Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
I’m not surprised that Cillian’s and Rory’s voices are the first I hear as I make my way downstairs. They’re loud all the time, especially Rory. I find it hard to believe sometimes that he’s probably murdered someone before. If he hasn’t pulled the trigger himself, I know he’s been there when it happened, and it’s only a matter of time before he does it.
This is all they know, though. They’ve been a part of this life since they were born. At least they have that excuse. My parents got me away from it, yet here I am, tangling myself up in it again.
I round the corner into the kitchen. Cillian and Rory are at the table, each with a bowl in front of them, a box of Golden Grahams between them.
“T still sleeping?” Cillian asks before scooping a bite into his mouth.
The skin on the back of my neck prickles. “He wasn’t in bed when I woke up. I figured he was here with you.”
They both make eye contact with me, the tension in the room thickening.
“Office?” Rory asks, but I’m already turning away from them and heading there.
The door is locked like always, and it pisses me off that I don’t have a key. I bang on it but don’t hear anything inside. Cillian comes up behind me and unlocks it.
No Tiernan.
“Maybe he had to go to school early for something,” Rory says.
“He would have told me,” I snap, but I’m already hurrying back to the living room. One look out the window tells me his car is still here, so I run upstairs and grab my phone.
Blood is rushing through my ears like it’s the Niagara fucking Falls. My call goes directly to voice mail. I try again with the same result, then one more time, as if it will magically change.
“Fuck!” I pace the room, chest hurting, breathing too hard.
“Nothing?” Cillian asks.
“Voice mail.”
“I’ll try too.” Rory makes the call, then shakes his head.
“I’ll check his location,” Cillian says. I’m not surprised they have that option turned on for each other, but the look on his face when he lowers the cell tells me that function must be turned off.
The door across the hallway opens, Aislin peeking out. On a yawn, she asks, “What’s going on?”
“Is Tiernan with you?”
She stares at Cillian before shaking her head. “He’s not here?”
“I woke up, and he was gone. His car is here. He’s not answering his phone. Something is wrong.”
“Shit. Cameras.” Rory opens the app on his phone. I can’t believe none of us thought to check them until now—not that it’s something I can do.
We crowd around Rory, watch the front porch view, see Tiernan just…walk out. He’s wearing one of my hoodies. Tiernan never fucking dresses like that. He glances briefly at the camera and keeps going. It follows him partway down the driveway, until he moves out of view…then nothing.
“Call your dad, Ash. Get him on the phone. I want to talk to him,” I grit out.
“Okay, slow your fucking roll here. It’s not that easy. Sloan would blow a gasket if she put some stranger on the phone with him.” Cillian barely gets the words out before I have him shoved against the wall, my forearm against his throat.
“I don’t give a fuck about him or what he wants. I need Tiernan back, and I know that motherfucker has him!”
“You’d be real smart to get your hands off him, New Kid,” Rory says, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard it, but I don’t care. All they’re doing is wasting time. I want Tiernan back. I don’t care what they do to me.
“Dean…” Aislin says.
Cillian just looks at me, gaze hard, but not struggling. “You want your boy to come back and find out I had to hurt you?” he asks, voice tight and strained from the pressure I’m putting on his throat. “This is one of those moments where you need to get your shit under control. We’ll find him a whole lot faster if we’re not fighting.”
He’s right. I just need to do something, need something to rein me in because if not, I’m going to get lost in my head, in all that fucking anger. I need Tiernan, and I don’t care what I have to do to get him back.
“Dean…hey…it’s okay,” Aislin tries to soothe me. “We’ll find him. But Cillian is right. It doesn’t help if we’re fighting.” She places her hands on my shoulders, the touch comforting…like a sister.
I close my eyes, then let go of Cillian, who sucks in a sharp breath.
“I’m sorry,” I tell them. “I just…I can’t. Without him. I need him back.”
“I know.” She turns me toward her. “He’s fine, okay? This is Tiernan. There’s nothing he can’t do. He probably had a job or something and didn’t want to wake anyone. I’ll call Mom first. Maybe he’s with her.”