Shrouded in Blackness Read online

  When everyone’s done eating we head into the living room to talk. Jack bounces around for a while before settling into my side and falling asleep, crashing after eating too much sugar. The weight of his body against mine feels like an anchor to reality that I need in order to make it through my life right now. I need these kids as much as they need me.

  “So you wanna fill us in on what’s goin’ on?” Rick asks. Kieran is on my right holding Ash to his chest with me tucked under his arm, his warm hand resting on Jack’s sleeping head. His parents are sitting across from us holding hands like we’re about to tell them the meaning of life.

  “Not sure how much you need filled in on. We’re together,” Kieran dismisses the question. Rick scowls and Clare rubs his hand in a calming motion. I remain silent.

  “Okay, let’s try this. My phone starts runnin’ off the hook this mornin’ with every person I’ve ever known askin’ about my grandkids and their mother. Wantin’ to know why it’s been kept a secret. Wantin’ to know how nobody knew all this time.”

  “I fucked up. Quinn didn’t put up with my shit. She’s offerin’ me another chance now.”

  “Kieran!” Clare admonishes. “You can’t be serious?”

  “I’m serious.”

  “That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself? You expect me to believe that you’ve had two children and never told me? That you would keep my grandchildren away from me for years with not so much as a word? I don’t believe you, Kieran Michael Delaney. Not one word,” she huffs.

  “If she’s in some kinda trouble and you need help, I’ll do everything I can. You just have to be straight with me,” Rick says, his eyes pleading with his son to be honest.

  “They’re my kids, Pop. I’m sorry this is hard for you guys. I don’t wanna hurt you, but that’s the truth,” Kieran says emphatically.

  I can’t even look his parents in the eye so I study my hands. Kieran is a lot of things but a liar isn’t one. I can’t turn him into one just to keep me safe. Lying in the streets for our benefit is one thing, but lying to the people that he loves is crossing a line. Dílseacht. Here goes nothing.

  “My name is Darcy Quinlan,” I say, raising my gaze to his parents. Both of them pale, remaining completely still and wordless. Kieran goes rigid beside me. I let that information hang in the air for a long time before I continue.

  “The O’Boyle Brothers would pay a lot of money for that information alone. So yes, I’m in trouble, but you can’t help me. I appreciate the offer, though.”

  “Darcy Quinlan is dead,” Rick mutters, trying to figure out what’s going on.

  “That’s the rumor,” I snort. My uncles spread that a few years ago after they couldn’t hunt me down. I’m sure they were hoping it would make me feel safe enough to pop my head out from behind whatever dumpster they were searching so they could chop it off. It only made me that much more diligent.

  “Is that why you kept these kids from us? You thought they’d be safer if they weren’t known about?” Clare asks with a pained expression. I go to tell her the truth as Kieran painfully squeezes my shoulder, letting me know I need to shut up.

  “Yes,” he replies simply.

  “And it’s safe for them to be known now?” Rick asks, disbelief on his face.

  “No one knows her real name. People believe Darcy Quinlan’s dead. I want my family so we’re takin’ the risk. I can keep her and the kids safer with me, anyway.”

  Clare and Rick look sick right now. They believe the lie, which kills me, but I’m following Kieran’s lead. These are his parents and I have to trust he knows what’s best when it comes to them.

  “Your father was a good friend when we were young men,” Rick explains, his face lost in memories. “We lost touch over the years, but I’ve got some great memories with him.”

  “Maybe you can tell me about it sometime,” I offer, wanting to know more about my father.

  “Kieran, Quinn, I’d really like the opportunity to spend some time with the kids,” Clare whispers in a sad voice.

  “You can have as much time with them as you want, Clare. I’d love that for them and for you,” I respond kindly, Kieran remaining silent. I can’t tell if he’s pissed or just working my sudden bomb through his head, but he’s more stoic than usual.

  “Thank you,” she says through a weak smile.

  A silence falls over the group and I get nervous.

  “The O’Boyles will figure this out eventually. You need to make sure you’re ready for them when they come lookin’ for their long lost niece,” Rick says to Kieran with a protective ire to his voice.

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Kieran

  After Quinn dropped her bomb I got her and the kids out of my parents’ house quickly. We put the kids to bed and I dragged her into my bedroom.

  Quinn’s curled up in a ball against the headboard, her knees pulled protectively in front of her chest. I’m sitting facing her on the edge of the bed waiting for her to explain.

  “Time to talk, Shorty,” I urge in a low tone. I’m not pissed, but it’s coming.

  “What else do you wanna know?” she whispers, staring at the comforter.

  “Why have you lived on the streets for the last eight years?”

  “To keep myself alive.”

  “Need a little more than that.”

  “I was in the house the night it happened. My parents told ’em I was out for the night as I hid under some floorboards in our living room. I listened as my mother was tortured, raped and murdered by her own brothers’ gang. I listened as my father screamed through his gag to make them stop. I listened as my father’s men betrayed him for scraps of money. I listened to every single sound and word until it was silent. Then I laid there until my blood ran cold and my soul died,” she finishes with one tear sliding slowly down her cheek.

  I feel puke rise up the back of my throat. The O’Boyle Brothers are a crime organization that mainly run guns and drugs, but in recent years have started human trafficking. They’re nasty motherfuckers to deal with. I worked with them for a while, maybe five years ago. I did a few hits for them and then got out, not people you want to be in bed with for long. If Quinn is a witness to the shit she just described, no wonder they want her.

  Patrick Quinlan was convicted of his wife’s murder with quite a bit of fanfare. The lifelong financial whiz for the mob was blinded by money and drugs, according to the State. Her uncles framed her father for her mother’s murder and then he was killed in prison. Everyone believed it was a revenge hit for killing their sister. FUCK!

  “So they want you because you’re a witness?” I clarify, hoping this story doesn’t get any worse.

  “If only it were that. My parents left everything to me. House, money…everything. My father laundered and moved money for them. When the O’Boyle Brothers decided to start trafficking people my father wanted out. They didn’t take kindly to his lack of loyalty to the family so they decided to eliminate my parents. They underestimated my father, though. Apparently he had a computer system set up that he had to check in with every twenty-four hours. If he didn’t check in, it took every dime from the O’Boyle companies he had access to and filtered all of the money into a bunch of different places before it ended up in a bank account. The age of technology fucked the O’Boyle Brothers hard. I found a file with the account information before I left the house that night, memorized it and burned it as instructed by a sticky note on the front written by my father. His last words on that note said run. So I’ve been runnin’ ever since.”

  I climb further into bed and scoop her tiny frame into my lap, forcing her legs around my waist.

  “I’m sorry you went through that. I’m sorry you lost your parents. I’m sorry you were on your own for so long. I’m sorry your uncles are worthless fuckin’ pieces of shit. I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner,” I say softly, peering into her icy eyes that are shimmering with unshed tears.

  “Now you and your family are in danger. I should j
ust run, Kieran. I should take my kids and go before something happens.”

  “Absolutely fuckin’ not. I just got you and I’m not lettin’ you go. I can keep you and the kids safe. We need to figure some of this shit out and I’ll broker some kinda deal with them. If they want their money they’ll deal. They may be the scum of the earth, but they’re smart enough to arrange somethin’ with me and get their money.”

  “I’m sorry about your parents. They probably hate me now,” she huffs burying her head in my chest.

  “They don’t hate you. They’re pissed at me and I don’t give a shit. They’ll get over it. We need to get birth certificates for the kids with my name on ’em. Do you have Jack’s?”

  “I don’t even have an ID for myself,” she mumbles in my chest.

  “I know a guy at the DMV. I’ll get your license tomorrow. Did you have a license before? Shit, do you even know how to drive?” I ask, realizing she was really young when she hit the streets.

  “Yes, I know how to drive and I had my license,” she says in a chuckle, sitting up to face me. “I also graduated from high school before everything went down.”

  “Okay, we’ll get your license and then go to Vital Records and get the kids’ birth certificates. A paper trail like that’ll be good for us.”

  “’Kay,” she says in a yawn. “I’m gonna go to bed. Ash’ll be up in a few hours.”

  Quinn peels out of my lap and scoots to the edge of the bed before I pull her back to me. I lay her down and climb on top of her, holding my weight off of her with my forearms on either side of her head. I pepper her face with kisses before pressing my lips to hers. She wraps her tiny arms around my neck and opens her mouth without hesitation.

  I tangle my tongue with hers, enjoying the flavor of her mouth mixed with mine. I move my hand under her sweater and knead her tit as she moans and arches into me. I break from her mouth, sitting up on my knees while I grab the hem of her shirt. I slowly pull it up her body and over her head. I stare down at her petite frame as a flush works its way up her chest to her cheeks. Reaching behind her back I unclasp her bra and throw it across the room. Her tits are perky with raspberry nipples standing at stiff peaks.

  “You’re fuckin’ amazin’,” I groan. I reach behind my head and pull my shirt off before I bury my face in her chest.

  I pull her tiny nipple in my mouth, nipping and sucking while I work the other between my thumb and forefinger. Quinn hisses at the feeling, pushing herself toward me. Her fingers twist and pull my hair, encouraging my exploration. I kiss and lick my way down the plane of her perfectly flat stomach, marveling at the smooth, soft skin.

  I pop the button on her jeans and slowly pull down the zipper with my teeth, pinching her nipple hard as I go.

  “Ahhh,” flows from her throat.

  I pull off her jeans and panties in one fast motion and then settle between her legs. I kiss her inner thighs, causing her to whimper. Her pussy is shaved completely bare which I was not expecting. I don’t remember her being shaved when I washed her, but I’m loving it. I blow a cool stream of air against her and she shudders from head to toe, goosebumps rising on her skin.

  I push her thighs apart wide until they’re lying on either side of her chest. Holding her there I take one long lick from back to front, savoring her taste. A gravelly, sexy moan rattles in her chest and I get to work.

  I fuck her with my tongue hard, thrusting in and out of her tight little hole, lapping up all of the juices spilling from her. She rocks her hips furiously back and forth. I move my mouth to her clit and suck, gently, massaging it with the flat of my tongue and her legs begin to shake. I pick up my speed and harden my tongue, flicking and licking her clit. She slams her head back and whimpers my name as she comes in my mouth shuddering and jerking violently.

  I gently ease my mouth from her, kissing a trail back up to her mouth before kissing her deeply. She licks her come from my mouth, mewling and clawing at me for more. If she doesn’t stop I’m going to take her right now. So I pull back and rest my forehead against hers.

  “Stay with me tonight,” I whisper.

  “Yes.”

  I pull the covers back and pull her naked body against mine after I remove my jeans. My raging hard-on settles against her back and she starts to move.

  “Be still or you’ll have a mess on your back,” I warn.

  “Do you want me to take care of you?” she asks sheepishly.

  “I’m good. I just wanna hold you in my arms.”

  “’Kay,” she sighs and falls asleep a few breaths later. I follow not long after.

  I wake up to an empty, cold space next to me. My pillow smells like milk and honey, but that’s all that remains of Quinn. I climb out of bed, rubbing my dílseacht tattoo which, over the years, has become a calming motion for me. The house is silent, eerily so. As I pass the open, empty bedroom doors my heart begins to pick up in pace. When I hit the living room a trickle of fear creeps up my spine.

  As I’m turning to run back to my room and get dressed, I hear Jack squeal outside. I hastily move to the back door to find Jack outside in the back yard jumping around in freshly fallen snow while Quinn watches, holding a snowsuit-clad Ashling. My pulse slows as I watch their smiling faces for a few minutes before moving back to my room to get dressed.

  I take a quick shower before pulling on jeans and a black sweater. Making my way down the hall I hear the three of them coming in the back door.

  “Can we go out later and build a snowman?” Jack asks hopefully.

  “Sure, Baby,” Quinn coos.

  As I round the corner I find Quinn struggling to juggle the baby and peel Jack out of his wet snowsuit.

  “Mornin’,” I call as I make my way to them.

  “It snowed!” Jack exclaims.

  “I see that. Did you have fun out there?”

  I sweep Ashling up into my arms and put a big wet kiss on her chubby cheek.

  “I made snow angels. Mommy said we can go out later and make a snowman.”

  “Love makin’ snowmen. Can I come too?” I ask, peeling the baby out of her puffy suit.

  “Yeah, you can come. Do we have carrots?”

  “I think so, Baby,” Quinn answers, pulling the last of his suit off before taking it into the utility room.

  “Do you think Rick and Clare would come build a snowman with me?” Jack asks walking over to the dining room table.

  “I’m sure they would. I’ll call ’em and ask, bud.”

  “Cool.”

  Quinn comes back and starts making hot cocoa. I tag her arm as she slides past me, pulling her into my chest. She tips her head up and I place a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Mornin’,” I murmur against her mouth. She grins.

  “Gross,” Jack mutters, causing us both to chuckle before she slips out of my hold and goes back to the cocoa.

  We spend the morning together lounging around the house, playing with Jack and Ashling. Jack is non-stop energy, but he’s happy doing pretty much anything. He never complains about picking up or playing on his own. He’s always content. I know it’s because everything is new to him and he’s got things he’s never had before, but it’s also because he’s a good kid.

  Ash is the quietest baby in the history of babies. She fusses a little when she’s hungry and that’s about it. Otherwise she’s sleeping or staring at you with her big blue eyes that seem to hold millions of questions. She’s absolutely stunning and she’ll probably get me arrested when she’s a teenager. Teenager? Fuck me, am I really that invested in this already?

  I guess I am. I don’t want them to leave. I want them here with me and the thought of them being in danger only solidifies that fact. I’ll do anything I can to protect them from the demons lurking in Quinn’s past. I need to start fishing around to find out more about the money that was funneled away from the O’Boyle Brothers.

  Money is always the answer to the questions of criminal organizations. Respect and loyalty fall in there too, but it’s alway
s about the bottom dollar. Dead bodies don’t pay bills at the end of the day. If I find a way to get their money back, they’ll leave Quinn alone. I’ll make fucking certain of that. No one is taking my family from me.

  Quinn

  April has brought the rain with it, along with some headaches. Kieran has been working tirelessly to figure out a way to access the O’Boyle Brothers’ money. Things have changed in the world since my father died. Having the account information is a small part of the equation in accessing and moving what we’re guessing is millions of dollars. Kieran has some teenage hacker looking into ways of moving the money safely.

  “Ian!” I yell down into the gym from his office. I’ve been working here two days a week, helping Ian with his books and things. Turns out my father’s financial skills rubbed off on me. Kieran watches the kids while I come into the gym to help out.

  I work while the fighters are here and no one pays Kieran Delaney’s woman any mind. In fact, most of them don’t even make eye contact with me. His reputation goes much further than I originally anticipated.

  Ian ambles over to the stairs before answering, “Yeah?”

  “Call for you.”

  Ian climbs the stairs quickly. His beating resulted in a cracked rib and a mild concussion, both of which he called bullshit pussy injuries and went right back to training fighters when the hospital released him. He’s been on a mission to figure out what the street gang wanted with my kids, but so far he’s come up empty handed. I’m hoping Kieran’s message has run whoever was searching for them off for good.

  “You wanna fight, Quinn?” Connor yells up to me from the grappling area. He’s dripping with sweat and standing with Owen who looks a little worse for wear after sparring for an hour.

  “You wanna get beat up by a girl?” I call down as I make my way to him.

  “It’s my favorite pastime,” he says with a cocky smirk on his lips, his green eyes glowing with mischief.

  I’ve been learning to protect myself for the last month at Kieran’s request. Connor and Owen have taken on the job to personally turn me into some kind of ninja assassin. It’s a good workout and I’ve learned a lot from them.