Page 70 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

“I asked her to meet with them.”

“You did what?” I’m taken aback by that response. Did our Eoin want to court Jaine so badly he approached our folks and told them of his intentions?

“I asked her to meet with them, and she agreed in principle.”

“So, they know? How you feel about her?”

“I told them I had feelings for her, yes.. I also told them I thought she’d make the best Ma Duster. I wasn’t lying. I still believe that.”

“And what happened?”

“We went to the Palace to meet with her. I naively thought it was all arranged. Jaine stood us up. She said she never agreed to anything. It turns out she had no intention of showing up. She was telling me what I wanted to hear simply to buy herself time. She was already back in California when I messaged to find out where she was.”

“Shit, she’s lucky….”

“They never had The Exterminator end her life? I’m aware of that.”

My face remains impassive when he mentions the sniper. That’s one secret that’s not mine to ever share or reveal. I gave my word. And I will honor it. But if our Eoin thinks Jaine is perfect Ma Duster material now, if he ever finds out she’s the infamous hit person, he’ll immediately be calling her his queen, whether anyone likes it or not.

Even Jaine. Even Paddy.

“So, what now?”

“We’re Dusters, Dylan. We can’t delay our fate forever. At some point, we must be accepting of it.”

“And pray for a miracle in the meantime?”

He laughs softly. “And that too.”

“Cill was granted one.”

“He was. So maybe there’s still hope for the rest of us.”

He turns and looks at me, his expression subdued. He’s my eldest brother by seven years. For some reason, I always assumed life was easier for him. But as heir, he probably takes the full brunt of what comes our way and deflects most of it from the rest of us like big brothers do. He’ll have had it tough I reckon. It’s just, he’s never complained, so us lot have just assumed he was always getting what he wanted. That he was happy with the decisions being made on his behalf because he was party to them.

It turns out not to be the case.

I stand, walk across, and then I hug my brother. He’s tense and not receptive initially, but then eventually he hugs me back.

It’s only taken almost thirty-one years for me to catch a glimpse of the man behind the mask of the future Irish king.

And I realize now. He’s not all bad.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

JAINE

Jaine’s House, Rising, California

“Good riddance?The future Mrs. Dylan O'Connell said those exact words?”

“She sure did, partner. And just as I was about to leave the room, so she could use them to full effect.”

“And so let me get this straight. As a result, you’re now staying.”

“For now, at least. Well, I couldn’t leave after that, could I? She deliberately said them to get a reaction from me in front of the O’Connells. If I’d just left, I would have look like I wasn’t prepared to stand my ground. And my daddy didn’t raise no yellow-bellied quitter.”

“No, I can imagine,” I say dryly. Her daddy’s an asshole. “And have you spoken with Dyl since?”

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