“She fucked the three of us enough that her pussy needed a vacation.”
That was completely uncalled for. “You’re being a pure arse.”
“What do you expect? That I’d go out there and fall to one knee and propose because Noah Wallace wants her?”
Actually, yes. That’s sort of what I was hoping for. “I thought you loved her and would be happy to find out she felt the same.”
“Are you out of your damn mind, Sin? I’ve watched her fuck you and Jamie in every position imaginable. The last thing I want is a whore like that for a wife. And I damn sure don’t want that as the mother of my children.”
“If you don’t love her, fine! But she’s our friend and you don’t get to talk about her like that.”
“I’m just speaking the truth.”
He’s being a hypocrite. “We were all there making the same mistakes so don’t count yourself out when you pass judgment.” This is going nowhere and I’ve had enough of his shite. “You know what? You’re a total dick!”
“Well, Lorna does love some dick. Guess that explains why she wants me.”
“Fuck you, Leith!”
I have to get out of here before I go across the desk after him.
I’m walking toward the door when he calls out to me. “Just because you got your happily ever after with your perfect life doesn’t mean everyone else does.”
I jerk the door open and come face to face with Lorna, huge tears streaming down her face. “I decided I wanted to be the one to tell him––until I heard the things he said about me.”
She reaches up to wipe the tears rolling from her eyes. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I should go home. It’s not busy so I’ll have … Greer pick up … my tables.”
“I’m so sorry.” I wanted to make things right for her but all I’ve done is mess everything up.
I move toward her but she steps away, holding her hands up to stop me. “No. Don’t. It was stupid to think he could have feelings for me. Brothers fuck women like me. They don’t marry them.”
“That’s not true.” Lorna is worthy of someone’s love. Leith doesn’t deserve her. “Don’t go.” I don’t want her to leave like this.
“I can’t stay.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “I have to get out of here.”
I let her go because there’s nothing I can do to make this better for her.
Leith has pissed me off over the years but I’ve never wanted to beat him into the floor so badly in my life. And I may.
I go back into his office. “You should know that I just met Lorna in the hallway. She was coming to tell you that she loved you but was interrupted when she overheard you calling her a whore who was unworthy of being your wife or the mother of your children. Congratulations! You win the arsehole of eternity award.”
“Shite!”
“You’ll never have to worry about her being in love with you because I’m certain that just ended. And I’m guessing you should start looking for a new barmaid to manage this place because it will be a miracle if she comes back to work for you.”
“Son of a bitch!” He gets up and moves toward the door. “I have to talk to her.”
“I’m not sure now’s the right time.” He didn’t see the hurt in her eyes.
He’s panicked. “I have to do something to fix this.”
He’s not grasping the severity of the situation. “Leith. I’m not sure there’s a fix for this.”
“I have to try.”
I’m going to make him admit he loves her. “You said she’s an unworthy whore. Why go after her? It’s no skin off your back if she’s gone for good.”
“Because I lied, okay? Everything I said about her was rubbish.”
“Then why did you say them?”
He doesn’t reply.
“Tell me.”
“Because I love the fuck out of her.” He drops his head. “But she has cut me to the bone deeper than you can imagine. Both of you.”
It’s time for this to end. He must figure out what he wants. If it isn’t Lorna, he needs to let her go. “What do you want, Leith?”
“I don’t know.”
“You do know but you’re fighting it.”
He says nothing.
“You can love her or hate her but not both. Your decision. Which is it going to be?”
“God knows I don’t want to but I can’t help myself from loving her.”
“Then go after her and tell her how you feel.”
Leith grabs his coat from his desk and dashes out the door.
I return to the triad table to wait on Noah. Greer comes by and places a Johnnie Walker in front of me. “How are Bleu and the baby?”
I can’t stop the corner of my mouth from tugging upward concerning our well-kept secret. I can’t wait to make the announcement about the twins at my swearing-in. “Mom and baby are doing well. She’s been a little nauseated but otherwise …” I stop midsentence when I hear a shot fired outside the pub.
I grab Greer’s arm and pull. “Get down.”
I rush toward the door and scan the front of the building, Beretta in hand. I see no one.
“Sin! Sin!” It’s a high-pitched, panicked female voice. Lorna’s.
Four of my brothers and I exit the pub. “Cover me.”
I dart around the corner of the building and find Leith lying face down on the ground, Lorna sprawled under him. Blood is pooling on the cobblestones beneath them.
“Are you shot?”
“No, but Leith is!”
I roll him off Lorna and look for his wound, seeing it in his shoulder. Maybe a second in his arm. There’s too much blood to be certain but neither appear life threatening. “Not too impressive, mate. Jamie can fix this in a snap.”
Bystanders are on the street staring at us. “We need to get him out of here before someone calls the authorities.”
I phone Sterling to pick us up while one of my men calls Jamie. “Tell him to meet us at my place.”
We move Leith into the back seat of my car.
Lorna climbs in with Leith, placing his head in her lap. “I’m coming with you. No argument.”
“I’m so sorry, Lorna,” Leith says.
“Don’t talk.”
“But I need you to know that I didn’t mean any of those things I said to Sin.”
“Shut up. You’ve been shot. Now isn’t the time to discuss what you did or didn’t mean.” Good for her. She isn’t going to let him off the hook because he’s taken a bullet or two. I hope she gives him hell.
“What happened?” I ask.
“An Order member grabbed me from behind and tried to shove me into the back of a car. Leith came out and saw what was happening. They struggled and he shot Leith.
This is another cowardly attack. They aren’t going to quit until they’re made to stop.
The Order is in complete chaos. That’s good yet also bad for us. At least with Torrence in charge, they were typically predictable. That means we can probably expect more of these random attacks as a show to prove they’ve not been weakened by their leader’s death.
Jamie’s waiting in the drive when we arrive at my flat. “Let me have a look before we move him.”
Jamie takes out bandage scissors and cuts Leith’s shirt down the center. “Dammit. You know this is my favorite Johnny Cash T-shirt.”
“Aye. I know.”
Jamie inspects his wound. “Doesn’t look serious but I can’t tell if there’s an exit wound without turning him. Take him to the guest room.”
We’re passing through the front door when Bleu meets us in the foyer. “What in the world is going on?”
“Leith was shot.”
“Boss. There’s a woman in your guest room.”
Ellison rushes into the foyer. She’s pointing in the direction of her room. “Jamie and two other men just put Leith on my bed. He’s been shot!”
“Jamie’s going to treat him here.”
Ellison’s mouth gapes. “Physicians treat gunshot w
ounds in a medical facility. They don’t make house calls for trauma like that.”
I look at Bleu. “I don’t think we have any choice but to tell her now.”
“No.”
“Tell me what!”
The three of us go silent, Bleu and I looking at one another. She’s making eyes at me. I shrug and mimic her expression. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Well, somebody needs to tell me what the hell is going on around here.”