Page 49

Jimmy

ERECTING MY SPINE, I twist my head around in the direction of Paddy’s mocking voice. The only area fully lit is the back ring where we’re gathered. The front is mostly dark except for the overnight and emergency lights. His casually confident gait is strengthened by one heavier and potentially another from the back entrance.

“The name on the door should be enough,” Micky retorts with a curl to his lips and a raise of his brows. He looks into the shadows as if he can see his cousin.

“Yah, yah,” Paddy replies, stepping out of the shadows and bobbing his head, his slicked-back reddish-blond hair shining under the lights. His thin lips spread into a wide smile, and he scrubs a freckled hand under his strong jaw. “O’Sullivan does carry some weight around here, now doesn’t it?”

“Aye,” Micky affirms. “That is does.”

“You gettin’ social in your old age,” a gruff voice sounds from the back, near the side of the ring where Demon and her boyf—no, mates. Demon and her mates are. I swing my gaze in that direction just as Lorcan emerges. My cousin... or second cousin? When he’s the son of Paddy, who is my pa’s cousin, is he my second cousin? I got no feckin’ clue. Just gonna call him cousin. He’s about ten years older than me. Paddy had him when he was young, like eighteen, his mother even younger. His coloring is similar to mine, pale with dark hair, but his eyes are a pale green, like the color of old money as opposed to my light blue. That, and well one eye doesn’t move when he gazes around the group, and there’s a scar running from above his right eyebrow down to his cheek. At least my scar from Demon didn’t lose me an eye.

His tatted hands sweep under his black leather sports jacket to land on his hips while also giving a glimpse of his holster and piece. “Haven’t seen you just hangin’ about with this many people, Mick. Thought you didn’t really do that anymore, not since”—his one eye slides to Billie, and he tips his square stubble dusted chin to her— “the kid came ’round.” Demon furrows her brows at him and then turns to Micky.

“Lorcan,” Paddy huffs, slapping his hands through air and lengthening his strides toward the ring. “For cryin’ out loud, he’s been ’round plenty. And”—he flicks a finger between Billie and Pa— “he’s not had a drop since the kid came to him. So cut him some slack, will yah?” His feet hit the set of wooden steps, and I adjust, putting my foot down on the bottom ropes and then lifting the top ones. He gives me a nod and a friendly pat on my shoulder while climbing through. “Thanks, Jimmy. Glad to see you still got some manners.”

“I try,” I reply, and we take each other into a firm half hug, the scratch of his dark-green tweed jacket on my arm and the smell of Old English Leather, the same cologne my pa uses, brings on a sense of nostalgia. “Good to see ya, Paddy,” I murmur as we pull apart.

“Same, Jimmy,” he replies, readjusting his jacket and taking in the group with a curious gaze. A smile breaks over his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes, and he turns to Micky, huffing out a laugh. “I must admit, Mick, this is a unique group of characters gathered. Most I haven’t seen before.”

They extend their hands out and pull each other into a patting type of hug, and Micky grunts, “I’ve only just met two of ’em myself, but the others, I vouch for ’em. Trust me, they’ve proven themselves.”

“They’re with me,” Demon asserts while pressing up to standing. Barefoot, wearing French-rolled wind pants, and a men’s large hoodie that hangs to her knees, she still exudes the same air of confidence she did when she came back into our lives all those years ago. She strides over to Paddy. Extending her hand out, she says, “It’s nice to meet you, Paddy.” Her lips tug up into a playful smirk, and she rolls her eyes. “I guess I’m the kid, but you can call me Billie or”—she cuts a teasing glare at me— “Demon.” I snort a short laugh. She glances over her shoulder briefly at Lorcan and then back at Paddy. “I’m, uh, sorry if my presence affected your relationship with Micky. I wasn’t aware.” She does then glare for real at Micky and blows out an exasperated breath. “If I had been, I’d have told him to shove it and not do anything for my sake... politely of course.”

Paddy’s jaw drops, and his hooded dark eyes grow large. He slaps his hand around Billie’s outstretched one and tugs her into him while a boisterous laugh tumbles past his lips. “Oh, Mick,” he exclaims, wrapping his other arm around Billie and patting her head several times before releasing. He knocks a knuckle under her chin and takes a long look at her. I don’t fail to notice the dip of his brows as he stares at her left eye, now even more unique than before. “I had a feelin’,” he says, ruffling her hair like she’s a ten-year-old, not caring about messing up her loose bun. “With all the stories, and then, well, I did meet Noah and Angelica a couple o’ times. What a feckin’ mucker your da was. Ya look like ya ma too, those cheekbones and lips. But that glint in yah eye... all yah da.”

Billie’s entire demeanor changes. Dropping her hand from Paddy’s, her face pales, her smile falls, her eyes go blank, and she just stares at him. “Paddy,” Pa murmurs, stepping around his cousin to sling an arm over Demon’s shoulders. “Kid doesn’t like talkin’ bout ’em.”

“Shite,” Paddy curses, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, kid. Didn’t know.”

“It’s, uh... it’s okay. You didn’t know, and I didn’t expect it either,” she replies and then looks up at Micky. He claps his free hand over the side of her face and tucks her into his chest, placing a few kisses on her fully tussled hair. She lets out a long exhale and then turns back to Paddy. “Sorry,” she blusters, wiping some tears away. “I’m not normally this emotional, but...” She looks around at the group of us and huffs a cackle. “Well, it’s been a feckin’ day, let me tell ya. And”—raising a finger she bobs her head— “I’ve had my fair share of feckin’ days, Pads.” She hitches a brow at Paddy. “Can I call you Pads? Is that, um... copesetic?”

Though my lips are curled up at the edges and my eyes gleaming as I look at her, I can’t help but be worried. What she said was true—Demon’s been through shit, more than most—and for her to be this shaken, with her emotions so close to the surface, what happened at the lab must have broken her. I haven’t watched the video yet, self-aware enough to wait until I’ve run myself into the ground and am too drained to act out.

I flick my gaze over to her mates. Ethan’s face remains blank, his eyes scanning the area, keeping note of Lorcan and whoever has yet to come out from the shadows. Xander’s reclined against the post, his posture relaxed, while his eyes are sharp on Billie and Paddy. Jax? Shit, Jax looks like it’s taking everything he has to stay where he is: leaning against the ropes, his arms hugged tight around his waist, his eyes downturned and fully focused on Demon. His untucked, partially unbuttoned dress shirt is a representation of his fraying emotions.

“Pads, huh?” Paddy repeats with a crooked grin and a hitched brow. He shrugs an indifferent shoulder and exhales. “Why the hell not?” His eyes lift to his eldest son. “Not the worst I’ve been called.”

“Nah, Da,” Lorcan says. “Definitely heard you called worse.” His eye trails to Billie and then back to Paddy, and a devious smile cracks over his hard features. “This one is kinda of cute. Pads. I like it, might—”

“Just try, Mac... just feckin’ try,” Paddy warns. Lorcan holds his father’s gaze before dipping his chin in understanding, while his smile grows in contradiction.

Paddy scoffs at his son’s antics and brings his attention back to Micky. Circling a finger around, he suggests, “Marcus and Fionn...” At that moment, Fionn, his youngest son slinks out from the shadows like a freakin’ specter. So white he could pass as an albino, he has short platinum hair that’s almost translucent. His arms, exposed in a ripped muscle shirt, are long and wiry, like the rest of him, and also like the rest of him, I know they’re far stronger than they appear. Lifting two fingers to his forehead, he gives his father a mocking salute and then sweeps his light-blue, almost-white eyes to Marcus and tosses him a chin lift. Marcus forces his lips into a twitchy smile and dips his chin to Fionn, while a full shudder ripples through his large frame. Paddy continues, “Why don’t we let them stay out here and talk security while you, me, Lorcan, Jimmy, and the kid meet in the back office? Everyone else leaves the premises.”

“We’re not leaving Wilhelmina,” Xander asserts from his relaxed position in the corner. “You can check us, do what you need to make yourself feel comfortable, but Ethan, Jax and I are not leaving her.” He pauses, and his gaze goes glacial. “Ever.”

“That so?” Paddy retorts, raising his brows and rocking back on his loafered heels. Xander dip his chin. Paddy rubs his knuckles along his jaw. “And, uh, who exactly are you?”

“They’re mine,” Billie asserts.

“Yours?” Lorcan repeats in a gravelly voice. Billie glances over her shoulder at him and jerks a nod. Lorcan inspects—and I do mean inspects—Xander, Jax, and Ethan. His attention stays on Ethan for longer, like he’s trying to figure him out. Good luck. Returning his focus to Billie, he counters, “All three of them?”

“Yes, all three,” she confirms holding Lorcan’s gaze until he gives her a sly smirk and a bow of his head that has a few strands of his shoulder-length hair releasing from the low ponytail. Returning her focus to Paddy, she sighs. “And Xander’s right. We’re not leaving each other. Hell of a feckin’ day, remember?”

“Hell of a feckin’ day,” Paddy repeats with a curve to his lips and a bob of his head.

* * *

“Mick,” Paddy sighs and raises his brows to Pa. “Ya know I can do it all—the security, surveillance, procurement, intel. I’m just a little uneasy with all the secrecy. Don’t like not knowin’ what exactly I’m gettin’ me and mine involved in.” He rolls a shoulder. “Plus, if I know, maybe there are other... more effective options to consider.”

Pa scratches behind his ear and grumbles. “If it didn’t have to be this way, it wouldn’t. Believe me, coz.”

“My late father used to provide specific supplies for Decoction,” Xander carefully states, leaning against the physio table with crossed ankles and fingers interlaced in front of him, projecting an image of leadership even while barefoot and in workout clothes. “Now that he’s passed, I’m expected to fulfill his role. I cannot go into details, but...” Xander raises his brows and sweeps his gaze from Paddy, who’s seated behind the computer desk to Lorcan standing behind him. “I can tell you the depravity, greed, and inhumanity of this lab would be on level with some of the atrocities revealed during the Nuremburg trials. We know for a fact they’ve killed many times over in order to obtain what they need for testing. Their threats are not idle. They’re not just motivated. They’re invested, and they have the resources and callousness to push their agenda, to make others bend or break if needed.”

“They killed my parents,” Demon blurts out. Both Paddy and Lorcan swing their gazes to her. Lifting her chin and resting her head farther back against Jax’s chest, who’s also leaning against the physio table next to Xander, she continues, “Whatever it is they want, they thought my parents had access to it, and we’re pretty sure the same goes for my father’s family in Ireland.” Her eyes slide to me and then to my pa, both of us leaning on the wall to the side of the mirrors above the matted area. “We want to stop them, to end what they’re working on, but it will take time. I need Micky, Jimmy, and The Den safe during that time.” Straightening her posture, she sets her hard gaze on Paddy and Lorcan, and her upper lip twitches. “And I want the stronzos worrying like we’re worrying. I want them looking over their shoulders and jumping when the phone rings. I want them taking a steadying inhale before they open the front door of their homes, hoping to hear the soft chatter of their families and not dead silence.”

“Vicious.” Lorcan groans with a gleam in his eye as he gazes at her. “Demon,” he thickly murmurs, with a head bob flicking his gaze to me. “I approve, coz.”

“Savage Demon,” Jake corrects with raised brows from my side. The twat refused to be left out, saying he’d already played a part, and his older brother does work for Paddy. “Feckin’ savage.”

Paddy glances between my little sister and Lorcan, whose one eye is utterly fixated on Demon like he just found a kindred spirit, and hell if that doesn’t make my stomach roll. Rubbing his knuckles along his jaw, Paddy gestures and sighs. “I’ll help. We’ll help.” He looks to Xander with raised brows. “And you’ll foot the bill?”

“Yes,” Xander answers without hesitation. “If it all needs to be under the table, I’ll need a little bit of time to move funds around. Would like some of it to be above board, through the security companies maybe.”

“Aye.” Paddy nods. “The security updates will all be legitimate. It’ll be the intel, surveillance, and... miscellany that will be done with discretion.”

“The ones for The Den I’ll take care of,” Pa asserts with a shrug. “Tax write-off anyway.”

“Understood,” Xander nods.

Paddy slides his gaze to Pa and exclaims with a clap of his hands. “Now that that’s settled, we’ll get to work and be in touch.”

Demon pushes out of Jax’s hold and crosses over to Paddy, her eyes intently taking in Lorcan before resting on Paddy. “You’ll keep them safe, right?” she says with a tip of her chin. “I’m trusting you with their lives. I won’t lose anyone else I love.”

“Aye, lass,” Paddy affirms and extends a hand out. “So long as they follow orders, and do what I say, I’ll keep them safe. You have my word on it.”

Demon takes his hand and sweetly smiles. “Good, because I’m starting to like you, Pads, and I’d hate for that to change.” His eyes go wide, and he flicks an amused gaze over his shoulder at Lorcan. At that moment, I see a brief glowing from Demon’s eyes, and the air around them moves, blowing a stack of papers off on the desk.

“What was that?” Paddy blurts out, releasing Demon’s hand and spinning his head around.

“Damn AC,” I reply, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. “I swear, the thermostat has been taken over by a poltergeist.” I toss a scowl at Demon’s back.

“AC,” Lorcan slowly repeats with a nod while his eye stares, not just at but almost through Demon, and that interest just hiked up to a notch. Feck, she needs to watch it with him, he’s got... obsessive tendencies.

“Savage,” Jake lowly murmurs too low for anyone but me to hear.