She’s standin’ at the kitchen counter wearin’ nothin’ but a pair of her knickers and one of my T-shirts. She doesn’t hear me enter the room, her focus on whatever the feck she’s got on the stove. The smell of something delicious hits my nostrils and I smile at the thought of her bein’ my wife, cookin’ breakfast together before we head to the club and work.
It’s a fantasy I’ve had before. But when I thought she just didn’t want me, I buried it deep down because I couldn’t come to terms with the hurt it caused. The idea of not bein’ with her was too much to handle. It was easier to ignore it than to face it.
Perhaps that’s why now I’m still in awe of her bein’ here. When she spins around, her eyes widen in surprise. Her mouth pops open, and I’m lost in thoughts of what I’d like to do to her right here in the kitchen.
“Enjoyin’ yerself?” I ask, leanin’ against the doorframe with my arms folded.
Her cheeks darken from pink to a shade of red. “Yes,” she says. “Made some breakfast. Wasn’t much in your fridge.”
“I don’t eat here often.”
Einin looks up at me. The sadness in her eyes at my statement grips my heart. She can tell I wasn’t happy here. I was livin’ my life, but there wasn’t a place I truly felt at peace.
The club is good for me. It gives me the focus I need when things get too much, but that soul-deep happiness was always out of reach. I knew it was because I could never have the love I’d lost. I could never have Einin.
“I’m sorry.” Her whisper is filled with anguish, which forces me to go to her.
I stop inches from her, and I cup her cheeks in my hands. Her gaze lasers in on mine. She can’t look away.
“Ye’re here now,” I assure her before pressin’ a kiss to her lips then I step back. “What’s for brekkie then?”
“Nothin’ special,” she tells me before turning back to whatever she’s been busy with. “I am not a great cook.” While Einin is busyin’ herself, I step up behind her and slide my arms around her waist. My chin rests on her shoulder and I press a kiss to her neck.
“Anythin’ ye do will be grand,” I whisper. “Today, we have a lot of work to do.”
I release her and let her finish up while I sit at the counter. When she places a plate in front of me, I’m astounded. Even though it’s fairly basic—eggs, toast, and some bacon—there are spices on the top I didn’t know I had in the cupboard.
“Like I said, nothing special.” She sets down a mug of freshly brewed coffee, which I always have in the house, before joinin’ me. “Tell me what you do?” she asks before bitin’ into the toast.
“Well,” I say, lookin’ up to find her starin’ at me. “The club needs someone who can hack into systems and gather information. After ye left Ballycastle, I finished off my final year at school and headed down to Belfast. Da paid fer me to come here. Sold the shop.”
“He sold the shop?” Her mouth pops open. Surprise clear on her face. She knows how much that place meant to my da.
“Aye.” I nod. “He said he didn’t want me to end up like him, stuck there with no future.” I consider this for a moment before I say, “We should head up the road and see the town. I can take ye to see ye ma’s grave.”
“I’d like that.” Einin’s sadness is bone-deep.
I can’t imagine losin’ Da and not knowin’, and then when I finally find out, realisin’ I’ll never get to say goodbye. The old man is gettin’ old now. I have to get up there and see how he’s doin’. And I’m sure it will be nice for Einin to be back.
“We need to finish up some shite at the club, and then soon, we’re takin’ a few days off.”
I don’t think he’ll mind. I’ve been workin’ every day for months, and I need the time to clear my head. There’s somethin’ I want to do up in my old home town as well, and I need Einin with me.
Suddenly, Einin asks, “Would you teach me to do what you do?” She waves her hand in the air. “For work I mean.”
“Ye want ta get into computers?”
“Yes, I think it will allow me to help other girls who’ve gone through what I have. And maybe even save a few who’ve been taken and sold off like livestock.”
I can hear the anger in her voice. It’s twisted around every word. I don’t blame her, to be fair. Over the years of me workin’ at the club, diggin’ into law enforcement databases, I’ve found so many cases of missin’ persons. Girls of every age, some even younger than I ever thought possible. I vowed I would spend my life catchin’ the bastards who do this shite, and I’m thankful I’m able to. It’s the reason I offered my services to the club. Monster’s focus on the criminal organisations is as strong as mine. Now that we know Bragan is behind the traffickin’, we can knuckle down and find the fecker.
“Then ye’ll work with me,” I tell Einin. If she thinks she can handle it, I’m not goin’ta deny her the opportunity to get her revenge. This way, I can keep her safe in the office while she feels as if she’s doin’ somethin’. ’Cause there ain’t a chance in hell I’m lettin’ her walk out into the line of fire.
“Let’s get ready then,” she announces before finishin’ up her breakfast and sashayin’ her sweet arse through my flat. When I hear the shower turn on, I follow close behind because I’m in need of another taste of my wee bird.
ELEVEN
EININ