Page 24 of Bound By Darkness

I was falling in love with her.

And now she’s gone.

Staring at nothing, I try to make sense of what I’m feeling.Weeks.It’s been weeks of waking up beside her, of letting myself believe, if only for a fleeting moment that this could be something more.

I should’ve known better.

No strings.No questions.I remind myself bitterly.That was the deal.And now, without so much as a goodbye, she’s walked out of my life.

I sink into the chair beside the window, staring out at the rain-slicked horizon as I pull the airline website up on my phone.It’s time to go home.

After I book the first available flight back to Dublin, I text Seamus.

Me:Flight info attached.I’ll be home tonight.

Seamus:I’ll be there to pick you up.

Sitting in first class, my gaze drifts out the window as the plane climbs into the sky, the Maldives shrinking beneath me.Weeks ago, this place felt like a paradise, removed from the weight of responsibility, from everything I’m supposed to be.Now, it feels like a mistake.A beautiful, dangerous mistake wrapped in fire-red hair and mesmerizing green eyes.

I’ve always been good at compartmentalizing, at shutting things out.It’s what’s kept me alive, what’s kept me in control.I try to shut her out.To focus on anything else, numbers, business, the issues I know will be waiting for me when I land, but my thoughts circle back to her every damn time.

Why did you leave me without so much as a goodbye, Eve?

I replay our last day together, the way she laughed when I pulled her into the water, the way her eyes softened when she thought I wasn’t looking.The moments were small, but they linger, taunting me.I thought I’d figured her out, at least enough to know what to expect, but she slipped away before I could hold on.

And that’s what bothers me most.I didn’t see it coming.

The cabin lights dim, and the hum of the engines fills the silence as the flight drags on.I lean my head back against the seat, clenching my jaw as I wrestle with my thoughts.

Her face is there every time I close my eyes—her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at me like she could see past the parts of me I’ve spent years burying.I told myself it was just fun, but somewhere along the way, it became something else.

You let her get too close, I think bitterly, gripping the armrest.I let myself believe, even for a second, that she was mine.

I’ve spent years knowing what people want from me—respect, fear, power.I’ve been with women before.More than I care to count.None of them ever got under my skin.None of them ever made me wonder what it would be like to stay.With her, it was different.She didn’t ask for anything, and maybe that’s why I let her in.

By the time the wheels touch down in Dublin, my body aches from sitting still for too long, and my mind feels even worse.I grab my bag, ignoring the exhaustion and the gnawing emptiness I can’t seem to shake.

Seamus is waiting for me when I step through the terminal, hands shoved in his coat pockets, his usual scowl firmly in place.The cold Dublin air smacks me in the face.It’s a far cry from the golden sun and heat I’ve been living in, but I welcome it.Maybe it will help me clear my head.

“Welcome home, boss,” he greets, falling into step beside me.

“Seamus,” I say, my voice gruff as I toss my bag into the boot and climb into the passenger’s seat.

He slides in behind the wheel, giving me a quick glance before he starts the car.“You look like hell.”

“Long flight,” I mutter, staring out the rain-streaked window.

Seamus snorts.“We’ll call it that.”He pauses as if debating something before launching into business.“The Callahan’s have been pushing again.There have been more delays at the docks, and shipments are getting flagged.I sent a few mates to remind them we’re still in charge, but it’s getting messy.Then there’s the issue with?—”

I let his voice wash over me, hearing but not listening.My mind drifts back to the villa, to the sight of the note sitting on the nightstand.To the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention like I was something more than I am.

“Eamon.”Seamus’s tone sharpens.“Are you even listening?”

“Yes,” I snap, though I know it’s a lie.

“No, you’re not,” he presses, undeterred.“I don’t know what the hell happened to you over there, but you better pull your head out of your ass before everyone starts thinking you’ve gone soft.”

“Enough, Seamus.”My voice drops, low and dangerous.

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