Page 14 of Beautiful Trauma (The Irish Rogues #5)

I floated along in a dreamy consciousness. As I came more awake, someone was smacking my cheek. An image of the dark-haired goddess I’d been fucking floated into my mind.

“Not those cheeks,” I teasingly replied.

“Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, is he having some sort of sex dream?” a faraway voice questioned.

“Considering his cock is at half-mast, I’d say yes,” someone replied.

“Give the kinky bastard some smelling salts.”

The next thing I knew, the pungent aroma of ammonia sent me shooting straight up. I cracked open my eyes and immediately shut them as it felt like a thousand tiny knives stabbing against my skull.

“Easy, boyo,” Callum’s voice said beside me.

What the hell was he doing here? He hadn’t been working tonight. It had just been me.

Wait, there was a gorgeous brunette, too.

Mya

Her name echoed through my aching head. Mya with the intoxicating smell. Mya with the mouthwatering curves. Mya asking me to dance.

And then everything came flooding back.

The dance floor.

My office.

Her soft curves.

Her nipples in my mouth.

Her arousal on my tongue.

Her pussy clamping around my cock like a vise.

Her walls fluttering and convulsing with her orgasms.

Cracking open one eye, my frantic gaze spun around the room searching for her.

“She’s gone,” Dare answered from my other side.

Groaning, I rubbed my head. “What happened?”

“You were drugged,” Callum said.

I frowned. “But I didn’t take anything.”

“You didn’t willingly. You were given ketamine,” Quinn answered.

“I was?”

Quinn nodded. “We found the discarded needle.”

As the realization crashed down on me, my heart twisted in my chest. I pinched my eyes shut in a different pain this time. There was only one person who could've possibly drugged me.

Mya .

The weight of her deception caused the ache in my chest to grow, and I found it harder and harder to breathe. Part of me welcomed the suffocation. Death would end the agonizing pain of Mya’s betrayal. Not to mention the humiliation.

The first woman I’d had a true connection with in months had betrayed me in the worst possible way. And now all of my older brothers were here to experience my degradation firsthand.

When I tried sitting up, the room spun me around like I was on a crazed merry-go-round. “Fuck,” I rasped.

“Easy now,” Quinn ordered.

Leaning forward, I buried my head in my hands. As the room continued spinning, so did my thoughts. Each revelation was like a knife piercing my skin.

Mya had drugged me.

Everything about our time together had been a lie.

She hadn’t truly been interested in me.

She’d played me like a fucking fool to get some sort of information from me.

She’d fucked me in more ways than one.

“She was good,” I muttered.

Dare snorted. “She had to be to get you to forget your morals.”

Pulling my hands away, it was then that I realized I was naked with a used condom still on my cock.

With a grunt of disgust, I swept it off. Since I still couldn’t walk, Quinn slid a trash can in front of me. After tossing it, I collapsed back against the cushions.

“Can I ask one thing?” Dare questioned.

Preparing to be further interrogated, I asked, “What?”

Dare motioned to my crotch. “Since when did you get your cock pierced?”

Callum grunted. “Fucking hell, Dare, this is serious.”

“I am serious.”

With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “A drunken night right after I learned of Reagan’s affair.”

Dare nodded. “Considering how much bigger your cock looks with it, I’m fancying one myself.”

“It doesn’t make it look bigger.”

“Yeah, it–”

“It is bigger than yours,” I countered with a pointed look.

As Quinn and Callum howled, Dare grinned. “Aye, as much as I hate to admit it, you are.”

Callum flashed his teeth as he smiled. “Thankfully, we’re a well-endowed family.”

Quinn tossed a blanket at me. “Better cover up that monster schlong.”

“Flattering me is cheap at a time like this,” I replied as I draped the soft cotton across me.

With a wink, Quinn replied, “Just calling it as I see it.”

Turning my attention to Callum, I asked, “So, why did I get played and drugged?”

“Since no money or valuables are missing, this was a specific target for information. We retrieved two hacking devices from the computers as well as one on your phone.”

I grimaced. “How long were we compromised?”

“You’ve been out about an hour.

My jaw unhinged in shock. “Motherfucker,” I gritted out.

Callum nodded. “Thankfully Andrew came to check on you and alerted us to what had happened. He also had the presence of mind to do a sweep of the room for devices, so they weren’t in long.”

“But probably long enough to do real damage.”

“We don’t know yet. I called in Gianni to work with our guys to plug any leaks.”

“Do we know if there’s something specific they’re after?”

Dare shook his head. “At this point, it could be about anything, and it could've been enacted by any family.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

Eamon appeared in the doorway then with a cup of steaming coffee. “Glad to see you awake, boyo.”

Grunting, I reached for the coffee. “I wish I could say the same.”

As the liquid scorched down my throat, Eamon shook his head. “Look, it’s nothing personal against you. She would’ve done the same thing to me.”

Scowling at him, I countered, “Don’t lie. They specifically targeted me because I’m weak.”

Eamon shook his head. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, mate. As the only single Kavanaughs, we were prime for the taking.”

Quinn nodded. “Mr. Manwhore would’ve been as good a target as you.”

With a grin, Eamon replied, “See?”

Although I wanted to believe him, my trauma continued to plant seeds of doubt in my mind. Whoever did this had obviously planned to do it on a night I was working rather than my brothers.

After downing the last sip of coffee, I held out the mug. “Can I get a refill?”

“Sure,” Eamon replied.

As he reached for it, I said, “This time with whiskey.”

He flicked his gaze to Quinn, our pseudo medic, for approval. “One shot.”

“Seriously?” I demanded.

With a diplomatic look, Quinn replied, “Let’s get you home before you get drunk off your ass.”

Although my legs shook like a newborn colt, I managed to pull myself to my feet. After wrapping the blanket around my waist, I said, “I’m ready.”

Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “You were given a helluva dose. I don’t think you can make it to the car.”

Closing my eyes, I held up my hand. “Don’t you dare suggest that I let you carry me.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Callum questioned.

I opened my eyes to pin him with a seething glare. “I’ve been completely emasculated tonight by a woman seducing and duping me. I’d rather die than have someone see me being carried out of here.”

“We could cover your head,” Dare suggested.

“Fuck that.”

“You and your pride,” Callum muttered.

With a mirthless laugh, I replied, “After the last six months, there isn’t much of it left.”

As Callum winced, Dare stepped forward. “Come on, Monster Schlong. You and I have a date with a cold shower to sober you up, so you can walk your proud ass out of here.”

Although I considered telling him to go fuck himself, the sincere look in his eyes told me not to. “All right,” I relented.

Dare nodded. “Glad you decided to see things my way.”

“You’re such an egomaniac.”

With a chuckle, Dare replied, “When you’re as amazing as I am, you can’t help being one.”

“Jaysus,” Callum muttered.

Quinn jerked his chin at Eamon. “Go get more coffee.”

“Will do,” he said before turning around and heading out of the office.

I stiffened when Dare slipped his hand around my waist. When I met his gaze, he shook his head. “No one to worry about seeing you be weak in here. We’re all in this together.”

Since I was afraid speaking would betray my emotions, I bobbed my head in acknowledgement. My brothers were the only reasons why I was still standing. Somehow, they would see me through this.