Page 11 of Stolen Rebel

“For now,” Patrick says.

Sorcha nods and the two women disappear into the hallway. I wait until the sounds of their footsteps on the stairs fade, then sprawl my legs in front of me, rest my folded hands on my stomach, and face my brothers.

“Well,” Patrick prompts when I don’t say anything. “Explain.”

“Her name is Rowan Byrne, whatever the fuck different she tells you. And she’s responsible for this.” I point to the gnarly scar running down the left-hand side of my face.

“How?” Darragh asks.

“She set me up. That night I thought I was meeting her but, instead, I almost met the Grim Reaper.”

Patrick frowns. “But why? And how come we’re only hearing about her now?”

“Because I chose to keep my relationship with her to myself. And as for why she did what she did? I don’t fucking know. That’s the reason she’s here. She owes me an explanation and five years of suffering. I intend to get both from her.”

“A relationship? Are you telling me you were fucking this girl?”

“No. I’m telling you I was in love with her. And she fucked me over.”

Patrick’s head snaps back. “In love? But… I’ve never seen this woman before in my life.”

“I’m aware.”

“You kept her a secret from us? Your family? Why?”

“Because she was fucking mine!” I roar. “I wanted her all to myself. I didn’t want to share her with you, with Darragh, with my friends. With anyone. I was head over heels for her, blinded by stupidity, and she took me for a fool.” I laugh bitterly. “Well I paid the fucking price for it, didn’t I?”

“Christ.” A frown flickers over Patrick’s face. “How did you find her?”

“I didn’t. Oh believe me, I’ve searched for her over the years, but no luck. I went for a drink with Kai after dealing with that fucking scum in London, and she was working behind the bar. She’s kept up this entire Erin act for the past two days, but I’m hardly likely to forget the face of a woman I once loved and who almost got me killed.”

“Where have you been with her for the past two days?” Darragh asks.

“Took her to one of our warehouses in London. Tried to break her. Didn’t work. So now I’m trying a different tactic.”

“So that’s why you messaged saying business was taking a little longer than planned.” Patrick sighs as if he’s dealing with a disobedient child. “Next time, I want the full story, not the version you decide to cleanse for me.”

I nod.

“And are you sure she was the one behind your attack?” Darragh queries.

“Oh, I’m fucking positive. She called that night crying and saying she was hurt. I didn’t think, I just acted. That’s when those men jumped me, right in the place she told me she was. Then afterward, she wrote to me saying she got an offer she couldn’t refuse. That she never loved me and not to bother looking for her because I’d never find her.” Another bitter laugh spills out of me. “Too fucking bad for her that Karma just did her dirty.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Patrick asks.

“Make her tell me the truth.”

“And then?” he adds.

I run a hand over my face. “I don’t know.”

“Could you kill a woman you once loved?”

I look at Patrick and shrug. This is the part I haven’t figured out yet, but I don’t let on to him. “Yeah. I reckon I can.”

Chapter 8

ROWAN