Page 79 of Play The Game

“I thought you didn’t mind sharing her, buachaill beag?”

One minute Harley is helping me lift the blankets and get out of the bed discreetly, and the next he’s landing a severe right hook into Diarmuid’s cheek, knocking him to the ground. I scramble forward to grab Harley, but he doesn’t lay into him. He just stands over him with fire in his eyes and says, “Talk like she’s some slut up for grabs again I’ll fucking kill you.”

Ah, there’s the Bay in him and don’t I fucking love it.

Diarmuid rubs his jaw and stands, frowning. “Makes no fuckin’ sense to me. I hear a rumor the girl you’re in love with is out with both your best friends and I expect you to be dealing with it like a man would. Instead, you’re fuckin’ sharing her?”

Harley shrugs. “I don’t care if you get it. Is that all? See yourself out.”

Then he turns his back and leans down to kiss my forehead gently, cupping my cheek sweetly until I’m a puddle on the floor.

“Right. Your little Wolfie’s off limits, got it. Good thing I’m not here to talk about your love life anyway.”

With a scathing look, I scoff at him. “Then what are you here for, O’Cronin? Spit it out.”

He visibly shakes himself off, then shoots me one of his signature roguish grins. “I’m here to join the little crew you’re putting together. I heard you were taking people on finally; I’m all in, if you’ll have me.”

Freezing on the spot, I cut a look at him.

I do not trust Diarmuid. I don’t trust him one fucking bit. Harley glares at him and then flicks his eyes over to me, his eyebrows doing a complicated dance I don’t quite understand.

Fuck it. “Why?”

Diarmuid pulls out one of the chairs at the dining table without invitation and slouches down into it, too casual for my liking. This is still my fucking room and I’m the Wolf of Mounts Bay, for fuck’s sake.

His tone is it’s usual snarky sound, but there’s just a little too much derision to say it’s not heated in my direction. “The Jackal wasn’t very happy with me choosing your side in the car. He’s making my life pretty fucking difficult so I need to swear allegiance somewhere. The Crow is a cock, no chance of me signing up under some suit pretending to be rough. I’m not a fucking biker, so the Boar’s out.”

I roll my eyes at him and cut him off. “Well, I don’t take people in out of fucking pity, so no. Try the Viper or the Fox.”

Diarmuid grins at me with too many teeth and shrugs. “They’ve both sided with the Jackal. Besides, you took the Butcher in. He’d be dead without you. If my little nephew isn’t sharing you with the sick fuck then what’s he giving you? I’ll pay double.”

I use Harley’s body as a shield to pull yoga pants on without flashing my ass at his uncle, then I stalk forward to stand in front of the Irish bastard.

“He gave me his loyalty, without question, like he always fucking has. You don’t have a loyal bone in your body, O’Cronin. Fuck knows how Éibhear had it because the rest of you lot certainly don’t,” I snap, and hope that isn’t crossing some line with Harley.

Diarmuid’s eyes flick between us and the way his face sets I know that not only is Harley backing me, as expected, but his uncle knows what he’s capable of, and the strength of his loyalty. It makes me wish I knew more about the O’Cronins, but Harley fucking hates talking about them.

With a shrug, Diarmuid finally shrugs. “Right. You want loyalty, little girl? Name your price and I’ll pay it. What’s it going to take to prove my loyalty?”

Harley scoffs at him. “Loyalty? What the fuck would you know about that when you can’t even show her some fucking respect?”

Diarmuid’s jaw clenches. “My apologies. Wolf, what can I do?”

It’s about as sincere as a kick in the teeth, but he just stares me down. I roll my shoulders back and stare back at him while I think. I don’t want to induct him, I don’t want a fucking empire, but if the Jackal is amping up, I’d be naive to think we’re not going to need help while we’re being hunted. Fuck it.

“The Jackal has put out a hit. I need every single man, woman, and child in the Bay to know that touching anyone under my protection is signing their own death warrant. The Butcher is aiming for subtlety at the moment so we don’t rock the boat with the other members.”

Diarmuid snorts. “The Jackal has flipped the fuckin’ boat. The boat has sunk, litt— Wolf.” He catches himself and shoots a look at Harley.

Nodding slowly, I speak like he’s testing every inch of my patience with his stupid games because he really is. “Right. So I need you to be obvious about it. If you want to prove you’re going to be loyal and one of mine, I want the entire fucking state to know that they could catch a bullet between the eyes at any second from the best sniper in the country if they cross me.”

Diarmuid’s eyes narrow at me, and I stare him down. Harley steps up until he’s at my side and close enough that if his uncle tries something stupid, like pulling one of his guns on me, he can take him out before he can pull the trigger. I’m not worried. Diarmuid will never be a trusted member of our family, even if he does prove his ‘loyalty’. He’s only ever looked out for himself. He might be pissed about his father killing his brother, but he didn’t come looking for that revenge until Harley was old enough, and big enough, to do the dangerous work himself.

I don’t trust this man.

“Fine. I’ll start shooting every Tom, Dick, and fuckin’ Harry that so much as whispers your name wrong. At what point does this get me in?” he asks, standing and straightening his jacket before running his fingers through his mussed, shoulder-length hair.

I shrug at him, nonchalant. “Impress me.”