All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,52

of all men. Pathetic. And how is your brother doing these days? Can he walk yet?”

His eyes narrow at me, the shock wearing off enough that he thinks about putting his hands on me but I’m not scared.

Not with Illi and Aodhan here. Not with Ash and Harley and Blaise only a phone call away.

Not while I wear the Wolf of Mounts Bay’s insignia on my body and her love and loyalty in my heart.

If he touched me, he wouldn’t be breathing for much longer and for the first time that doesn’t make me feel powerless, like some precious thing to be protected and a burden on my loved ones.

Sometimes I guess I need to be reminded that I’m strong by myself but with my family I’m unstoppable.

I pat his cheek like he’s a simpleton and then I glance back up at an impressed Aodhan. “I’d like to go home now.”

Aodhan watches me carefully as he drives me home but I’m too busy trying to contain the mess my head is in to call him out for it.

“Do you have a file about me somewhere? Do you already know all about the skeletons in my closet?” he murmurs and I sigh, staring out at the city around us. He’s taking a different way home but I know all of the possible routes and I still feel safe here.

“I do. I’ve had a file on you from the moment I found out about Harley, I’ve known about you long before you even knew I existed.”

He nods, frowning just a little. “And if you wanted to destroy me, what would you say?”

I frown. “I don’t want to destroy you Aodhan, but I think I’m already doing a great job of it. Maybe I should fuck someone else, someone other than Atticus just to really fuck my life up. Jesus Christ, why do I keep saying his name? Can we go a little faster? I need to get home.”

Aodhan takes a turn and it’s definitely not the way home now. “Tell me. What’s in my file that’ll break me?”

I shift in my seat so I’m staring at him like he’s lost his mind because I think he has. “I need to go home, Aodhan. I need a shower and a new kitchen or maybe I’ll bake. Can we stop at the store on the way? Never mind, I’ll get a delivery.”

He pulls into a large parking lot at the fishing docks. There’s only one boat here being loaded up and men shouting out orders that I can hear through the closed car doors once Aodhan kills the engine.

“My dad beat my mom every day of their marriage. Was that in the file?”

I keep my eyes glued on what’s happening on the boat. “Yes. Your mum died from it and then he started beating your sister. You’re the only one left now you put a bullet in Domhnall. You have cousins though, dozens of them. I don’t really know how you keep making all of this time to come see me when you’re busy being the head of your family over there.”

He pulls the keys out of the ignition and settles back in his seat.

I get the feeling we’re not going home and I really don’t want to explain to him just how badly I need to break some things. To scour my skin until it bleeds, to strip everything away until the barren void and new beginning settles the panic in my chest.

“My sister killed my mom.”

My eyes widen a little and the chaos in my head settles down enough that I can listen to him… for now. I don’t know how long it will last.

“My dad did beat my mom and me but he left Cara alone. He beat my mom because he saw her as property and he beat me because that’s how you learn to be a man. He always said Éibhear spoiled Harley you know… always said that he was going to turn out soft because he actually loved his son. I think Éibhear was too different for the family, that’s the real reason they fucking destroyed Iris and then killed him. They never liked it when people did things different.”

I look over at him but his eyes are focusing on the boat, to where they’re getting ready to leave for another long day of fishing.

He continues. “So, my dad never laid a hand on Cara but mom did. She was a mean old bitch but she knew better