Page 14 of Stolen Temptation (Irish Kings #3)

Rory

After this morning’s victory, the rest of my day is turning into a disaster.

The second we’re out in the hallway, Finn waits for Darren to leave before ripping into me.

“What the hell were you thinking, abducting a woman from the auction? You were supposed to go in there to find intel and the most valuable auction item, but you come out with what?” A vein in his neck pulses while he pins me with his signature scowl. “A fucking souvenir?”

“She was trying to escape.”

His scowl deepens. “So what ?”

“The De Luca guards were trying to capture her.” He’s so pissed at me, he can’t see the truth.

I push out a breath, attempting to focus before Finn has a fucking conniption fit and I lose my cool too.

“I told you before that one way to get to the De Lucas is through their women. We couldn’t find anyone at the time, but she referred to Leonardo De Luca as Leo , so they must be close.

She’s got to be in his inner circle. A family friend.

A lover. Maybe a business associate. Something .

Did you really want me to not take advantage of whatever stroke of luck put her in our path? ”

Finn’s nostrils flare as he huffs a few rapid breaths through his nose. “So? Which one is it, then?”

“I intend to find out.” More confidence seeps into my voice. “Look at it this way. If she’s desperate enough to get away from him that she relied on a complete stranger’s help, she’s desperate enough to talk.”

Instead of appearing reassured, Finn squints at me.

Never a good sign.

“Don’t tell me you’re the complete stranger she got help from.”

Heat singes the back of my neck, and I knead the spot with my hand. Shit. Can’t let Finn investigate this one.

The last thing I need is for him to get all up in my ass about touching her.

I try to dispel the suspicion in his tone with the truth. “She walked right into me. Randomly. By accident?—”

“And said what, exactly?”

“I think you’re missing the point.”

His eyebrow shoots up. “Am I?”

“She’s important to the De Lucas. I guarantee it.” I drag my fingers through my hair. “She’s valuable to Leonardo himself, which means she could have value to us.”

“And what is she to you ?” Finn lasers my face with his dark brown eyes. “I caught the way you looked at her back there. And the way she scowled at you, like you personally pissed in her cornflakes.”

My jaw wires shut, and I fight the urge to avert my eyes, but damn . Somehow, he knows something happened between us.

Nothing gets past Finn Gallagher.

Nothing except the mole, that is.

Finn’s shoulders rise with the swell of his ire. “We buried three more this week!” His gaze burns into mine. “Do you know how badly I want to march over to the De Lucas’ little compound with a few grenades, an M-45, and blast Leo into next year myself?”

“I know?—”

“Shut up and listen. You brought that woman here. Now it’s your job to figure out how she’s connected to them.

Who she is. Why she was at the auction. What she was trying to get away from.

” Finn jabs his finger into my sternum for emphasis.

“Every detail. And for Christ’s sake, keep your dick away from her.

She was with the De Lucas. She’s bad news. ”

My jaw clenches before I manage to hide my annoyance. “I know.”

And I do. I’m not an idiot. It’s not like I’m unaware of all the reasons I should keep my hands off her.

“Good.” He pins me with one final hard stare and proceeds to shoulder check me as he walks by. “We’re fighting a war on the outside and on the inside. We can’t afford any more complications.”

Finn stalks out of the medical unit. Once he’s gone, I release a long breath and lace my fingers behind my neck. I’ve never seen Finn that openly stressed out.

I shouldn’t be so surprised. Even I’ve been under crushing duress lately, and I’m not the heir to the Kings.

Resolve hardens my spine. Finn’s right.

We’re under attack. The only thoughts in my head should revolve around obtaining the information we need to hamstring Leonardo De Luca.

What I shouldn’t be dwelling on are thoughts about how my little kidnappee kicked Darren in the face…or nailed Finn’s chin.

Or how she head-butted me so viciously, I think I heard a bell ring.

I can’t stop picturing her dangling from a skylight like a kid on a jungle gym or a cat burglar. I can’t decide if I think she’s cute, badass, or certifiable…or a combination of all three.

All of which is beside the point.

My mind shifts from Kiara’s surprise combat skills to the way she flinched when Darren first tried to get her down, and when Finn stepped toward her while pissed.

The memory ignites a blaze in my chest, similar to the fury I felt when she trusted me back at the auction. A total stranger. What if I’d been someone else…someone even worse?

The more I recount Kiara’s show of strength, the more impressive it becomes. Especially considering, just a few hours ago, she was begging me to help her escape Leo’s notice.

De Luca. He’s the reason I kidnapped her. The reason I need to interrogate her.

I would do well to remember that, but even after I head back down the hall to Kiara’s door, I still haven’t regained control of my mind.

There’s just something about her. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. All I know is that she managed to slip under my skin during our interactions in a way no one else has in a long time.

I prop my palm on the wall and contemplate banging my head on the door.

She’s beautiful, sure, but so are a million other women.

I’ve dated girls just as pretty as her before.

Okay, almost as pretty. It’s lust, pure and simple.

A sign that I need to get laid, and soon.

Head to one of the Kings’ nightclubs like I’ve done in the past when the urge arises and pick from one of the many willing options.

If I don’t get my shit straight, I risk pissing Finn off further, which won’t do Kiara any favors either.

I’ll lay down the law with her, and that will be that.

Squaring my shoulders and setting my jaw, I push open the door to her room and find her seated upright against the headboard with her arms folded and the bedsheet covering her legs. A sharp glint enters her eyes as her head snaps in my direction.

So, she was waiting for me. Good.

As soon as the door closes behind him, she starts lobbing questions.

“Who was that man who threatened me?” The slight wobble in her voice betrays the brave front she puts on.

I can’t stop my mirthless laugh as I drag a chair over to Kiara’s bedside. “That was Finn.”

“You’re all…Kings?”

Surprise that she knows who we are arcs through me like a spray of fountain water. I drop into the chair and lean back. I’m sitting closer to her than I intended to, but I’d look like a jackass if I retreated now.

“Yeah.” I drum my fingers on the armrest. “We’re all Kings, but Finn’s Gallagher blood.”

“You mean…?” She blinks owlishly at me.

“He’s the heir.”

Her face becomes ashen. “I kicked the heir to the Irish Kings in the face,” she whispers, horrified.

“Yes, you did.” My smile is wider and more genuine than it probably should be. “Impressive work. Were you a Rockette in a past life?”

She ignores my joke. “What is he going to do to me for attacking him?”

Her fearful expression prompts me to clear my throat.

“Nothing.” My promise pulls her eyes to mine. “ If you cooperate.”

We sit for a moment in silence.

Her chest rises and falls. “Cooperate with what?”

“Me.” That sounds wrong, so I amend my answer. “My questions.”

“What kind of questions?”

“The kind where I ask, and you answer.”

She huffs an annoyed breath while I settle in. Whatever she knows about Leo, I need to know about Leo. Whether I like it or not, I need this woman to trust me.

The way she did when she ran into me at the auction.

It’s too bad I couldn’t have investigated her connection to him then. Abducting her and bringing her here are already two strikes against me.

Getting her trust now will be a challenge, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.

My eyes rove over her face. Not for the first time, I wonder how a woman like her ended up with a sleaze like De Luca.

Then I chide myself for entertaining such a naive question. No doubt she wanted money. Power. The same things that most women who hook up with gangsters seek.

Kiara turns her head, her eyes glaring a hole in the wall across the room. Resisting the urge to smile, I pour sincerity into my tone.

“Just relax, Kiara.” The tension in her rigid shoulders doesn’t ease a single inch. “As long as you cooperate, no one will hurt you or make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

She scoffs. “Too late on that front.”

I suppose she’s got me there. “ Touché .”

Her gaze roams over my face, like she’s trying to puzzle out exactly who I am.

Good luck with that. Sometimes, I’m not even sure myself.

Esmeralda, the head nurse of our medical unit, interrupts the tension by pushing a small cart into the room with a fresh set of clothes on top.

That’s my cue. I rise from my chair.

I give Esme a nod before addressing Kiara. “Time to get you out of here. But, first, change your clothes.”

Her eyes flash as she glances at the new outfit. “I’m surprised it’s not a bright orange jumpsuit to designate my prisoner status.”

I tap my chin. “Try to think of yourself as more of…an endangered species within the confines of our nature preserve.” My lip twitches at her offended expression. “Esme will help you get dressed, and then we’ll head to the house.”

“The house ?”

“Where you’ll be staying.”

Her eyelids lower. I suspect she’s preparing herself for the worst possible scenario, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s imagining.

Maybe she could use a little reminder.

Before I leave to let her change, I grasp her chin between my fingers, tilting her head so that she’s forced to look at me.

“I wasn’t lying before. No one is going to hurt you, Kiara.” I pause a beat before delivering the punch line. “Unless you try a stunt like that again.”