Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
The moment it’s all over, Lach is crushing me against his chest.
“Mack,” he breathes.
I whimper and cling to him with everything I’ve got, which isn’t much. I’m so tired of being strong. So tired of trying to do everything myself. Is it wrong to let him comfort me? To be relieved in the false sense of security I find here. These arms will shelter me and keep me safe. Something I thought I would never want now means the world to me. Even if it is all one giant lie.
“Thank you for coming,” I tell him. “For Cara.”
He pulls away from me like he’s been burned and stares at me in disbelief. “Is that what ye think?”
I look at the ground. I can’t answer him without crying, and I won’t allow myself to cry.
Silence falls around us, and I lean up against the side of the container for support. Lachlan isn’t touching me. He’s not speaking. But I can feel the anger rolling off of him.
“Get the girls out of here,” he tells his men.
There’s some shuffling, and after a few more minutes, all of the captives are led from the container. And then they are ushering in a bunch of Armenian soldiers.
“Line them up against the wall,” Lach orders.
His men do as he tells them, and I watch as they force the Armenians to kneel and face the wall.
Lachlan pulls out his Glock and forces my chin up so I have to look at him. The fury on his face hasn’t lessened at all, but there’s something else there now. Determination.
“I want ye to watch, Mack,” he says. “Can ye do that for me, sweetheart?”
Even though I know the logical conclusion of what he’s asking, my brain hasn’t fully caught up to it. So I nod. Because let’s face it, I’d do anything this man asked me to.
He walks over and presses the gun against the first man’s head, and then he looks at me.
“Did this one touch ye?” he asks.
I can’t get my lips to cooperate. This is the one who took me from the hotel. The one who smashed his gun into the back of my head and tried to violate me.
Lachlan repeats the question, this time with a roar.
“Did this fucking pig touch ye, Mack? Did he touch what’s mine?”
I barely nod, and Lachlan pulls the trigger. Maybe I should be screaming, or something. I don’t know. But I’m too numb. And all I can do is watch as Lach moves onto the next one, his chest heaving and his eyes filled with a rage like I’ve never seen before.
“How about this one?” he asks. “Did this bloke think he could touch Lachlan Crow’s woman?”
Again, I can’t answer. This is the other guy from the hotel. The one who slapped Cara. When my silence remains, Lach jams the gun against the guy’s temple and grabs him by the scruff of his hair.
“Did ye touch my woman?” he asks.
“Yes,” Cara answers from across the container.
There are tears in her eyes as she looks at me. A silent nod to tell me it’s okay to want them dead. “They took us from the hotel,” she explains.
Another gunshot, and his body falls to the floor. Lach moves to the next one.
“Mack?” he asks. “Care to fill me in on this one?”
“I don’t know,” I croak. “I don’t remember seeing him.”
It’s the truth, but I know he must have been guarding the shipping container if he’s here. Lachlan just shrugs.
“He participated.”
And with that, he pulls the trigger. Two more bullets, and two more men are disposed of before he finds his way back to me. He pulls me back into his arms and strokes my cheek with the gentlest of touches.
“You belong to me,” he tells me. “And if ye had some doubts about that, there should be none now. Anyone who tries to touch ye will die.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mackenzie
After untying my arms and giving me a quick check over, Lachlan drags me out of the shipping container.
“What about the other girls?” I ask.
“Ye needn’t worry about them, sweetheart,” Lachlan says. “Ronan and the lads will sort it out.”
I stop and dig my heels into the concrete. “What do you mean?”
“Jaysus Christ,” he says. “I’m not that big of a prick. They’re off to drop them at the hospital, alright? Ye have my word they’ll be safe.”
I glance back and watch Ronan helping the girls into a van. I know Lachlan’s telling me the truth, but it still feels like I should be there with them. Like I should be helping them somehow. And that girl they killed. I can’t just leave her here…
“Mack.” Lach grabs me by the arms and pins me with his gaze. “Do ye remember what I told ye about the cops?”
“Yes, but…”
“If they find out you were here, they’ll want to talk to ye. They’ll connect the dots back to Slainte, and…”
“Okay,” I say meekly. He doesn’t need to tell me the rest. This is the last thing he needs right now- the cops breathing down his throat when there’s already suspicion on him.
He takes my hand in his and pulls me along beside him without resistance this time. Cara and Dom are right behind us, but we don’t say a word as we walk to the cars. She gives me a weak smile before Dom tucks her safely inside a black beamer and then Lachlan does the same to me.
The drive is quiet. I’m too exhausted. There are too many emotions to process right now, so I don’t process any of them. I just let myself stay numb and embrace the silence. Lachlan seems to understand this is what I need right now, so he holds my hand instead.
But when we park in front of his house, he pulls the keys out of the ignition and turns to me.
“I’m sorry,” he rasps.
When I meet his gaze, I’m overwhelmed by the haunted sadness in those gray eyes. The fear and the concern… because of me.
“I should’ve kept closer watch on ye,” he says. “I knew things were tense, but I just never thought… Christ, I’m sorry, Mack.”