Page 11 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

He laughs. “Been cooking for myself since I was thirteen. Pretty sure I know my way around the kitchen.”

“Yeah,” I say and then take the plunge, needing to say my piece after what Linda told me earlier. “I heard about your mum.”

He freezes for a moment, but then continues chopping. “Oh? Linda tell you?”

“Yep. You know our mum knows everything and everyone back in the old neighborhood.”

He nods slowly but keeps chopping. “Hmm.”

“Are you going to see her?”

“Nope.”

Chop. Chop. CHOP!

“Easy tiger. I’m just asking.” I hold my hands up.

“She can die alone for all I care,” he spits out. “I hope she fucking does. Cunt.”

I raise an eyebrow, but don’t say a word. I know the shit he went through with her. Alcohol and drugs, cheap prostitution to bring money in for more drugs and booze. Not a way for any child to grow up.

“No more said,” I murmur.

“Thanks,” he says and goes back to his soup making.

“Everything okay in here?” Declan asks, sauntering in all cool and whatnot. I see what Ruby likes about him. His job is just icing on the cake for her. She gets off on the thrill.

“Yep,” I say and take a sip from my mug. “Listen. I need to know what you did to that arsehole,” I growl.

“Did you make him suffer?” Ramsey asks, stabbing the knife into the chopping board as he fixes Declan with a fierce glare.

“Not nearly enough,” he replies and heads for the coffee pot that someone remembered to put on earlier. Probably David.

“Details,” I say.

“I shot out both of his kneecaps and then blew his head off before I set his dead body on fire. I also burned Boomer’s body. That reminds me…” He disappears into the utility room and comes out with a brown leather bag.

“We need to get rid of this.” He pulls out a bloody knife.

“Is that the one Ruby used?” I ask, standing up and taking it from him. I rinse it off in the sink and then throw it in the dishwasher.

Declan nods. “I also think it was the one that he used to stab her.”

“Jesus,” Ramsey says and pulls the knife out of the board to carry on chopping.

“I want to take her away from here,” Declan states. “She already agreed to come to Ireland with me. I want to move that up. Leave as soon as Ruby is on her feet. She needs to get away from here.”

“And us?” I ask.

“Of course you’ll come,” he says. “But you will have to find your own place to stay. My mam is staunch Irish Catholic. Mary Gannon will just about tolerate me bringing Ruby into her home and sleeping in the room next to her. You all arrive as well, and she’ll be throwing holy water on us while she prays for our damned souls.”

I chuckle. “I hear you. But that raises the question, will she accept Ruby? She doesn’t need to be taken into a hostile environment.”

“Mam is dying to meet her. If I know her, she has already booked the church for our upcoming nuptials, so you don’t have to worry.”

“I find it odd that you told your mum about her. Does she know what Ruby does? What you do?” Ramsey asks.

“Obviously not. Which part of Irish Catholic did you not get?” Declan asks.

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