by May Gordon
We’ve become fast friends, more like brother and sister really. We’ve spent every day together for the last month and he’s proven himself loyal, not only to me but Quinn as well.
“I’m calling Lawson and Novak. They probably want an update.” I pull out my phone and dial Novak first. I’ve talked to them every couple days, when Quinn went missing they both came to Vegas to help with the search and plan our next move. Eventually, they had to go back to their own states, but they’ve always been a phone call away and would help with anything I needed.
“Molly,” Novak answers.
“Hey, Molly.” I hear Lawson over the line.
“Oh, you’re together?”
There’s a pause before he says, “Umm, yeah.” He’s acting weird. “How are things?”
Foster and I update them and tell them about the new account we found of Murry’s.
“When are you going after him?” Lawson asks.
“Tomorrow night,” Foster grunts out.
“Perfect. We’ll talk before then,” Novak says and adds a good-bye.
“Have you coordinated with Seg and Riley?” I ask Foster. We have help with some of the old gang here, Foster is a natural being in charge.
“Relax, Molly. Everything is in order. You should take it easy until then,” he suggests.
“He’s right,” my granddad agrees as he comes into the room. He kisses me on the cheek before sitting beside me. “You're stressing out lass, you look bloody horribly.”
I roll my eyes at him, but he just laughs as I say, “Gee thanks, Granddad.”
“You know what I mean. You're not doing Quinn any favors worrying yourself sick over him.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, but I can't help but worry and stress over Quinn. Shane too. I don’t see how Granddad is staying so calm, Murry’s people are looking for him as well. That’s why he's hiding in this cabin. Although it's more like a beautiful wooden house, not hard to live up here. It’s beautiful, especially the grounds.
“I’m going to get some fresh air.” I stand from my chair and head outside.
The scenery that greets me takes my breath away. Rolling green hills, filled with wildflowers. His cabin was always my favorite place. I start to walk down the trail, thinking of Quinn. Suddenly a wave of sickness comes over me and I rush to the nearby tree to brace myself as I throw up.
“Easy there.” I feel Foster pulling my hair out of my face and rubbing my back. Once I’m done emptying my stomach I stand and wipe my face. He passes me a water bottle and I rinse out my mouth.
“Thank you,” I say grumpily, feeling like crap.
“You're pregnant,” he states the obvious.
“No shit,” I snap, frustrated. I'm worried about Quinn and Shane. I don’t even know if my husband is alive, my Granddad is in hiding, and I’m pregnant. And Quinn doesn’t even know.
“You need to stay here. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger.” I just narrow my eyes at him.
“You’re not bloody benching me.”
“Think of the baby.”
“I’m thinking of my husband!” I yell at him. “I will do anything and everything in my power to get him back, so I can tell him he’s going to be a father.” He stares at me, wanting to say more. “Well, spit it out.”
He cracks a small smile at me. “Molly, I think I learned my lesson about telling you what to do.”
“You figured it out quickly.” I return his smile, but it drops away almost instantly.
“What’s wrong now?” Foster asks, sounding concerned.
“This is all my fault. If I hadn't been in Quinn's life, he would’ve never been in this position.” I feel the tears forming in my eyes and I can't help but think of what his life would be like if I’d never come to Vegas. He would be safe, or as much as a Kingpin can be.
“Hey,” Foster snaps, gaining my attention. “Quinn fucking loves you. He would always want you in his life no matter what he has to go through.” He shakes his head. “Don’t ever doubt it.” He growls at me at this point and I smile, knowing he’s trying to break me out of my crappy mood.
“Thanks, Foster.” I hug him.
“You’re welcome.” He gives me a quick squeeze back. “Can I accompany you on your walk?”
Not feeling a hundred percent just yet, I think a walk would do me some good. “Sure, I need a hair holding boy,” I joke.
“Boy?” He grunts.
“Fine, man.” I laugh.
We spend the next few minutes in silence, just enjoying the fresh air.
“Though of any names yet?” Foster asks, ending the quiet.
I take a deep breath and say, “Honestly Foster, I haven't been able to think about it.” And it’s true. I wasn’t surprised when I found out since we never used any protection.
“Are you happy about it?” I’ve learned Foster is man of few words but when he does talk he has no filter, no tact.
I stop and close my eyes for a moment. I think about a child, our child. Will they have my wild red hair? Or Quinn’s brown? Will they end up having an Irish accent? Will we have a boy or girl? Whatever they end up being or whoever they look like, one thing stays the same. Quinn will be a fantastic father, and I am happy.
I open my eyes and look up at Foster. “Yes, I'm fucking ecstatic.” I smile at him. “But I need to focus on finding Quinn and Shane.” I pause, staring at my feet. “This is all my fault.”
“I’ll help you in any way I can.” He gives me a soft smile. “Let's head back, Connor was worried about you.”
“Right. And we should go over our plan one last time.”
We return to the cabin and are met with a surprise. Lawson and Novak are outside talking to my granddad.
“What the bloody hell?” I ask.
Novak smiles and asks, “What? Did you think you could leave us out of rescuing Quinn?”
“I can't wait to hold this over his head. Quinn, the damsel in distress.” Lawson laughs.
“You guys.” I’m shocked.
“Oh, come on Molly, don’t act so surprised. Do you think we would let you and Foster do this alone? He is our best friend after all.” Novak comes to me and brings me in for a hug. I feel my eyes tear up a wee bit, but they don’t fall.
“Shit. Novak, you’re making her cry.” Lawson cringes. “Quinn is going to kill you.”
“Relax, it’s just hormones. She's pregnant.” Foster grunts.
I turn and sock him in the arm. Hard. “You’re a slabber,” I growl
“Sorry.” He doesn’t look it at all as he rubs the spot I hit.
“Lass, you're pregnant?” My granddad is now the one with tears in his eyes.
“Congratulations! Cleo will be so happy! Fuck I am too.” Lawson hugs me. Followed by my granddad and Novak.
“You need to stay here,” Novak begins, but Foster cuts him off.
“Don’t even try telling her that. Trust me I did too, and all it got me was an ear full of angry Irish.” They all chuckle.
I can't help but feel hope in my heart, with a family like this Murry and his men don’t have a chance against us, and I’m going to make him pay for the day he ever kidnapped my husband. I’m going to show him the real meaning of fighting Irish.
Chapter 13
Molly
“Make the call,” Foster says.
I dial the number Murry left me. It rings over and over until he finally answers.
“Molly. It’s about time,” he grunts through the phone.
“I’m calling to meet your demands. A trade. Me for Quinn and Shane.” I don’t waste any time.
“Hmmmm,” I hear him say before he adds, “I want Connor as well.”
“No bloody way,” I yell out. I see Novak and the others wince at my outburst. Shit, I forgot the plan was to keep him calm, not to piss him off.
“Then the deal is off, and Quinn dies.” I notice he doesn’t say Shane will too.
“Is Shane dead? Did you kill him, you motherfucker? I will hunt you down and ki
ll you slowly.” Again, everyone winces.
Murry starts to laugh, and it puts my skin on edge. “Okay, then Lass. Let's have it your way. I’m told you’re a stubborn one.” He pauses a beat and tells me, “It’s a deal. You for Quinn.”
“And Shane,” I snap.
He chuckles again, and I feel like I'm missing something. “And Shane,” he repeats. “I’ll text you the details soon.” And he hangs up.
“That went well,” my granddad states.
“Well? Molly almost blew the whole thing. You need to stay behind, you’re too emotional and are more likely to kill the bastard than negotiate with him,” Lawson says.
“I was fine and he agreed to my terms, didn’t he?” I scowl at him.
“Lawson’s right. You need to be careful, even more so now that you're pregnant. You can’t unload your magazine into him as soon as you see him,” Novak tells me.
“I’ll be fine. The plan is solid. I can keep my emotions in check, and my mind clear.” I assure them as I stand by my chair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to throw up.” And I leave to do just that.”
Quinn
I hear the door open and it wakes me from my unpleasant sleep. Three of Murry's men, including Shane, walk in. They open my cell and quickly unlock my chains, standing me up.
“Come on, hurry up.” One of them shoves me out and I see Shane is standing by the door.
“What’s going on, what’s happening?” I ask him.
“Molly made the deal. I knew she would if we just waited long enough.” He smiles, looking very pleased with himself.
“No, no way,” I snarl at him.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be safe.” Suddenly a bag is pulled over my head, and my hands are strapped together. I can't see a thing. I take some stairs then feel gravel underneath my feet.
“In the car.” I’m shoved into a vehicle and hear the doors shut. I stay silent because I don’t want to talk too much, give them more information. I don’t know what the fuck is happening or what Molly is thinking, but I hope she has a plan, and that she’s not alone. Foster was due in Vegas not long after I left, so he must be helping her. Lawson and Novak too.
We must have driven for an hour before we start to slow down. “Stay here with him. I’m going to talk to Murry,” I hear Shane say. I start to feel jacked up, not knowing what the fuck is going down and knowing Molly is nearby makes me want to crawl out of my skin. A few minutes go by, and then the back doors open, and I’m ripped from the car.
“Don’t try anything, or I’ll hurt her.” I hear Murry’s voice in my ear. I know he will, he just won't kill her. I can't let that happen.
I hate how I can't see shit, but I’ll be ready for whatever is about to go down. I hear a car drive toward us, and some murmuring from the men behind me, and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Gunfire from what sounds like all directions. I hit the deck, and finally get the chance to rip off my hood. I see a blacked-out SUV in front of us and shots being fired from it. Murry and his men are returning it, using their cars as coverage. I look around and see that we are in the middle of nowhere with only a road to my left and dense forest behind me.
I have no idea who is firing at us, whether its Molly or someone else, but my best hope would be making a run to the forest. Under the cover of the enemy fire, I make a run for it. I feel like a fucking coward doing so, but my gut tells me this is what I'm supposed to do. The old Irish tale Molly told me about the saviour who lives in the forest comes rushing back to me. If this is her plan then I'm running where I need to be. So, I don’t stop, don’t look back, taking a straight line through trees, bushes, and jump over logs. I freeze suddenly when I hear whistling. I know that sound anywhere. She does it all the damn time at home.
“Molly?” I whisper looking all around me but see nothing but lush forest.
“Quinn,” I finally hear her sweet voice. I turn to see her walk from behind a tree wearing jeans, hiking boots, and wearing a backpack. Fuck she looks amazing. Her wild hair is in a ponytail, her face on full display. I nearly drop to my knees just at seeing her.
“Molly,” I breathe out like a prayer. We run to each other and she wraps her arms around my neck. I wish I could do the same, but my hands are still tied. Her smell invades me, and I almost cry like a fucking baby. I’m so relieved to have her with me again.
“I’m so happy you’re okay.” She pulls back and looks me over. “Are you hurt?”
I stare at her because it feels like it's been forever since I laid eyes on her. “I’m fine. Tired, hungry, and I stink, but I’m okay,” I reassure her.
She reaches down and pulls a knife out of her boot to cut my zip ties. As soon as I'm free I pull her to me, squeezing tightly. I loosen my hold only to cup her face and kiss her, putting everything into it. Then I do the same to her nose, cheeks, forehead, and every other inch of her face.
“I missed you so fucking much.” I kiss her. “I love you so fucking much.” I kiss her again. “I won't ever fucking leave you again.”
She lets out a chuckle and says with sass, “That’s a lot of fucking in a short amount of time. And you didn’t leave me, you were kidnapped.”
I give her a beaming smile. Fuck. I missed everything about her. “We can’t rest yet, we still need to get Shane.” My smile drops then. She doesn’t know. How could she? I’m the only one who did. “I have to get him.” She goes to walk past me to the fire fight, but I stop her. I’m just about to tell her everything when I hear Shane’s voice and it chills my blood.
“Shane,” Molly cries out in pure happiness. She takes a step toward him, but I clutch her by the shoulders shoving her behind me. “Quinn, what the fuck?” Her voice is full of confusion.
“Molly, he’s working for Murry. Has been this whole fucking time,” I tell her, not taking my eyes off him. He has a gun, though it's not pointed at us.
“Quinn what the bloody hell are you talking about?” Again, she sounds confused.
“Molly come with me. Quinn’s free, that’s what you wanted right?” Shane calls out to her, ignoring her questions.
I feel her tense before she walks from out behind me, but I don’t let her get far. I have a vise grip on her wrist keeping her at my side. “Shane?” Her voice is full of despair as she’s finally connecting all the dots. “What in the bloody hell does he mean? You’re working for Murry?”
Shane has the decency to look ashamed. “I did this all for you. I wanted you to be the Queen of Ireland. You’d be so perfect for it, do such a good job, and with Murry and his manpower you two would be unstoppable. I could be by your side, protecting you like I have all this time,” Shane’s voice is pleading.
Molly is shaking her head in denial. “No Shane, please no.”
“Molly, you should understand it was all really for you. I didn’t mean for it to be this way. I didn’t want Brian and Darcy to die, it was an accident meant to scare them into leaving this life, giving the business to Murry,” He’s rambling now, out of sorts.
I look down at Molly, her eyes are wide with shock and sadness, quickly welling up with tears. “How can you do this? I love you. You’re my trainer, my uncle, another father to me. How can you bloody lie to me this whole time, betray me, our family?” She screams at him and starts to tremble. I move to wrap my arm around her when Shane cocks the gun in my direction.
“Don’t move Quinn. All I want is Molly, you're free to go. But if you get in my way, I’ll kill you.” He tells me then looks back to Molly. “If you come with me I can explain it further. You’ll understand Irish, I promise.”
She shakes her head vigorously, tears streaming down her face. “No Shane. I’m not going with you, and Foster, Novak, Lawson, and the old gang will have finished with Murry and his men by now.” She takes a slow breath before crying out, “Why? Why would you do this!”
“Why? Why?” He yells at her. “For you! All of this is for you! I love you like my daughter, and this is what I want for you, this is what’s best for you.” He wav
es the gun toward me again. “But Connor had to ship you to this one, and to make matters worse you fell in love with him! Why couldn’t you make this easy? Accept the new order of things? Marry Murry and live happily ever after with him!” He waves the gun around as he talks. The fucker is gone now, out of his fucking mind.
“Shane, give it up. She’s not going to come with you, and you're going to pay for what you've done,” I growl at him, done with this back and forth bullshit. I try to shove her behind me again but she swats my hand away.
“Murry is a smart man. I’m done talking and you are coming with me Molly even if that means killing Quinn.” He lifts his arm again, pointing it at me and pulling the trigger. Before I know what the fuck is happening, I see a blur of red as Molly throws herself in front of me. The bullet hits her, and her body crashes into me and takes us both down.
“NO!” I roar and maneuver to her side.
“Molly?” Shane yells out.
Molly's eyes are closed, and blood is pouring from the right side of her chest. I put my hands over the wound, putting pressure on it, not knowing what else to do.
“Oh god. Molly are you okay?” I hear Shane’s voice as he gets closer and I lean down and pull the giant knife from her ankle. Taking quick aim, I hurl it at him and bullseye, the knife lodges in his chest, right in the heart. His face shows complete shock before his whole body goes limp and falls to the ground.
I put my focus back on Molly, keeping the pressure on her chest. “Molly come on love. Open your eyes, don’t die on me,” I beg. Her eyes flutter open and she looks so weak.
“H-He-lp” she whimpers.
Oh god, please no. “I’m gonna get you out of here Molly. I promise.”
“B-ba-” she whimpers again.
“I got you, baby, don’t worry.” I lean down and give her a quick kiss. I need to take a chance and get her to safety. I have no idea what’s happening where Murry is or if the others are meeting her here, but she needs to get help regardless. I pull off the backpack she was wearing and slip it on myself. I grab Shane’s gun then pick her up and she lets out a low grown. “Stay with me. Keep fighting Irish.” I run as fast as I can without hurting her in the direction I came from, clutching her hurt side to my chest.
