Page 17 of Three Irish Kings

I half carry her to where I know Liam’s SUV is waiting to take us away.

The little hellcat fights and squirms every step of the way, nails scratching down my arm.

We would have fun if this was a different scenario, and she’d be punished for this.

When she reaches back and punches me in the balls, I hiss, and my grip loosens.

It’s not enough that I let go of her, but it is enough that, with little effort, she breaks free and takes off running.

Fuck.

I take off after her, ignoring the throbbing pain still rising all the way to my scalp, and right now I couldn’t be happier that we are in a deserted parking garage.

The hellcat will not escape, but she is giving me a run for my money. All that running has made Maggie Sullivan a bit of a track star, it seems.

I cut her off, going around the cars where she’s running straight ahead, toward a beat-up sedan.

As she runs past the car next to Liam’s SUV, I grab her again, my breath coming hard and short, dragging her upright as she screams and kicks and claws.

If she were a man, she’d be lights out by now.

Sometimes, I hate having a code of conduct.

Dare is waiting at the other end of the car. He was ready to save the day and cut this chase short. Thank god I was able to get to her before him.

It wasn’t lost on me how he was fucking her with his eyes at the gala. Even now, his gaze is eating her up.

I drag her to Liam’s car.

With Dare’s help, I bind her hands together, stuff her in the trunk, and close it.

As soon as she is locked inside, I sigh.

Thank fucking Christ.

I look down at myself to assess the damage she rained down on me.

Blood drips from my arms, and the throbbing between my legs, though less now, is still there, reminding me that if I were anyone else, I might want kids someday and she could have just jeopardized that.

Little hellcat.

She is screaming again, and though the sound is muffled, it is still loud enough in the silence of the parking garage that it almost feels like it echoes. “Let me out of here. Let me go. What the fuck? Dare?”

He looks like he is hurting, hand rubbing his face as he paces back and forth along the width of the car. ”Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is wrong, man.”

It seems as if none of us wants to do this.

I’m breathing hard, and Dare is too.

Finally, after what seems like too long listening to Maggie banging around in the trunk, Liam comes from behind his SUV.

“Let’s take her to the safe house.”

I stare at Liam, my mouth opening and shutting, unable to form words. Because what the actual fuck. This isn’t us.

We take, kill, maim, torture, punishmen, not women. Never women.

“Are you sure, boss?”