Only Yours (A McDade Brothers Novel Book 2)

by Scarlett Finn

  “You wanna stay here, you keep your hands off.”

  Shyla appeared just behind him. Running her fingertips down his forearm seemed to calm him, at least until they touched his wrist. In a snap, Score grabbed Shyla’s fingers to yank her arm around his torso while using his elbow to tuck her in at his back.

  “You know, Bos, remind me to punish my McDade for not being so protective of me.”

  “He stopped you committing homicide in front of a hundred or so witnesses,” he said. “I’d say that’s love.”

  “I say if I’m still alive when this is over, I’m gonna track Blondie down and finish the job.”

  “Still smarting about it?” Bosco asked, keeping an eye on Nicole. “I’d say that’s love too.”

  “I’d say no one asked your opinion, Bos-Boy.”

  “Why would Raze send both women here?” Shyla asked from behind Score. “Did Parker send his wife to you too?”

  Whisper scoffed out a laugh. “Parker is on business with Daddy McDade. He’s in for a surprise when he gets home. Right, Nicki?”

  “Parker wouldn’t be that stupid,” Bosco said in response to the woman they couldn’t see.

  Score still held her arm around his waist, his flat hand lay over hers on his abdomen. The two were close, more than just fucking from the looks of it.

  Whisper wandered back their way, putting some distance between herself and Nicki. “Zay know about your little chippy?” she asked, earning herself another glare. “What? I’d love to have a sister-in-law not hell bent on killing me.”

  “Think you nixed any chance of that when you put a knife to her throat,” Bosco said.

  “Put the women in the guest room,” Score said.

  His focus hadn’t moved, but Whisper doubted he was talking to her. The younger guy from the kitchen jumped to attention. As he raised his arms like he wanted to herd Nicki without touching her, Score opened his hand to her.

  Whisper looked from his palm to his face. Kicking the women out was so standard for men like him that she almost wanted to spit. His desire to unarm her was more understandable.

  “Uh… I probably wouldn’t leave Whisper alone with Nicki,” Bosco said. “They need a buffer.”

  Score closed his eyes in a blink that saw them open again on Bosco. “Anyone alive who doesn’t want this woman dead?”

  Hesitating, Bosco curved a hand around the back of his neck. “Uh… Your brother probably… I don’t mind her most of the time.”

  “Wow, am I blushing?” Whisper asked, bounding closer to sock his arm. “Remember what Zay said…” She pointed a finger at his face. “I will embarrass you in front of all these people. Right here, I will.”

  She was only playing and even Bosco responded with a smile.

  In spite of the teasing, Shyla’s curious voice floated from behind her lover. “Why is she so angry?”

  “She’s a Doherty, baby. It’s how they’re born.”

  “Better that than backstabbing, two-faced psychopaths,” Whisper argued, expecting a quick return. Except almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she turned to Bosco. “I just insulted Zay. Damnit!”

  Bosco laughed. “Never bothered you before.”

  “Insulting him to his face is more satisfying.”

  Because some part of her got aroused by irritating him. Score didn’t have the same effect on her hormones.

  Bosco put an arm around her. “She’s still coming to terms with her new reality.”

  He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled something out. Only when he released it into Score’s palm did Whisper realize what it was: their mother’s ring.

  “New reality that what?” Score asked, letting go of Shyla’s hand to turn on the spot and seek her other one. “The marriage was bullshit.” He took Shyla’s left hand and slid the ring onto her finger while still talking to them. “A sham. Setup by Burl.”

  “Yeah,” Bosco said. “That’s what most people thought.” He tugged on a section of her hair. “Give the man your knife so we can get to talking.”

  “Zay says anyone who can be taken down by a little girl deserves to go down.”

  “He’s also going through enough right now without having to worry about you going to jail.”

  Whisper nodded past him at Nicki. The younger guy was still standing next to her with his arms wide.

  “We can blame her, there’s plenty of witnesses,” Whisper said. “Parker sent Score to jail, next best thing is sending Parker’s wife to jail.”

  “Yeah, ‘cept the one Score’s worried about is Shyla,” Bosco said. “You think if you kill her, he’ll be in the mood to watch you walk?” That was a good point. “Half the reason we brought her here was because we’re not all that sure Parker won’t want her dead when he finds out what she’s been doing.” Another good point. “And, as much as you’ll hate me for reminding you, it was you who pled her case to Zay and got him to agree to bringing her here for her own safety.”

  “She’d be safe in prison… ish,” Whisper said. “She’s pretty.”

  “And wouldn’t survive a day,” Bosco said, then switched his interest to Score while she admired Nicki. “If you’d picked up the phone, Zay would’ve told you everything.”

  “He can tell me soon as these two are tucked in.”

  Whisper put a hand on her hip. “Zay and I are sort of in a shirking the norm phase. I know more than you do at this point… and more about what he’s thinking.”

  Though he didn’t smile, Score coughed in amused disbelief. “Yeah, right, you forget you were just a sacrificial lamb? Cyrus handed you over because he couldn’t care less what my brother did to you.”

  “Mm,” she said, half-nodding in agreement. “That’s what I thought too. Turned out my husband had a different motivation.”

  Score’s frown jumped to Bosco who just sighed. “He’s in love with her. Has been for years… God knows why.”

  “Because I’m purtay,” Whisper said, pleased to register Score’s surprise.

  “He’s in love,” he said, looking her up and down in disgust. “With that?”

  Nicki started laughing as Shyla got close to lay her hands on his torso. “Phoenix…” His lover’s words influenced him, Whisper could see it. Her intrigue about the couple grew. “I can take them both down to the bar to give you some privacy.”

  Whisper raised her hand. “I’m in.”

  “No, you’re not,” Bosco said. “When you piss someone off—let’s face it, we both know you will—Nicki won’t lift a finger for you. Down here you’re anonymous, this isn’t your regular beat. You can’t hide behind your name.”

  She gave his arm a reassuring pat. “I can look after myself, Bos.”

  “Yeah?” he said. “You gonna watch Nicki and keep Shyla safe? She’s not anonymous down here. Anyone who wants to get to Score will go through her, like you proved the minute you got here.”

  “Okay, so we stay in,” Whisper said, leaning back in a twist to scan the room without moving her feet. “There is booze somewhere in here, right?”

  “I can pour you a drink,” Shyla said, but Score snatched her back before she could move.

  “You’re not going anywhere until she gives up the blade,” Score said, presenting his hand to her again. “You want me to take it from you?”

  “I don’t think your brother would like that,” Whisper said, putting her hand over his to sacrifice the weapon. “He likes to watch me fight.”

  Until the words came out of her mouth, she hadn’t really considered it. But he did. From the light of interest in Zay’s eyes the first time she’d taken him on, to the delay in him stepping in between her and Blondie, it was obvious. Her husband liked to see her defending herself… or what was hers.

  Bosco’s phone began to ring, so he quickly retrieved it from his back pocket. No sooner had he answered than he was holding it toward her.

  Whisper took the phone to her ear. “Mi amor,” she said without even bothering to look at the screen.

/>   No one else would call her. Period. Not through Bosco’s phone.

  “Quit the attitude.”

  Her mouth fell open. “How do you know I—”

  “You think I can’t tell by the tone of your voice that you’re screwing around. You give Score the script yet?”

  “How do you know I’ve even seen him?” she asked, but hit on the answer and said it in time with his response. “You can track my phone.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re creepy, you know that? You didn’t tell me that Score had a live-in lover.”

  Whisper didn’t even care that the others could hear her. Though she did turn to saunter toward the elevators.

  “Shyla,” he said. “She started out as his housekeeper.”

  “Well, she’s doing more than keep his house now,” Whisper said, running a finger along a side table beneath the mirror attached to a wall perpendicular to the elevator. “Keeps his bed warm too.”

  “Burl knows,” Zay responded.

  “Should I tell your brother that?”

  “Can’t have been there long if you haven’t realized he’s switched on. He’ll know Burl knows.”

  “Hmm,” she said, spinning around to stroll back the way she’d come at the same lazy speed. “Miss me yet?”

  “I didn’t call to shoot the shit, I called to check Score hadn’t killed you yet.”

  “He’s only threatened it two or three times; that’s a glowing welcome where I’m concerned.”

  “Peanut…”

  Just the way he said the word stopped her. The timbre expressed that he needed something.

  “What happened?” He didn’t answer. “Baby?”

  “Doran and me are gonna do something.”

  “What?” she asked, not sure she liked what his tone implied. “You did not send me down here just to keep all the fun for yourself.”

  The statement should’ve been said as a tease, yet she spouted it as an accusation. It infuriated her that he’d think to magic her away just to put himself in danger. If Zay got hurt or killed, she didn’t want to be far away. She wanted to be there with him, to have his back or do whatever needed to be done.

  Doran might be his brother, but Whisper wouldn’t trust anyone to keep Zay safe. Not the way that she would.

  “Relax,” he said. “It’s not dangerous.”

  “Walking down the street is dangerous for you,” she said. “Especially now. Parker doesn’t think you’ll fall in line. He’s had nothing but time to convince Burl of that. Goddamnit, Zay, why did you send me down here?”

  “You know why,” he said. “You’re where you need to be.”

  “You said you’d be right behind me. I’m here. Where the hell are you?”

  “Let me talk to Bos.”

  “No,” she said. “No, whatever you can say to him, you can say to me.”

  “I can’t tell you to protect you. To look out for you before everyone else,” he said. “I do that and you’ll probably jump on a plane just to spite me.”

  Whisper frowned at the floor under her focus. “I’m considering it.”

  “I know you are because it’s what I would do if I was you. Trust me, Peanut.”

  “I hate it when you say that.”

  “You keep Nicki alive and away from phones. She’s our ticket. If we have to trade her to Score for him to give you up—”

  “He doesn’t care about me.”

  “No, but the longer you’re there without me, the more likely you are to piss him off.”

  So maybe he’d want to finish her before Zay was around to step in.

  Her husband wasn’t the only one who could see through his spouse’s ruse. “You’re trying to make me feel involved, pretending like I have some role to play.”

  “Your role is to keep Nicki under wraps.”

  “That’s Bosco’s role,” she said and coughed. “No way you’d ask me to restrain myself.”

  “Bosco’s role is to keep you alive so you’re around when I need something to ride.”

  She exhaled. “You’re a lousy husband, you know that?”

  “And you suck at the dutiful thing.”

  Her lips curled until a whisper of a laugh escaped her. “I want you here.”

  “Soon, baby,” he said. “Put Bosco on.”

  Though she didn’t want to, Whisper stomped over to thrust the phone Bosco’s way. As he took it and turned away to talk to Zay, Whisper looked at Shyla.

  “If I promise not to touch you, will you show me where to find the hard liquor?”

  Shyla didn’t reply until she’d got the nod from Score. Leaving his side, she headed up the room, away from the hallway.

  Shyla paused to look at her. “Follow me.”

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t forget what Zay had asked of her. So after backing up a few steps and grabbing Nicole’s arm, Whisper stalked after their hostess.

  Whisper had elected to take the decanter of good Scotch over anything else in the bar. She liked that her brother-in-law had a bar in his apartment. Sure, the guy might be a homicidal psychopath who hated her and everything she came from, but his priorities aligned with hers.

  Out on the terrace with Shyla and Nicole, Whisper sat on a patio chair, lounging in the sun. Just for kicks, and because she needed a break, she’d put Nicole on another chair around the corner in the shade. Probably pissed her off, but Whisper thought it smart to take advantage of the glazed walls. Meant she could monitor her prisoner without actually being anywhere near her.

  Shyla stood with her back to the view, her arms wide, so her hands rested on the aluminum rail above the glass of the terrace.

  “How long you been screwing my big brother?” Whisper asked, raising her glass. “I know he’ll hate me calling him that. I really can’t help it.”

  Aggravating her family, and more specifically, her father, was the only way she’d ever got their attention. More than that, it was the only outlet for her resentment toward them. Only since her marriage had she realized just how deep her anger towards them ran.

  Maybe it was because Whisper had an opportunity to let go, something she’d never had before. It changed her perspective. The Doherty chains that had allowed her the freedom to be as offensive as she wanted were loosening. Once they were gone, she could give up her need to be callous and bitter… in theory.

  “About three months,” Shyla said. “Well, I started working for him three months ago. We haven’t been sleeping together that long.”

  “Yeah? Your McDade know something about seduction?” The half-smile that Shyla tried to conceal by looking away wasn’t missed. “Lucky you, mine’s idea of seducing me is throwing me to the floor and stuffing his cock in my throat… and he’s got plenty of it.” This time Shyla tried to hide her widening smile by curling her lips into her mouth. “As does yours, I figure from that face.”

  Shyla took her hands from the rail and threaded her own fingers together, pushing them deep against each other. “We thought the marriage was part of a plan.”

  “It was,” Whisper said. “Something cooked up by Burl and Cyrus… my father.”

  The petite beauty frowned. “But Bosco said Razer loves you.”

  “He does,” Whisper said, swigging from her glass. “How could he not?”

  Leaving the rail, though still fidgeting with her fingers, Shyla crossed to sit on the patio chair next to hers. “Score worries about him. I know he does.”

  “McDades don’t worry. Dohertys don’t either.”

  Worrying suggested caring. Caring for another person was a weakness. Whisper frowned at herself. How could she get the Doherty mantras out of her head? Hadn’t she told herself to trust her husband, to work with him? His belief in her had seduced her. For a while, she’d wanted to trust it. Wanted to have something uncomplicated and pure. Zay cared for her. Even Whisper could admit to herself that she cared for him. But the chances of freeing themselves from Burl were so remote that she was afraid to let herself believe they would ever be free to be together without the
patriarch’s interference.

  “Bosco said Razer loves you,” Shyla said. “He didn’t say how you felt about your husband.”

  Whisper couldn’t answer that question. Not to herself. Not to anyone.

  “Because I’m a woman of mystery,” Whisper said and offered her glass to Shyla. “Want some?”

  The hostess’s gaze moved beyond her, to something inside the apartment. Whisper twisted around to see the men in various positions around a glass coffee table. Score was looking their way. Not her way. Toward the woman opposite her. She wasn’t even sure Score saw her, his focus on Shyla was absolute.

  Bringing her attention back around, Whisper took another drink from her glass. “You gotta ask his permission?” Shyla didn’t seem to hear her at first. “Hey!”

  “What?” Shyla asked, snapping out of her trance. “I’m sorry.”

  “What you looking at him for? Scared he’ll fuck off somewhere without you?”

  “No,” Shyla said, curling her fingers around the hem of her dress on her knee. “He always comes back to me.”

  “Ain’t that a loaded statement,” Whisper said. “So how’d you two hook up? Bored one night? Drunk? He’s got appeal, I get that. Seems sort of caveman next to you, but sometimes that works.”

  “What’s Razer like?”

  Dodging the question with one of her own was an interesting tactic. “Not like your McDade,” Whisper said. “He doesn’t go by his street name. Doran either… Not to family anyway… So what’s Score’s plan?”

  “His plan?”

  “Sure,” Whisper said, swirling the liquor in her glass. “He doesn’t let things go. McDades aren’t good at doing that full stop.” Not that Dohertys were. “But Score’s known for leveling the field, righting wrongs.”

  “That’s who he used to be.”

  “He still uses the name.”

  “Habit,” Shyla said.

  In Whisper’s opinion, although the woman wasn’t exactly being defensive, something lingered beneath the surface of what she didn’t say. The answer came just a little too quickly. Intrigued as she was, Whisper was impressed too. The fidgeting was a giveaway about the brunette’s anxiety. Whisper could forgive Shyla that, she wasn’t always the most personable individual.