Tully (Dangerous Doms 7)

“Get help, McKenna,” I order, intent on hurting him. On killing him. I won’t fucking rest until his blood stains the earth. I knee him and he grunts, trying to shove me off of him, but he’s subdued under me. I give him one vicious blow after another, until the fight goes out of him, when a deafening shot rings out.

Patrick’s head lolls to the side, a bright red bullet wound right between his eyes. I look in surprise to see McKenna holding his weapon, her eyes wide with shock and terror.

I lean in and take his pulse, as the door to the mansion opens and footsteps race down the stairs.

“Put the weapon down, lass,” I say to her gently. I can tell just by looking at her that she’s traumatized.

Slowly, with trembling fingers, she drops the gun to the ground. I wince, half expecting it to shoot, but thankfully it doesn’t. She’s shaking from head to toe. I get up off the ground and drag her over to me, as Lachlan and Tiernan reach us.

“Bloody fucking hell,” Tiernan mutters. “Who was it?”

“Her fucking ex-boyfriend. Paid by the Welsh, I’m guessing. Alice must’ve gotten him in, and he’s been biding his time.”

Lachlan looks at the body and shakes his head.

“I’m taking her back to the room,” I tell Lach.

Lachlan nods. “Aye. I’ll take it from here.”

Her limp is more pronounced than ever as we walk toward the large, flat stone steps that lead to the front door.

“I… I didn’t mean to do that,” she whispers, shaking her head.

“I know, love.”

“I just…” her voice is tremulous. “I just killed a man,” she finishes on a whisper.

“Aye, sweetheart.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

“But you don’t understand,” she says. She blinks, one tear rolling down her cheek. “I’ve never done that before.”

“Of course you haven’t, McKenna,” I say gently. “But you did today, and I’m fucking proud of you. He could’ve killed you.”

She nods, closes her eyes, and exhales. When she opens her eyes, she’s surer. Pleased.

“Yes. Yes, he could have.” Her eyes cloud and her voice tightens, my ferocious little tiger once more. “Or killed you.” She looks back at Lachlan as if she wants to kill Patrick all over again.

I draw her over to me and lead her up the stone steps that bring us to the mansion. The lass needs a good meal, a hot bath, and a good night’s sleep. The trauma of all the events that led today will catch up to her. It can be a challenge to process all that’s happened, even for the most hardened members of the Clan.

But McKenna is fierce.

By the time we make it to the front door, Lachlan’s already removed all evidence of what’s happened from the main lawn. The lights blaze brightly in the house as if it’s any old day. Deep in the recesses of the basement there are enemies who will be questioned and punished, but tonight, my focus is on McKenna.

I call Keenan when we enter.

“Need you down here, Tully,” he says firmly.

I have to take care of McKenna but can’t defy my Chief. I don’t respond at first.

Maeve meets us at the landing, her face grave and sorrowful.

“Keenan, I…”

“I’ll only keep you a few minutes, Tully, and will excuse you at the earliest possible opportunity. Alright?”

I nod. “Aye, sir.”

“Go,” McKenna says. “I’m grateful you’re concerned for me, Tully, but honestly I know what tonight entails. I know what you have to do.” She smiles at Maeve. She’s even braver than I realized. “Maeve?”

“Aye, love?”

“Is there any more of that good Irish cream for the tea?”

Maeve laughs. “Oh, love, we’ve a bucket if you want it.” She opens her arm and gestures for McKenna to come to her. “Let’s get you situated upstairs, shall we?”

“Do you know where my mum is, Maeve?”

Maeve’s eyes come to me. She holds so many secrets, sometimes I wonder how she bears it all. “We’ll leave Tully to find that out.”

I stifle a groan. Excellent.

I wait until McKenna’s secure with Maeve before I join my brothers in the interrogation room.

When I return to McKenna, I feel the weariness in my very bones, like a soldier returning from war. We’ve guards outside our door who greet me with respect, and I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but even their welcome seems different.

“We heard you singlehandedly held off the entire rival Clan,” a ruddy-faced, newly-inducted brother says to me. His eyes shine with the excitement of it all.

I can’t help but chuckle at that. “Hardly.”

“And your woman in there,” another says, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “She shot the rival Chief himself, did she?”

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This one I don’t refute. The truth will be out soon enough, or maybe it won’t. In any event, McKenna deserves all the accolades.