Page 23 of Duncan (Irish Mob of Boston #1)

Duncan

I had mo bandia in my arms, and my mouth fused to hers when her words took hold in my mind.

“What?” I asked, pulling back. What the fuck was she talking about? She didn’t have to look for me. She had me and she fucking walked away.

“It’s been you all along. You’re the one the universe chose for me.”

I stepped back. Something wasn’t right here. Maybe I was letting Sal get in my head again, but his warnings from when I first met Freyja returned.

“You aren’t making any sense, Freyja.”

“Lucille told me I would meet the man the universe had chosen for me at Mardi Gras. And you’re here.”

“Who the fuck is Lucille?”

She swallowed and bit her lip. The unease prickling at my skin grew.

“Lucille Ball. She speaks to me in my dreams.”

I took another step back. It would have made more sense if she’d said Lucille, the damn bat from The Walking Dead. At least then I would know she was fucking crazy.

But she said it with such pride. Such conviction that there was no doubt in my mind that she believed it.

She honestly believed that a dead actress from the fifties spoke to her in her dreams. When Sal heard this bullshit, I would never live it down.

“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, Freyja.”

“It’s not a game, Duncan. Lucille told me.”

Playing along until I could get away, I asked, “Then why did you tell me there was someone else? Why walk away from me?”

“Because she didn’t tell me it was you,” she explained, as if that answered everything.

It didn’t answer shit. There were more questions running through my head than I could even voice. Like how the hell had I gotten it so fucking wrong?

“You really believe this shit?”

Freyja narrowed her eyes at me, and I watched as her face transformed into one of abject anger.

“You are Irish catholic, right?” she asked as she folded her arms over her chest.

I nodded, then looked around, noticing that others were listening.

“So, you believe a child was born to a woman who had never had sex? Then that child grew up never doing anything wrong. To then perform miracles, that if anyone else had performed, they would have been accused of being a witch. And that when they killed him on a stake for doing those magic miracles, everything you’ve done wrong in your life is absolved? ”

She punched her finger into my chest with each point. And I would never admit it to her but when she said it like that it did seem ludicrous. But it was how I was raised.

“But Lucille Ball can’t speak to me in a dream? What makes the dead man you talk to more believable than the dead woman that talks to me? Would you prefer I said it was the Virgin Mary who told me? Would that make it believable? UGH, MEN!”

She threw her hands in the air and spun around, her dress flowing behind her as she stormed off and left me standing in a crowd of people, wondering what the hell just happened.

How did I go from being angry she was here to being angry that she left? I watched her stalk away and then suddenly stopped to speak to someone. I couldn’t tell who it was, but then she looked around his shoulder at me.

My feet started moving before my brain caught up to what I was seeing. Nolan Kelley turned and looked over his shoulder at me. His face paled in shock, and I knew what he was about to do.

Placing my finger and thumb between my lips, I whistled as loud as I could and hoped my men heard it over the music. Kelley reached for Freyja, and she slapped him across the face before stepping back away from him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mac and Oscar converge toward Kelley. They would reach him before I did.

Something spooked him though, and I followed his gaze. Liam and Gavin came up behind him. He grabbed Freyja’s arm and yanked her in front of him as he backed toward the exit.

How the people around us made no move to help a woman in obvious distress made no sense. But mo bandia didn’t need their help.

Kelley had an arm wrapped around Freyja’s waist as he dragged her back. She grabbed his hand, digging her fingernails into his skin.

That’s it, baby.

The pain from her nails had him stumbling, and Freyja took the opportunity to stomp on his foot. She threw her head back in his face and he finally released her, shoving her toward Liam in an effort to get away.

Liam seamlessly turned her into Gavin’s arms and followed Kelley out into the crowded street. Mac and Oscar followed him. I reached Freyja and Gavin just as she slammed her hand into his throat.

“Freyja, stop!”

I pulled her into my arms and held her tight as she struggled.

“It’s me, mo bandia . I’ve got you,” I whispered into her ear, and she finally calmed.

“What the fuck?” Ronan snapped as he went to his brother, who gasped for breath.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know who you were.”

“Shh, Freyja, it’s not your fault.”

“The fuck it’s not.” Ronan yelled. “She punched him in the throat.”

“Stop,” Gavin rasped. “Not... her fault. Scared... Kelley.”

Gavin tried to catch his breath. Freyja pulled away and went to him. Standing in front of him, she looked into his eyes.

“Look at me,” she said, placing a hand on Gavin’s arm. And when Gavin looked up, she commanded, “Breathe with me. Slowly. Inhale...three, two, one. Exhale... three, two, one. Again.” A moment later, Gavin was breathing consistently, though still slowly.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, her hand still on his arm.

“Not your fault,” Gavin rasped and then smiled.

“Gavin, fuck off,” I snapped, pulling Freyja back into my arms.

“Don’t you snap at him. He caught me, saving me from falling when the other oaf passed me off.”

“That other oaf is my brother, and he followed after the man that tried to drag you out of here,” Ronan scoffed, glaring at Freyja. Ronan and Liam both were of the same mind— I can fuck up my family, but no one else can. They were fiercely protective when they weren’t trying to kill each other.

“He wouldn’t have hurt me. He knows better.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Ronan asked.

“Freyja Malpas.”

“You say that like I should know who the fuck you are.”

“Ronan, watch the fuckin’ attitude,” I growled, getting between him and Freyja.

“You may not know who I am, but Nolan Kelley does. He’s in enough shit that he wouldn’t risk adding my brother’s club to it.”

Ronan looked at Sal, who until now hadn’t said a word. “Who the fuck is her brother?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sal said. “Let’s go.”

Sal stormed off, McCoy following right behind him. Ronan and Gavin stood there waiting for me.

“You heard Sal, go,” I pressed. I needed a few minutes with Freyja.

“We can wait for you. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” Ronan snarked.

“Go, asshole.” Gavin shoved his brother forward before turning back to Freyja. “It was nice to meet you, Miss Malpas. I wish it had been under better circumstances.” Then the fucker smiled brightly at her.

“Get the hell out of here.”

I turned to Freyja. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, excuse me.” She turned and walked away from me. I couldn’t help but smile at her anger as I followed behind her.

“Freyja, we need to talk.”

“We don’t. You have said quite enough.”

I reached out for her elbow and pulled her back toward me. When I looked into her eyes, they were glassy with unshed tears.

“Don’t cry, mo bandia .”

“I’m not crying. I’m pissed!” she yelled as a tear slipped down her cheek. She wrenched her arm from my hand and demanded, “Go. You have business to attend to.”

“Freyja!” I called out, but she flipped her middle finger at me and stormed off.

“I’ll follow her, boss. Make sure she gets back safely.”

I turned at the voice. “Thank you, Rian. I didn’t realize anyone was still here.”

“Sal asked me to stay and wait for you.”

“Of course he did.”

Rian walked off in the same direction as Freyja. At least I would know where she was staying now. I watched until Freyja and Rian were both out of sight and then turned to walk in the direction Liam had followed Kelley.

I had no idea where they had gone, but once they caught up with him, someone would let me know. I slipped off my jacket and hung it over my arm, loosening the bow tie around my neck.

It was hot as hell down here for the beginning of March.

I sat on a bench and waited for someone to call. Leaning over, I rested my elbows on my knees and held my head in my hands.

I didn’t know what to do about Freyja. I wanted her. But she was fucking crazy. Lucille Ball? Seriously?

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there when I felt a presence behind me.

“She’s in danger. Keep her close.”

I sat up and turned at the voice, but no one was there. I searched the faces of dozens of people that milled around me. No one paid me any mind. No one made eye contact even for the briefest second.

Someone had spoken to me.

It was a woman’s voice, and it was familiar. But fuck, if I would consider it was Lucille Fucking Ball that whispered in my ear.

And who was to say the voice was talking about Freyja? Maybe it was Maddie. Maxim had made that veiled comment about her coming to the park. Nobody trusted that Russian motherfucker. I didn’t even believe his wife trusted him. Fuck, if we would.

Then there was Bellamy. Tyran had her on his radar but we didn’t know why. I knew she loved her grandfather, but everyone in Boston knew how Sal felt about Sean. She could have gone to Sal the minute Tyran made contact, and we would have protected them both.

And what about Caity? She was in danger until Kelley was found and punished. No, there was no reason to think the voice was talking about Freyja. Or any reason to think she was in any danger.

Hell, I wasn’t even sure the voice was real. It was barely a whisper. I hated this fucking city almost as much as I hated New York. Fuck, after tonight, I might even hate it more.

This goddamn woo woo shit down here was enough to drive anyone mad. No wonder everyone thought Cajuns were crazy.

They were fucking certifiable putting up with this voodoo shit, and spirits, and goddamn whispered warnings.

I pulled out my phone and found Rian’s number. It rang three times before he finally picked up.

“What the fuck took you so long to answer?”

“Sorry, boss, it’s loud on the street. Can’t always hear the ringing.”

“Freyja get home?”

“Yea. She’s staying in a cottage in the Quarter.”

“Is it safe?”

Rian was silent on the other end. The only noise coming through the phone were the sounds of the music and people on the streets around him.

“Is it fuckin’ safe?”

“Define safe, boss.”

“Jesus Christ. Could someone break in and hurt her?”

“Yes, sir. Easily.”

“Don’t fuckin’ move. You watch her until I get there. I don’t know when it will be, but if anything happens to her, it’s your ass, Rian.”

“Got it, boss.”

I disconnected the call and held the phone in my hand as I stared at it. Did I believe this shit? My eyes scoured the people around me. Thousands of people flocked here during Mardi Gras. Many of them this particular weekend.

Whether I believed the voice I heard or not didn’t matter. Freyja needed to be protected. My phone rang, and I lifted it to my ear.

“Get to the warehouse. We got him.”

About. Fucking. Time.