Page 105 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

“Things change,” I say. “Like you, for example. You’re alive right now, but in a minute you will be dead.”

“You don’t have the stones to take me out,” he scoffs.

“Oh, big mistake,” Cillian says, appearing at my side. “Taunting her will only make her kill you slower.”

I beam at my lover. He is not wrong. “Aww, you get me,” I purr, so turned on right now, I could cream myself.

“Nephew,” Connor says, acknowledging Cillian. “Been a while.”

“Thank fuck,” he replies. “Your face makes me want to throw up on it.”

“Oh, ouch,” Connor says as out of the corner of my eye, I see my team wrestle every other fucker out of my joint to leave Connor all alone. I also spot Maverick in a dark corner by the door. He is waiting to see if I end this. It’s fine. As long as he doesn’t interfere, he can stand there all day for all I care. “Can’t say I blame you, though. Your da was an arsehole to you, wasn’t he?”

“Don’t speak about it to me,” Cillian snarls, bringing Declan over to us.

“But it’s such fun to see you get all bent out of shape about it,” he says, his blue eyes flashing wickedly. He laughs quietly, shaking his head. “You used to think that taking his abuse protected Caoimhe, but all it did was leave the door open for me.”

There is a second, just one second where the world stands still.

“YOU FUCKER!” Declan roars, showing an emotion so deep, it shocks me.

It feels like my heart has stopped beating, that my blood has frozen in my veins. I get it now. I understand and it all makes sense.

The sound of a nose breaking makes me blink. Declan has launched himself at Connor, and smashed his fist into his uncle’s face. Then he grips him by the back of the head. He slams Connor’s face into the bar repeatedly until Cillian approaches them, and punches Connor in the back right over his kidney.

He drops like a rock with a groan through his bloodied face.

“You fucking prick!” Cillian says, kicking Connor in the ribs as Declan bends down to continue punching Connor’s face until his head lolls.

“Wait!” I shout out, getting my motion back and surging forward.

“Sorry, Ruby, but there is no way I’m not beating this utter piece of shite to death with my bare hands,” Declan growls at me in a tone so feral, I think his humanity has been lost to his fury.

“Oh, I’m not stopping you,” I say, raising my gun and aiming it at his crotch with a steady hand. “Stand back for just one second,” I say before I pull the trigger and blow his perverted dick to nothing but a bloody mush.

He howls in agony and then Maverick joins in the fight with a big, black biker boot to Connor’s face, knocking him unconscious.

But it doesn’t stop there. As I stagger back, lowering my gun and dropping to my knees, the situation becomes too much. The adrenaline stops coursing through my veins, and I crash. The tears well up and I let out an ugly sob, my hand shaking as I bring it up to my mouth. It doesn’t help.

I turn my head and retch onto the floor of the casino, the sounds of fists and steel-toed boots on flesh, driving my nausea up several notches until I empty the contents of my stomach, which admittedly is not much. I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand, smacking away the hands trying to help me.

My breath hitches and I let the tears fall freely. For Declan and Cillian, for Caoimhe, for me and for every woman, man, girl and boy who has had to deal with a trauma that broke them, even just a tiny bit.

My soul aches and my heart breaks, but I have to keep going. If I don’t, I will fall into the darkness and lose myself there and my men with it. I calm my breathing, forcing myself to stop my tears and I get steadily to my feet.

“Stop,” I say. “Get him out of here.”

Maverick bends down to haul the completely battered and bloodied body of Connor O’Leary up onto his shoulder.

He meets my gaze, a grateful look in his eyes. “Caoimhe?” I ask quietly.

“She’s my girlfriend,” he confirms quietly and leaves the casino, hopefully undetected with a dead body slung over his shoulder. The chances of that are pretty slim though.

“I’ll get this mess cleaned up,” Ramsay says as I holster my weapon and go to the twins. Both of them are covered in blood, their faces white.

“I’m sorry,” I say, knowing it means absolutely fuck all, but I have to say it anyway.

They fall on me at the same time, hugging me until I feel like my bones will break.

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