lips curled into a semblance of a grin, blood smearing his teeth as his head lolled to one side. “Why don’t you ask her? Perhaps she knows why someone would come looking.”

The implication hit me like a punch to the gut, and I breathed heavily through my teeth. Four counts in… hold… and three counts out. However, Sean wasn’t as restrained. He lunged forward, gripping the man by the throat.

“You better pray he keeps holding me back,” Sean growled, his fingers tightening until the man’s face turned an alarming shade of red.“I’m going to start cutting off body parts. We’ll start with fingers and move on to other appendages.”

“Sean,” I said sharply. My enforcer hesitated but let him go, stepping back with a glare that could’ve melted steel.

The man coughed violently, blood and spit splattering the floor. He chuckled again when he finally caught his breath, though it sounded weaker this time. “You’re losing your touch, Conall. You can’t even take down one man.” I straightened, rolling my sleeves up further.

“Who sent you?” I asked again, my voice now quieter and more menacing. “The Vallones?”

That wiped the grin off his face, yet he still didn’t answer. His silence spoke volumes, though—a flicker of recognition crossed his features before he concealed it behind a sneer.

“Ah,” I said softly. “So you’re connected to the Italians after all.”

His laugh sounded hollow and strained. “Do you really think the Vallones are the only ones who hate you? Open your eyes, O’Kelly. You’ve made many enemies.”

I stepped closer, gripping his jaw firmly enough to make him wince. “You came into my city. You attacked someone under my protection. Do you really think I won’t hunt every last of you down until nothing is left?”

He didn’t answer, but I felt a slight tremor run through him. Good. Fear was a powerful motivator.

“Tell me who sent you, and I’ll make this quick,” I offered, though it was a lie. He didn’t deserve a quick death.

---