Page 64 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Cillian

“What in the name of hell fire are you doing?” Declan barks at me.

“What the feck does it look like?” I reply. “Hitching a ride.”

“Jesus!” Ruby screams in my face. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry,” I say with a soft smile, wanting to reach out and touch her more than anything, but I don’t. She has been through enough and I am not in the business of throwing myself at women.

Well, not anymore. Once bitten and all that.

She returns my smile. “I’m happy to see you’re still alive, but how did you know we would come here?” she asks.

“Easy. I know my brother.”

She glances between us as Declan growls and pulls out of the shed, getting out of the car and closing the doors before he gets back in.

“You were supposed to meet us in Connemara,” Declan says.

“Yeah, I know, but getting rid of my wheels was making that a pain in the arse. So who was the Garda there for? You, me or her?” I ask with a snort.

“We don’t know. Mam took care of it,” Declan says.

“Probably you,” Ruby states huffily and turns around. She is worried though. I can see that plain as day.

“Hmm, possibly,” I murmur.

“Who did you piss off?” she asks, turning around again as Declan bounces over the dirt track in the woods to make it to the road that will lead out onto the main road.

I grimace. “Long story.”

“Road trip…we’ve got time,” she retorts.

She has such sass. I find it quite arousing. Siobhan had sass. Not as much as Ruby, but I loved that about her. She didn’t take shit from anyone. I ruminate that I have a type. Strong woman.

“Hello?” Ruby calls out, waving her hand in my face.

“Hm? Sorry…yeah…okay. My boss.”

“And?” she asks.

I pause to take in the glow on her cheeks, the spark in her eyes. She is worlds away from the fragile creature of only a few days ago. I want to ask why, but I can see how my brother is acting. He has his hand possessively on hers unless he has to turn or change gears, but then it goes straight back. Whatever has brought her fire back, he has something to do with it.

“And, he is a gobshite that you don’t want to mess with.”

“So why did you?”

I snort. “Didn’t have much choice there, love,” I retort.

“For the love of Jaysus, just spit it out,” Declan snarls at me. “Ruby hates beating around the bush.”

“Hm, reminds me of someone,” I murmur.

“Siobhan?” Ruby snaps. “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

“Jealous?” I taunt her with a laugh, glad that we have changed the topic. I really don’t want to tell her why I’ve had to go underground.

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