Page 111 of Black Heart

“Ye know that she loves me more, don’t ye?”

“She really does,” Finn said, appearing in the seat that Denny had vacated.

“Aye,” Declean said as he appeared, sitting on the corner of the bed. “She’s downstairs right now making him a sandwich.”

“It could be for me,” Tristan muttered, already knowing that it wasn’t.

Quinn appeared, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, shaking his head. “No, it’s for him. She’s down there cutting the crusts off his sandwich the way he likes it.”

“Actually,” Marty said, strolling into the room with two cans of soda in her hands, “she’s making it for me because the crust upsets my stomach and later tonight, she’s baking me an apple pie.”

“If ye weren’t knocked up, ye know that I’d be the favorite,” Shayne said, accepting the can of soda that Marty held out to him.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Marty said smugly, earning a smile from him as she placed the other soda on the nightstand and leaned down to kiss Tristan.

“Enough of that now,” Liam said as he appeared in the room. Connall appeared a few seconds later. “We have some things that we need to discuss.”

Marty brushed her lips against his one last time before she carefully climbed over him so that she could sit between him and Shayne. If any other man had thrown his arm around Marty’s shoulders the way that Shayne did, he probably would have killed him, but he didn’t have anything to worry about. He knew exactly how Shayne felt about Marty because he remembered everything, absolutely everything.

It was overwhelming at times to have so many memories swimming around in his head, but it was also a blessing. Now, he knew exactly how much his brothers loved him and what they’d been through for him. For the first time in his life, he felt truly whole. He had his wife, a child on the way, and he had his brothers. He didn’t know how long this would last, but he planned on enjoying it while it did.

The only thing that marred his happiness was this fucking curse. Things had changed and he didn’t know just how much or how it would affect them. He also wasn’t sure if he’d escaped the curse. Marty believed it and for now, to keep her happy, he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t think the curse was done with them yet.

“Quinn, ye need to keep watch over Shayne,” Liam announced, earning a snarl from Shayne and a shit-eating grin from Quinn.

“I don’t need a guard.”

Liam simply ignored him the way that he normally did when he wanted to piss him off, which was often. “We need to figure out why Shayne’s soulmate is trying to contact ye,” Liam said, reminding him that he had a few phone calls that he needed to return. Now that he was back on full medical, that shouldn’t be a problem, Tristan thought, biting back a sigh.

He fucking hated full medical.

“She’s a private investigator,” Tristan said, grabbing the ice pack on his shoulder and readjusting it before it could fall off. “She’s looking into a cold case for a client that I’m investigating.”

Liam nodded, looking thoughtful. “Aye, that might just work.”

“What might work?” Marty asked, snuggling into Shayne’s side since she couldn’t touch Tristan’s left shoulder or arm without him passing out. Stupid fucking infection and skull fracture, he thought bitterly as Shayne wagged his eyebrows in his direction.

“We need an excuse to get these two together,” Liam explained, doing a great job of erasing all signs of humor from Shayne’s face.

“Hell no!”

“Doesn’t she think that he’s a mental patient?” Marty asked, obviously trying not to laugh, but his brothers didn’t seem to care enough to try and hide their amusement.

“Aye,” Quinn said, chuckling. “Shayne always did have a way with the lasses.”

“I’m not doing it,” Shayne said firmly as Marty closed her eyes and yawned.

“It’s the only way we can find out how this curse is working. If ye can get the lass and break the curse on yer end, it might allow one of us the chance to do the same,” Liam said, knowing that Shayne would do anything to help them break this curse.

“I hate her,” Shayne said evenly, but not refusing, Tristan noted.

“I’m not asking ye to fall in love with the lass.”

But he was asking Shayne to make her fall in love with him. He didn’t say that and wouldn’t, not with Marty in the room. She wouldn’t like it and, if she hadn’t fallen asleep on Shayne’s shoulder, she’d probably be ripping Shayne a new one.

“Fine, I’ll do it, but as soon as this thing passes off to one of ye, I’m done with her.”

Tristan chuckled, he couldn’t help it. The idea of Shayne trying to court a woman and getting a chance at a little payback for all the bullshit that Shayne put him through over the years was just too much.

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