“Bronagh!”
She stirred
“Bee?” I urged, pulling my aching body towards her. “Wake up, please.”
She groaned out loud as she woke up. She sat upright, winced in pain, and lifted her hand to her head. When she looked at her palm and saw there was blood on it, she frowned.
“What happened?”
I pulled myself into a sitting position and put my arm around her waist. She jumped as she looked my way, and she relaxed when she realised it was me, but only for a moment.
“Damien,” she whimpered. “Are you okay?”
I nodded as she began to cry.
“I’m sorry for everythin’ I said to ye’.” She sobbed. “You’re still a dick, but what I said was wrong.”
I chuckled. “Shut up, Bee. You were right about everything you said, and I only reacted the way I did because I knew it was true, and I hated it. I never want to be like my parents, and the shit I’ve being doing just proves that I am.”
Bronagh frowned at me.
“I don’t set out to break hearts. I actually don’t set out to have anything to do with hearts at all, but some girls get attached to me. I swear I never meant to hurt Alannah. I know this will make me sound like a prick. I am a prick, but I just wanted to be with her in the only way I know how to be. She’s different.”
She tilted her head. “Is that your cryptic way of sayin’ ye’ like Alannah?”
I nodded.
Bronagh sighed, then looked around. “I can’t believe I was knocked out.”
Neither could I. I lifted my hands to my face and felt how swollen it was. Whoever knocked me out had beat me while I was unconscious and unable to defend myself.
“Tell me about it,” I growled. “They did this to me after I was knocked out, the fucking pussies.”
Bronagh winced. “The back of me head is throbbin’. It’s bleedin’ as well.”
I checked the back of her head. “It’s not a deep cut, and it’s starting to clot. I can see all the dried blood.”
“Thank God for that.”
“Who hit you? Marco?” I asked. “I saw his face before I was hit.”
She looked at me, her eyes widening. “It wasn’t Marco, Damien ... it was Trent.”
My heart stopped. “Trent Miles?”
Bronagh nodded. “He isn’t dead. Marco said he just pretended he was so that he could hold the threat of killin’ ye’ over your brothers’ heads. He lied to you all, Damien.”
I felt like I was about to be sick.
“For the past three and a half years, I’ve seen his face every night when I’ve gone to sleep. I was convinced he was haunting me for what I did to him, but now I realise it’s all just been in my head.”
Bronagh touched my arm. “Ye’ can let go of all that now.”
My mouth was dry. “Is he really alive?”
Laughter from the doorway caused us to look in that direction. I turned my head, and for a moment, I thought I was looking at a ghost until I realise it wasn’t a ghost, it was a living, breathing person.
“I’m really alive,” Trent announced as he approached me, grinning wickedly. “Did you miss me, buddy?”
A range of emotions flooded me at that moment.
“It looks like I’ve got to work on my aim.”
Trent patted the space between my shoulder and chest. “I’m glad you have shit aim. Things wouldn’t have worked out for me the way they have otherwise.”
I pushed myself to my feet but froze when Trent pulled a gun and aimed it at me.
“Oh, déjà vu.” He cackled. “Does this scene remind you of something, bro?”
Bronagh got to her feet and grabbed my arm. “Leave us alone.”
Trent grinned. “Can’t do that, baby. Uncle Marco wants to have a chat.”
He gestured for us to exit the room with the gun, and we walked where he pointed without question. When we stepped into the hallways of Darkness, confusion gripped me. I kept my mouth shut as Bronagh and I walked ahead of Trent out of the hallway and into the nightclub. We came to a stop at a booth were Marco Miles was receiving a lap dance. Bronagh looked around the room, clocking Marco’s men, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he sent the woman away.
“You let me believe I killed him!”
Marco nodded. “I did.”
I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck.
“Just to keep my family in the business?”
Marco shrugged as he lit up a cigarette, inhaled, then exhaled, and blew the smoke in our direction, causing Bronagh to cough.
“Your brothers were born for this line of work, literally,” he said, his lip quirked. “I’ve heard lately that you have a way of getting pussy by just blinking. I could tie you into what Alec does if you’re interested? Brothers on Demand, it will be my, or your, next big hit.”