Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“No,” I interrupt. “Jagger said to come alone.”
“Not fucking happening.” Rory pulls away, moves in that way he does when he can’t control himself, like he’s pulsing with an overpowering current. He picks up a vase, throws it, and it shatters against the wall.
Aislin jumps.
“Rory…can you handle this? If you can’t, you’ll be the one sitting this one out, son,” Rian says. “You have got to get yourself under control.”
And this, I see, is why Tiernan said we weren’t ready to do things together yet. And now we don’t have a choice. Well, if Rory can get himself together, that is.
“Fuck you. You’re not my father,” Rory curses.
“No, your father is dead because he couldn’t get himself together.” The harshness of his words rakes over my skin like sandpaper.
“Fuck you, Rian,” Rory seethes.
“Dad,” Cillian snaps, warning in that one word.
But I ignore them. None of them are my concern right now. Only Rory is.
What would Ollie do? I remember Rory telling me that once, that it’s what he asks himself, and as soon as I do, I’m walking over to Rory. It’s like everyone else in the room has disappeared and it’s only the two of us. “Rory,” I say, and when he doesn’t answer, “Cherry.”
He shakes his head, tugs at his hair, but that doesn’t stop me from wrapping my arms around him, from brushing my cheek against his. He’s fucking shaking, vibrating in my arms, and Christ, all I want is to take that fear away from him.
Still pressed together, mouth close to his ear, I speak softly, only for us. “Baby, I can do this. I’ll be okay. I’m not fucking leaving you.” When he doesn’t answer right away, I try to think of every way I can to ground him, keep him here with me and not getting lost in his head. “Breathe, Cherry. Be a good boy for me and breathe.”
His breathing slows, the tremble in his limbs subsiding.
“We get to fuck shit up together,” I tell him. “You just gotta give me a couple minutes on my own, okay? And then it’s me and you. I’m not fucking dying today, not when I finally know what it’s like to be happy, all because of you.”
The low, possessive growl he gives in response fills me up, leads me to that place where only Rory has ever been able to bring me, where I know what it’s like to be loved…and being loved by him is the greatest fucking gift.
“You can’t kill them all without me,” he says softly, and for the first time since he walked away, I breathe easier.
“I wouldn’t think of it.” He’s back. I brought him back, and there’s nothing like the feeling of knowing I can be who he needs. “We gonna do this?”
“We’re going to fucking do it,” he says. “Thank you for bringing me back.”
“Always. You brought me to life.”
Rian clears his throat, pulling us into reality with the rest of them.
“He gets hurt, I’m killing you guys,” Rory says.
Rian rolls his eyes, Conan crosses his arms and watches, but Finan says playfully, “You gonna take on the adults in the room, kid? Let’s spar.” He bounces around, similarly to how Rory does.
“Can we get fucking serious now?” Tiernan asks.
“Sorry, Daddy T,” Rory says, and we get back to planning.
They’re going to put a mic on me so they know what’s going down. I’ll drive on my own, the others behind me. While I go in, they’ll sneak onto the property. My job is to get as close to my mom as possible, try to keep her safe. When I’m ready for them to come in, I say Rory’s name, and then all fucking hell will break loose.
*
It’s been almost twenty-four hours and Jagger hasn’t called, and every time I try to call my mom’s phone, it goes directly to voice mail. We all know that can’t be a good sign. He must have figured out who Rory is. It’s not as if it’s that hard to do in Ashford. I’m praying he doesn’t understand how Rory’s family works, doesn’t get the way they stick by one another. It’s not the way Jagger runs his operation. He doesn’t give a fuck about anyone but himself, so I can only hope he doesn’t expect what’s coming for him.
“You look tired, pet.” Rory fingers my hair. He’s sitting on the couch, me on the floor between his legs, my head on his thigh. None of us slept all night. Aislin is still here, Ollie staying awake with us, the mood somber.
For me. They’re all doing this for me, and I will never be able to express what that means to me, but we all also know that any of us can die, any of us might get hurt, and that’s a heavy weight to bear. “I just want this to be over. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”