Page 7 of Beautiful Trauma (The Irish Rogues #5)

T he screeching sound of my alarm pierced through my dream-like state. With a groan, I rolled over to smack my phone on my nightstand. Rubbing my eyes, I tried coming awake. Although it was four in the afternoon, the room was pitch black with the blackout curtains.

After hitting the button for the curtains to retract, I rolled over to find the bed empty. Raising my head, I peered over the bedside to see if her clothes still were discarded on the floor.

When they were, I called, “Brooke?”

“Kitchen!” she called back.

I’d just raised up when she appeared in the doorway wearing one of my T-shirts. “I made you breakfast.” Wagging her brows, she added, “Would you like it in bed?”

Chuckling, I replied, “You made me breakfast in the afternoon?”

“I’d be a pretty shitty fuck buddy if I didn’t remember how much you like breakfast before you go in for the night shift.”

Shaking my head, I swung my legs out of the bed. “You are not a fuck buddy.”

Cocking her blonde brows, she suggested, “Bestie with Benefits?”

As I walked over to her, I grinned. “I’m well acquainted with that term as well as the fact there were no “benefits” last night besides cuddling.”

She laughed as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Considering your new buff bod, I should get a medal for not listening to my neglected vagina when it said to attack you.”

I smacked her hands off playfully. “Don’t cheapen our relationship by objectifying me.”

“You were hot as fuck our fist time, K, but damn, you are smoking now.”

After bestowing a kiss on her cheek, I replied, “Thanks, B.”

Four years ago, I’d been introduced to Brooke when her sister, Isla, started dating my brother, Quinn.

At that time, I was in hell over my guilt about my involvement in Maeve’s rape while Brooke was adjusting to single motherhood at nineteen.

We both had a desperate need for sex, not just for intimacy, but to conquer the ghosts of our past.

While we both went on to other relationships, we often came back to each other after breakups. But we’d only fucked that one time. Brooke’s breakup was fresher than mine, so she’d called last night and asked for a sleepover.

“Listen, I’d love to stay, but I need to grab Henry from Isla’s.” She smiled at the reference to her son. “Apparently, he’s some sort of Rian whisperer, so I might not get him back.”

I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Take care of yourself, B.”

“I always bounce back,” she replied with more bravado than I knew she felt.

After smacking my ass, she said, “You better eat those eggs before they get cold.”

“I will,” I mused.

After enjoying Brooke’s breakfast with two cups of coffee, I showered and got into my suit. Although Bandia didn’t open until seven, I always went in by six. There was always business to do before the doors opened.

As I was sliding on my suit jacket, my doorbell rang. After a quick glance at my phone, Dare’s concerned face reflected back at me in the camera feed. Something about his expression sent unease prickling over me.

I hustled over to the door and threw it open. “What’s wrong?”

He gave me a tight smile. “Hello to you too, boyo.”

A practically humorless Dare was extremely concerning. “Since when have you ever dropped by my place for a social visit?” I countered.

After taking in my appearance, he asked, “Hot date or work?”

Scowling, I replied, “You know as well as I do that I’m on at Bandia tonight.”

He gave an absentminded shake of his head. “Right. I forgot.”

Anxiety twisted through my chest. “Are Ava and Piper okay?”

In the last month, Dare’s world had been turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend, Ava, came back into his life after four years. Even though she’d left him because she’d discovered his involvement with the mafia, she was desperate enough to ask Dare to take care of her stalker ex-boyfriend.

Grimacing, he replied, “For the moment.”

“Fuck,” I muttered.

With a nod, he said, “I’ll fill you in on the way down.”

“Sounds good.”

As we started down the hallway, I cut my eyes over to Dare. “Considering you look like hell, don’t keep me in suspense.”

The corner of his lip quirked at my comment. “Feck you, mate.”

“Just calling it as I see it.”

When we stepped onto the elevator, Dare exhaled a ragged breath. “I took care of Ava’s bastard of an ex last night.”

I furrowed my brows at him. “If he’s out of the picture, what’s the problem?”

“During the torture session, he admitted to going on the dark web to find someone to hunt down Ava for him. While searching, he discovered people looking for her.”

“What people?”

“He didn’t know.” At my disbelieving look, he said, “Trust me. With everything I was doing to him, he would’ve sang like a canary if he’d known.”

I didn’t have to ask him what the people wanted with Ava. Those on the dark web were only interested in women for dark purposes like trafficking or revenge killings.

The elevator door dinged open, and we stepped into the lobby. It was then I noticed two more bodyguards stationed throughout the room. “More manpower, huh?”

Dare nodded. “Until I can figure out the threat, I’m amping it up here and at Ava’s house.”

“You don’t think it would be better to have her and Piper here until the threat can be neutralized,” I suggested.

“I don’t want to alarm Ava.” When I started to argue, he shook his head. “I can’t be a hundred percent certain that Wesley wasn’t fucking with me.”

“Let me guess. You have Gianni and his best men on it?”

Gianni Neretti was a genius at computer hacking. He also happened to be Callum’s brother-in-law. Since their marriage, we often called on his expertise.

“Absofuckinglutely,” Dare gritted out.

“What can I do?”

With a regretful sigh, Dare replied, “Nothing. I just wanted you to be aware of what was going on.”

“You don’t think it could be Korolova, do you?”

Just before Ava had come back into his life, an arranged marriage had been brokered between Annika Korlova and Dare. Her father was the pahkan of Philly. As far as I knew, Dare had yet to speak to Annika’s father, Danill about voiding the contract.

Dare snorted. “Korolova wouldn’t give two shits if he thought I was cheating on Annika. I mean, our contract clearly states that we don’t have to be exclusive. She can fuck all the women she wants, and so can I.”

Grimacing, I muttered, “Jesus.”

With a chuckle, Dare replied, “Come on, boyo. This is me we’re talking about. I was never going to be faithful to any bride from an arranged marriage.”

“But you will be to Ava,” I challenged.

Dare’s face sobered immediately. “You’re fucking right I will.”

“Even if it’s not Korolova, don’t you think you should tell him you want to break the contract?”

“I’ve got too much going on right now to deal with his bullshit.”

“What do you think he’ll want in retribution?"

With an amused look, he cocked his brows at me. “Since he wants Annika married to a Kavanaugh because that gives him even more power on the Eastern seaboard, you wanna take my place?”

I swallowed hard. Even as the fourth son, I was prepared for an arranged marriage. But in my view, my wife and I would be faithful to each other and try to grow a long-standing love.

At the same time, I would always have allegiance to my family. “If that’s what you need from me, I’ll do it.”

Appreciation flashed in Dare’s eyes before he shook his head. “That’s noble of you, brother, but we’ll find her another Kavanaugh, even if we have to go to Belfast to do it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why the fuck wouldn’t you use me?”

“Get your head out of your arse, Kellan. It’s not because you have any fucking defects.”

“Then what?”

He clapped his hands to my cheeks. “Because after all the hell you’ve been through, you deserve true love from a woman who only has eyes for you.”

Surprise flooded me at both his statement and the passion behind its delivery. “Thanks, Dare.”

With a wink, he replied, “Anytime.” After shoving me away, he said, “Now get your arse to work.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”