“You organized a car accident to have my stepfather killed?”
Niall falls silent as the entire room turns to look between Seamus and me. He rubs his jaw where Niall hit him.
“Sean organized it,” Seamus sighs, turning to Niall. “I argued for it to be you. But Sean knew you’d make it too personal. The Russians took care of it.”
“More shots!” Fiona suddenly yells, pouring out the vodka and flipping off Ronan when he goes to speak. Niall stalks over to me, tugging me into his lap in the easy chair, stewing until everyone leaves.
Finally, the door swings shut behind Ronan and Fiona, sniping over whether Ronan will give Fiona a lift home. Niall sighs, his fingers stroking through my hair, tension radiating off him.
“I’m sorry I invited everyone over,” I whisper. Niall tilts my chin up, his eyes finding mine.
“This is yer home too,amhuirnín. Ye can invite whoever ye like.”
“So, why are you upset? Is it because the Russians killed Hart, and you didn’t get to?”
“Aye, a little.”
“You’re more than a little upset.”
“Rapist trash?”
I cringe, his eyes on fire with rage. Oh. Fiona’s cheer. “Metaphorical.”
“So, he didn’t….”
“Nothing more than I already said,” I reply quickly, cutting him off. Niall nods, stroking his fingers through my hair again.
“Let’s go to bed,amhuirnín. I need to see yer eyes.”
NIALL
Mellie is in the kitchen, toasting a bagel for lunch when I stalk into the apartment. She glances up with a beaming smile, and I feel some of my annoyance drain away.
Ever since the Russians took out her stepfather, Mellie has seemed younger and more carefree. I was beyond furious that Sean went behind my back to organize it. But seeing how happy she is not to have the specter of him hanging over her and knowing she doesn’t have to live with the knowledge that I’m the one who did it, I think I can let it go.
“Bagel?” she asks, holding out the plate to me. My eyes slide over the bag they came out of, and I’m reminded why I came home in the middle of the day.
“Went on a little field trip, did ye?”
I nod to the packaging for the bagel place as Mellie blinks at me innocently, shrugging.
“They do the best bagels.” She turns to spread cream cheese on a second one.
“They’re in Southie,” I point out. Mellie looks over at me with a smirk and a roll of her eyes.
“Yeah. That’s probably why they do the best bagels.”
“Ye took thebusto get them.” I raise my eyebrows, and she freezes for the barest moment, offering a small shrug.
“You had the car.”
Mellie shrugs like it’s not a big deal. I clench my fists and grit my jaw, flexing my fingers and taking a deep breath.
“Amhuirnín,” I sigh at her, “I told ye that ye weren’t to take the bus anymore. We’ll be getting ye an SUV tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you like my taking the bus?”
She ignores my declaration that we’ll be buying her a vehicle. I reach over and tug at her lower lip. Every time she pouts, I want to fuck her.