Mafia King (Young Irish Rebels #2) - Vi Carter Page 0,65

mom wasn’t like that.”

I deepen my hands into Emma’s hair and let my fingers circle along her skull. She arches into me.

“But, she still took care of us. Her boys were her world. She favored Noel.”

Emma isn’t jealous. I can hear the smile in her voice. “It made sense that she favored Noel; he never did anything wrong. He took care of us all.” Her voice wavers.

“At the end, there was nothing left of her. Cancer ate right through her flesh and mind. I remember watching Breda wash my mom’s body down. It was skin and bones; hollow, empty, and I remember thinking if that happens to me, I want someone to put a bullet in my head.”

“I’ll remember that,” I say as I press a kiss to her head. She was so fucking brave. Braver than most I knew. Right now, I was too weak to even ask her what happened when I wasn’t here. I’m terrified in case something happened that I can’t take back.

I’m not brave enough to ask.

“That’s if we get out of here.” Her words have my hands pausing. I remove my hand and tilt her chin up, so she’s looking at me.

“I’m Shay O’Reagan. I’m a fucking King. I’m going to get us out of this.”

Her emerald gaze roams my face, and she nods.

Her tongue flicks out and licks her red ruby lips.

“Okay.” Her one word of confidence in me makes me a little bit braver.

I lean down and press my lips gently to hers. “I’m sorry, Emma,” I say and deepen the kiss, not wanting her to tell me, but I want her to know I’m sorry she was stuck here in this room. In this place.

She’s staring up into my eyes like I mean something to her—my gut twists.

“I had it all so wrong. I had been raised to believe that all Northerners were evil.” Her lips drag down along the edges. “Northerners aren’t evil, Shay. Men are.”

I close my eyes against the pain her words ignite in me. We need to get out of here. I want to know what happened while she was alone. My bravery grows. I can kill a man or command a room. I can stand naked in front of the world for all I care. But to find out if anyone touched Emma is weakening me by the second.

“We need to find a way out,” I say as I glance around the room.

“I’ve tried everything.” Emma moves out of my arms.

I take a step toward the door and manage to stay upright.

“The door is locked. The windows are sealed. The vent is too small for even me to fit through.”

I spin in a circle, understanding that those three ways are the only ways that might be considered as an out.

The door rattles, and I’m moving back. “Get behind me.”

I’m reaching for a gun that my mind has already decided isn’t there. It isn’t. My da would have made sure I was checked.

“What if they hurt you again?” Emma speaks beside me, and I reach around and push her behind me.

It’s my da who steps into the room first. I see the silver suit outside the door. Lucian. He’s on the phone, but he turns and meets my gaze.

“I’ll speak to you later.” He ends the call and steps into the room with my da. I keep a hand on Emma, who stays behind me. Her warmth gives me the strength not to attack them. We stand and stare at each other.

“You made a deal that you had no right making.” Lucian breaks the silence as he kicks the door closed behind him.

I grin. That was fucking stupid. He must have a gun or two on him to feel secure in a room with me. My da was here to try to get me out of trouble. I was still pissed at him, but Lucian was stupid to think if this went south that my da was on his side. Between us, he wouldn’t leave this room alive.

“Liam O’Reagan will never have any control over the North. It can’t be allowed.”

I grin. “Why didn’t you just say that, Lucian? You didn’t have to do all this.” I grit my teeth, hoping to stay as calm as I can, but already I just want to hurt him.

“You are a King, you have power, and you can make those types of deals.” My da steps closer and pauses when I flash him a warning. What he has done to