Page 49 of Killian

“He wants to meet at the docks, back home.”

Conor immediately was on edge. That was his turf, not mine. This had to do with Conor somehow.

“Let’s go home,” I said, heading for the car. Lorcan was at my side almost instantly.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yes,” I said. “But Conor can’t know.”

“Agreed.”

We got in the car and thought of a plan of how to separate Conor from Teeghan. She was going to have to be the one to save Sloane and she would have to do it alone.

CHAPTERTEN

SLOANE

Sinead had been oh so kind to allow a doctor to come in and see me after she’d given me a beating the day before. I’d lost count the amount of times I’d been kicked and beaten since I’d been here, actually, I’d lost count how many days I had been here. They were all blending into each other. At least, they’d given me a dress to wear. I’d been naked for at least a day and it had been fucking cold. They hadn’t broken me yet, though, and I knew it was getting to her.

“She’s fine, a few broken ribs, but she’ll live.”

“Good,” Sinead said. “Thanks, doc.”

The doctor exited the room quickly, and I could tell he was a little scared of Sinead. I still couldn’t believe the cousin I had grown up with was so wicked and held such ill regard for me. We’d been great friends growing up.

“Good news,” she said, with the lilt of a child in her tone. “Your boyfriend has gotten in touch with Ronan and is looking for a trade.”

Trade? What the hell was he going to trade?

“We’re heading back to that little seaside town you love so much,” she said. “You need to shower first, though.”

I was already tense about this. Sinead wouldn’t look this happy about losing her only bargaining chip. Immediately, I knew she had no intention of trading me for anyone. She was doing this to kill them. To get all the O’Farrell’s together was a rare treat for any enemy. In one fell swoop, they could take out the O’Farrell dynasty.

Like hell I would let her.

She unlocked the chain around my wrists. Immediately, the weight of them fell off me and I felt freer than I had been for days. She pulled me up and allowed me to hobble to the bathroom I’d only seen the inside of a few times. For the most part, I’d had to use the bucket next to the bed.

Once inside, I looked at myself in the mirror and almost balked. I didn’t recognise myself. So much so, I thought another person had been in the room. One of my eyes was half closed, a large cut was red and puckered over my eyebrow and two cuts were still bleeding over my lip. My face was dirty and bloody, my wrists red and sore. I had large welts on my arms and legs. I could only imagine what my body looked like under the dress.

“Ah, no you don’t want to see that,” Sinead said, and chuckled a little as she threw a hammer I hadn’t realized she’d been holding into the mirror. It splintered, shards flying all over the room. I dodged a couple coming my way. Sinead pulled at the dress until it gave way and fell to my feet. She turned the taps on in the shower and tested the water. Her actions didn’t make sense until I got under the spray and realized it was ice cold. I let out a shriek of shock as she laughed and closed the door to the shower, leaving me under the iciness of the water. The water pricked at my skin and I felt my entire body start to shiver as the blood washed away from me, going down the drain with efficiency.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I heard someone’s voice say. “Get away from that shower stall.”

Sinead groaned but she must have complied because the door opened quickly and I looked over at Ronan’s angry face. He stuck his hand under the spray of water and realized just how cold it was as I fought the cold shivers my body was currently going through.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He actually sounded like he was sorry as he turned the heat on and slowly, I started to warm up. “Get clean, warm yourself up and a fresh pair of clothes will be on the bed. I don’t know what your cousin has against you, but it’s a little sick.”

“You think,” I managed to spit out between jaw shudders.

“This was never about you,” he said. “She told me that Killian would do anything for you, and so you became collateral damage. He’ll come to the docks and we’ll give you back to him for my brother.”

“Your brother?” I questioned. “This was about him?”

“Well, yeah, he knows a lot of things I don’t necessarily want the O’Farrell’s to know.”

“You tortured me for Jeremiah?” I asked him. “I’m not involved with the family. I don’t know anything.”

“I didn’t torture you. In fact, I had no idea Sinead hated you so much until a few days ago. I’m sorry I didn’t interrupt her deranged little fantasy but she serves a purpose. Finish up, we have a drive ahead of us.”

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