by Vi Carter
The double doors off the patio are unlocked, and I nod at Darragh. We pull the balaclava’s over our faces as I push open the door and wait a beat before entering. Mark is messy, bundles of clothes are stacked on the table. Not just male but a female and a small child’s pile of colored clothing sits right in the centre. Delph is stacked up in the sink, and last night’s leftovers from dinner still sit in the open takeout containers.
We move into the hall. Straight ahead are several doors, and to my left is one I point at to Darragh for him to check as I move down the hall. The first room is a utility room that stinks from rubbish that spills over the side of a bin. The next room is a bedroom. I’m not sure if it’s male or female. Everything is cream.
“You enjoying yourself?” Darragh’s voice sounds loud in the silence.
“What the fuck?” I make my way towards the voices.
The room that Darragh checked is a sitting room. The rich red rug under my feet is soft, and the cream leather sofa’s look new. Mark has his dick still in his hand.
“Nothing worse than being caught with your trousers down?” Darragh laughs at him while pointing the bat at his head. I hold up my hand in warning for him not to start.
Mark tucks his dick back in his pants and sits up. His white vest top showcases both arms that are covered in tats. A diamond earing flashes in the light.
“I’m going to make this really simple. We are the guys that got your friend David.” His face pales a little, and I’m glad my message got around.
“So you know why we are here.”
He nods but holds up his hands. “Look, we just do the jobs we get paid to do. That’s it. It’s not personal. It’s just a job.”
I push a cushion over his face and hold him down. “His hip.”
Darragh swings wide, and the crack has Mark screaming and wriggling under my hold. “Help me hold him.” Darragh grabs his legs as he continues to thrash under us.
“Who paid you?” I ask and lift the cushion.
“Man you know they’ll kill me.” I cover his face again, and he screams. One nod to Darragh has him swinging the bat down on his ankles. Mark’s screams tear through the room, but his thrashing has lessened.
“Please stop.” Drool mixes with tears as he pleads with us.
“Just tell me who paid.”
He’s nodding now. “Brian.”
“Brian paid you to beat up Neill?” That made no sense.
“Brian is a twisted fucker. It’s possible,” Darragh says while leaning on his bat.
“Look, I don’t know why. All I know is he wanted him beaten pretty bad, and we told Neill it was from Brian.” I believe him.
“So we’re good.” He’s half crying, and I pat him on the head.
“Yeah, we’re good.” He protests as I cover his face again and let Darragh take some of his frustration out with his bat.
We leave as easily as we arrived. Neill knowing that Brian sent the men made me question everything about him. Why hadn’t he told me? Once we are back in the car, I check my phone. Six missed calls from Liam.
“Did you manage to collect Darragh?” Liam answers the phone.
“Yeah, you want to talk to him?” I ask, pulling out and onto the road.
“Did you ask?” I glance at Darragh his leg is up on my dash as he stares out the window.
“Yeah, and he didn’t tell anyone. Like he said, he’s too good looking for prison.” Darragh snorts before lighting up another cigarette.
“Where are you now?”
“On our way home.” He hangs up with not even a goodbye.
“Is he always so moody?” I ask Darragh, and he grins.
***
I don’t go in. I drop Darragh off before I turn the car and make my way to Ava. Why would Brian have Neill beaten up? Why would Neill lie to me about it? The security waves me on in at Headfort Demesne, and I pull up outside.
After ringing the bell four times and getting no answer, I ring Ava’s phone.
“I’m at the door,” I tell her the moment she answers.
“One second.” She sounds strange, I can hear movement inside and when she opens the door, her head is ducked down. Her shoulders hunch forward like they are trying to wrap themselves around her and protect her.
I close the door behind me, and she still hasn’t looked up. Dread snakes it’s way down my spine. All I can think of is Shane told her. Somehow she knows.
“Ava.” She looks up me when I whisper her name. My blood turns to ice in my veins, and I’m holding her face moving her into the light.
“Who did this?” My voice sounds calm.
“I don’t know what to do anymore?” Tears fall down her cheeks and make a pathway to her chin before they free fall.
“When did this happen?” Her face is swollen and red, so the slap was hard, but it didn’t break the skin.
“At work.” I nod.
“Let’s take a look.” I shrug out of my jacket and get a towel and some ice out of the freezer.
“I already iced it,” she tells me, and I take a deep breath. Moving, doing something is keeping me calm. I continue what I’m doing. She’s standing at the counter. Ava inhales deeply when I press the towel to her face. I’m searching her face for any other marks, but it seems to be the only one.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” I question. She looks up at me from under wet lashes.
“My back.” Her lip trembles, and I focus on the material in my hand, on the counter behind Ava, on everything but him.
“Can you say something?” I look into watery green eyes and clench my jaw.
“Let me see your back.” She nods as I remove the towel from her face. Lifting her top, she turns around. “Is it bad?”
My fingers gently touch the bruised skin. “No,” I lie.
“Is it sore?”
“I took two painkillers, so it’s not so bad now.” Everything inside me is climbing, scouring, and wanting out. My arms wrap around Ava as I bury my head in her neck. I don’t want to say I’m sorry that I should have dealt with this earlier. I don’t want to give her excuses. So I hold her. She turns in my arms, her eyes searching my face.
“I fought back,” she tells me proudly, and I place my forehead against hers. I nod because words have failed me. I want her to stop talking. I can’t bear to hear another second of it. The pain in her eyes, I want removed.
My lips touch hers, and I wait for her to kiss me back, I won’t proceed if she doesn’t, but Ava kisses me back with a ferocity that I match. The kiss seems to calm the rage inside me and I slow down our pace, kissing her softly. I keep closing my eyes, but each time, my mind paints me a picture of what might have happened. Emerald green eyes stare into mine.
I’m searching her face as her breath brushes against my lips. This feeling of rage mixed with something else is unlike anything I have ever felt before.
My hand finds her, and I guide her to the bedroom. Her wide eyes and swollen lips make her look innocent. I close the door behind me and take her face in my hands kissing her lips softly. I ignore the tightness of my jeans or the hunger to be inside her and focus on her.
I move my mouth across her cheek before kissing her damaged one. I want to erase the marks that he left on her.
“Your silence is a bit frightening.” Ava whispers the words against my neck.
“I’m not silent. I’m just communicating in a different way.” The only way I can right now.
She nods her understanding. “Raise your arms.” She does immediately, and I pull her top over her head. Reaching around her, I unclip her bra and let it move down her arms. I follow it with kisses. On my knees now, I press my lips to her flat stomach and she inhales deeply, her hands sinking into my hair.
As I rise, her hands fall to my shoulders. My tongue flickers out along her collarbone, and she inhales deeply again. Her nipples brush against my chest, and my jeans tighten further painfully. Her hands are warm when I remove them from my shoulders and turn her around. She doesn’
t question me as I start at her back next and trail kisses across the bruises on her back. Her wounds feel like my wounds. I could have stopped this. Air lodges itself in my lungs, and the snake tightens it hold.
“Connor?” Ava turns around, and I’m struggling to meet her eye.
“Make love to me.” Her request is spoken so gently that it feels so fragile, like glass that should be wrapped in cotton wool.
I’m nodding as I remove her trousers and then her underwear. Ava stands still. She doesn’t try to hide herself. She allows me to see her. My jeans fall to the floor along with my boxers, and I give Ava the same time to examine me. When her eyes travel back up to mine and her cheeks are flushed, I move us back onto the bed. My hand touches her knees, and she spreads her legs, allowing me access. She’s tight and wet when I enter her, and we both exhale. My arms hold me above her as I move slowly, my eyes never leaving hers. Her hands reach out and direct my face to hers. There is a pause. It’s brief. Her lips move, but no words come out before she kisses me. When her tongue moves into my mouth, my control slips, and I deepen the kiss and deepen my thrust. She feels so good under me.
“Ah, Connor.” When she calls my name, I’m moving faster, pumping harder and I keep climbing. Her soft skin brushes mine. Her breasts bounce as I push my body harder and faster, and when she screams my name, I pour my seed inside her.
***
I feel worse after. I thought it might help the rage, but it only pushed it into the cage, and now the beast was rattling it’s cage.
“Connor?” Ava lies in my arms, her fingers roaming across my tattoo’s, like she might understand them better.
“Yeah,” I answer placing a kiss on her forehead.
“What’s your favorite color.”
“Green.” I kiss her nose. “The same green as your eyes.”
She narrows her eyes and smirks. “Such a charmer.”
“I bet yours is brown,” I tease.
“Blue. Ocean blue. I find it calming.” I store away all the little snippets she shares with me.
“I keep waiting for you to run out the door.” Her confession is said with furrowed brows. I’m up on an elbow so I can see her face fully.
“Why would you say that?”
Her cheeks pinken. “Just, since you met me I’ve brought so much disarray into your life.”
“My life was in disarray well before you come along,” I tell her.
“Like what?” She doesn’t seem to believe me.
“Okay, remember my brother Darragh?” She nods. “He wasn’t at a party the other day. He was being held in the Gardai station on suspicion of murder.” She’s clutching the blanket.
“He didn’t. All charges were dropped.”
Her grip loosens. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” I’m lying back down.
“It’s nothing, really. But just don’t ever think I’m going to run,” I tell the ceiling. It’s her running that’s the real issue. She just doesn’t know it yet.
She takes the position that I just had, leaning over me she kisses my shoulder. “I want to know everything about you.” No you don’t.
“What do you want to know?”
She chews her lip. “Have you had many girlfriends?”
“Yes.” Her nostril’s flare, but she nods.
“I’ve had lots of boyfriends.” Her statement does two things to me. One, I know she’s saying it because she’s jealous, so that makes me feel a bit taller, but I also don’t like the idea of anyone else touching her.
“I don’t want to know.” I clench my jaw so I don’t say anymore. Her soft laugh has me raising both eyebrows at her.
“It’s nice when you’re jealous.” She’s still smiling down at me when her phone rings. I’m up, moving to her phone.
“It’s Patrick,” I tell her but her eyes are glued to the bottom part of my body. Her hand shoots out. “Let me answer. I’d say he’s worried.” I give her the phone and get dressed. The reality of what happened to her is crashing back down on me. I order a pizza again as she chats with Patrick. She’s thanking him for helping her.
I give her space as she chats and wait in the living area. Ava arrives into the living area wearing a pair of tiny shorts and an oversized t-shirt, but the worry in her eyes has me forgetting her tanned legs.
“What’s wrong?”
“Patrick doesn’t think it’s a good idea me going back to work.”
“I agree with Patrick.”
“No Connor. Why should I lose my job because of Brian, and if I don’t have a job, I don’t have money, and I can’t do anything.” I hold her hands in mine.
“Breathe, Ava. You’ll find another job and maybe that one just wasn’t for you, anyway.” I can’t mention Brian’s name right now.
Her eyes continue to fill up. “My friend Russell was only saying he was looking for someone to help him out with all the rental properties.”
Ava tilts her head to the side. “You’re so sweet. But I know you are making that up.” I am, but I could make it real.
“No, I swear.” I cross my heart, and I get a smile.
“What would I have to do, clean and stuff?”
“No. No maybe show people the properties, get contracts signed, and stuff like that.”
“I’m not qualified.” Ava tucks her long tanned legs under her.
“You said it yourself when I met you. You’re a people person. So this would be interacting with lots of people.”
She chews her lips, but I can see her bending. “Well if the job is going. Yeah.” Her smile widens, and I kiss her gently on the lips.
“I ordered Pizza.”
“You are going to make me fat.” My mind goes to a child growing in her stomach, and I wipe it away quickly. The idea is way to appealing to me.
“You’re perfect,” I tell her as the doorbell rings. I get our food, and we sit down on the couch eating, chatting but not talking about what happened, and it’s nice. Ava’s funny, and she makes me laugh. She makes talking easy.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CONNOR
Last night, I barely slept. My adrenaline was running too high. I wasn’t used to sitting and waiting, but on this, I had to. After breakfast, I drop Ava off at the hospital. Once she’s finished, she promises me she will go straight home. She won’t have any problems, because now I let myself focus on Brian and what he did to her as I drive to Kells.
“Neill, I was wondering if I could drop around soon for a chat. You still at your ma’s?”
“Yeah sure, Connor. I’ll be here.”
“See you soon.” I hang up as I pull in beside Smyths pub. It’s locked. I’d snagged Ava’s phone when she showered this morning and gotten Patrick’s number out of the phone.
“Hello?”
“Patrick. It’s Connor O’Reagan. I’m looking for Brian.”
Movement at an upstairs window has me glancing up. Patrick lets the curtain fall back into place.
“I haven’t seen him. But if I do, I’ll let you know.”
“I want to hurt him for putting his hands on Ava.” I know Patrick likes Ava, so he might be more willing to cooperate.
“You have my word, Connor. That animal deserves to be put down.”
Cars zoom past, and I have to wait a moment before I can cross the road. “Thanks Patrick.” I climb into the car before pulling out and making my way to Neill’s house. His mother answers the door. She’s a large woman, and only at four foot, she shuffles away from the door.
“Connor, how are you?” I have to move one foot in front of the other as she makes a slow path to the kitchen.
“I’m good, Mrs O’Reilly. You look great,” I say once we reach the kitchen. Planting a kiss on her cheek, she swipes me away.
“You’ll have a cup of tea.”
“I wouldn’t leave without one.” I tell her, and she clicks on the kettle. Her body jingles as she continues to laugh.
“I’ll have one, too, Ma.” Her smile remains for her only son, Neil
l.
“Did you sleep well?” she asks him, forcing a kiss on lips that he wipes off.
“Jesus, Ma,” he whines as he jumps up on the chair across from me.
“Doesn’t like me kissing him in front of his friends.”
“I’m more like family.”
Mrs. O’Reilly gives me a cup and a kiss that I accept.
“Jesus, Ma, would you stop.” Neill takes his cup, and when his mam kisses him, he wipes his cheek.
“I’ll leave you boys to it.”
“Thanks, Mrs. O’Reilly,” I say, raising my cup in salute as she closes the kitchen door.
“So what gives?”
“I got Mark yesterday.” I tell him and watch him closely.
“Ah nice one, Connor. You’re a real pal.”
“Yeah, I am aren’t I?”
He puts his finger in his ear and shakes it rapidly. “Yeah, that’s what I just said.”
He shrugs and laughs before taking a drink of his tea.
“Funny story is that Mark said Brian paid him to attack you.”
Neill’s complexion pales, and when he starts stuttering, I give him a warning look. I don’t want to hurt him.
“Yeah, he did. Connor. I didn’t want to say anything because it’s messy.”
I don’t speak. Sometimes when you remain silent the other person will keep talking just to fill in the silence.
“Brian hates me because I ratted him out to Shane.”
“You’re a snitch for Shane?”
Neill holds up his hands. “No. No. I’d do it for any of you. You know that.”
“Cut the bullshit, Neill. What did you tell Shane about Brian?”
“Brian was talking to a new supplier. I told Shane, and Shane beat the shit out of Brian. So in retaliation, he got me beaten up.”
“You pulled me into this mess. Why not ring Shane to come and save you after you were attacked?”
