Into Temptation (Deliver Us from Evil Trilogy Book Two) Read online

  Quickly rising to my feet, I raise my hands in surrender, wanting him to know I mean no harm.

  “Ethan, I phoned Punky. He’s here to help,” Hannah says from behind me.

  Ethan curls his lip in anger. “Always stickin’ yer nose in where it doesn’t belong. Yer nothin’ but a nosy little bitch!”

  “Away on! Y’ll speak to yer sister that way? Where are yer manners?” I scold, unbelieving he would speak to Hannah this way.

  “Fuck you,” he replies, not interested in anything I have to say as he comes to a shaky stand. When he sees the bag I hold with his drugs, he lunges for me, but I step back. “That’s mine. Give it here.”

  I shake my head. “Ye should have killed me when ya had the chance, cub, ’cause I’m about to be yer worst nightmare.”

  He reacts how I knew he would.

  With a roar, he advances forward, ready to spill blood for the drugs he loves more than me. Hannah yelps while I keep him at arm’s length. He’s scrawny and doesn’t stand a chance, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to take me down.

  “Give them back!” he screams, kicking and punching thin air. He’s still strung out, so his blows don’t connect with me.

  “I will not,” I firmly state. “This is what I think of yer dope.”

  Gripping him by the back of the neck, I drag him out of the room and toss his arse into the bathroom. He slips and slides on the floor as he desperately attempts to get back what’s his, but it’s in vain as there is no way I’ll let him put this filth in his body ever again.

  Flipping open the toilet lid with my boot, I dump the pills and the baggie of heroin into the bowl. Ethan cries, fighting me, but he won’t win.

  “No! Ya fuckin’ cunt! Naw!”

  I ignore him and smash his syringe against the wall. “Ye won’t touch this shite again. A’ll not tell ya again.”

  As he continues to fight, I force him onto his knees and shove his face inches from the bowl.

  “Is this who ya wanna be? Is this who ya think Connor would be proud of?” I question, my fingers clutching the back of his neck to keep him down.

  “Fuck you, and fuck Connor! He’s fucking dead. I wish you were too!”

  I allow him to vent because this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

  “I’m sorry I left ya, Ethan, but I had no choice.”

  “Yer pathetic!” he screams, still fruitlessly fighting. “Yer a coward! I fucking hate ya!”

  “Aye, I hate myself for doin’ this to ya,” I say, keeping calm. “I’ll do everythin’ I can to make it up to ya.”

  “I don’t want yer help,” he spits, struggling on the tiled floor. “I have all the help I need.”

  “From Sean?”

  “I don’t know what yer talkin’ ’bout,” he replies, protecting Sean as I knew he would.

  Gripping his arm and twisting it back at a painful angle, I look at the tattoo on his wrist, which confirms he’s in so deep, I’m afraid he’ll never be found.

  “Ya know what this means?” I ask, bending his arm harder so he answers me.

  He screams as I’m hurting him, but I need to be cruel to be kind. “Aye! I’m just like you now, brother.”

  A hiss leaves me. “That’s not somethin’ to be proud of, Ethan. I don’t want that for ya.”

  “I don’t care what ya want. This is my life, and I’ll live it how I want.”

  “Yer happy bein’ Sean’s errand boy, are ya? Ya think he gives a fuck about ye? He cares only about himself. Why can’t ya see that?”

  “Ethan, p-please,” Hannah sobs, but her pleas are lost to her brother because he is lost himself.

  “Shut up! I fucking hate you! Yer runnin’ to this loser, thinkin’ he can help. He can’t even help himself,” he spits out. “Ye better sleep with one eye open because—”

  He doesn’t get to finish his sentence because I shove his head into the bowl and flush the toilet. He gags on the water, slapping the porcelain in his attempt to get up. But I hold him down.

  “Y’ll never threaten yer sister again,” I warn, forcing his head into the water. “So help me God, I will fuckin’ end ya myself.”

  “Punky!” Hannah screams, concerned I’m drowning Ethan. But I know what I’m doing.

  “From now on, I’m yer shadow, and it’ll stay that way until ya remember who ye are. Got it?”

  When he doesn’t reply, I dunk his head deeper.

  “I’ll not tell ya again. The choice is yours.”

  He nods quickly, slapping the edge of the bowl, admitting defeat, and only then do I lift his head so he can breathe again. He slumps onto the floor as I let him go, gulping in mouthfuls of air.

  “So ya do want to live?” I question, peering down at him, unmoved. “Ya were fightin’ for yer life. There’s still hope then.”

  Ethan crawls across the tiles, slamming his back against the wall as he attempts to catch his breath. The hatred is still reflected in his eyes, but now, I see something else—fear.

  I leave Ethan to ponder on that as I exit the bathroom and raid his room for any remaining drugs. What I find, I tip down the kitchen sink. Fiona is sitting at the table, staring blankly ahead.

  “This is yer fault,” she says, numb. “He would have never turned out this way if Connor was alive. Ya failed him. Ya failed us all.”

  “Aye, that’s one thing we agree on, Fiona,” I reply, watching the shell of the woman I once knew cup her face and sob into her trembling hands.

  I leave her alone because I don’t know what else to say. She has every right to hate me. I hate me for what I’ve done.

  Cian and Rory are outside, waiting in the garden. They don’t ask how I am, or how things went. They heard it all.

  “He’s comin’ home with me,” I announce. “That’s the only way I can protect him. I won’t send him to some clinic where they talk about their feelin’s.”

  “Course, mate,” Cian says. “Whatever help ya need, we’re here.”

  “He’s goin’ to pay for what he’s done,” I snarl, clenching my fists and looking into the night sky. “I swear it.”

  The front door opens, and Ethan sheepishly comes outside. He understands he can come with me on his own accord, or I’ll drag him out. Hannah stands behind him, a bag packed with his things slung over her shoulder.

  This is tearing her apart, but I made her a promise. I won’t break it.

  I’m thankful Hannah fitted my house with everything I need because I intend on spending a lot of time here, helping Ethan heal.

  He’s going cold turkey. I know what that involves. It won’t be pretty, but I’m here every step of the way.

  Ethan is passed out on the sofa. I’m sitting in the armchair, watching him, too afraid to leave his side. He sleeps for now, but when he wakes, things are going to get ugly. He will lie, cheat, and steal to get his next fix.

  I have to be strong because there is no way he’s going to touch that shite ever again.

  A soft knock on the door has me reaching for the gun beside me.

  “Punky, it’s me.”

  Placing the gun in the small of my back, I quietly walk to the door. When I open it, I see Babydoll standing in the dark.

  “Hannah called me,” she explains. “She’s worried. About both of you.”

  I don’t say a word and open the door wider, permitting her entry.

  She brushes past me, her touch soothing me in ways I still find impossible. But I don’t have time to think on that. Closing the door, I walk into the living room where Babydoll stands, peering down at Ethan. She places a hand over her mouth.

  “He’s so skinny,” she whispers, tears in her eyes.

  “That’s ’cause he’s a druggie,” I bluntly state, not seeing the point in sugarcoating it.

  “This isn’t your fault,” she says, always defending me. “We all should have done more.”

  I appreciate her words, but they don’t make a difference because it is my fault Ethan is here.

  “Can
I talk to you?”

  I arch a brow but nod.

  Not wanting to wake Ethan, I make sure the front door is locked and gesture she’s to follow me into the bedroom. I leave the door open in case Ethan stirs.

  She exhales, clearly gathering her thoughts. Her response has me bracing for the worst.

  “The gangs Brody is offering protection against are his own,” she says, confirming what I already knew to be true. “I went to see Ron Brady. He is one of the many businesses which pay a hefty fee to Brody. He told me he and many others won’t work with Sean. But they will with you.”

  I take a moment to process what she just shared because this changes everything.

  “They don’t have a choice. They pay Brody because they see him and Sean being as bad as the other. They need hope. And that’s you.

  “I don’t know how many, but from what Ron said, you’ve got the support of those who were loyal to Connor. They’re loyal to you now.”

  “Ya shouldn’t have gone on yer own. That was dangerous.” But what she says, this now changes the course of everything. I know what I have to do.

  She pulls in her lips, reminding me she can look after herself. “Every day is dangerous. It’s time we stopped it. I’m sick of living in fear. So are many others.”

  Running a hand through my hair, I exhale, utterly knackered. This kind of exhaustion is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I feel this all the way to my very core.

  Slumping onto the end of the bed, I cup my forehead, needing a minute. It would be so much easier to surrender because the fight in me is withering. Every corner I turn, I’m just confronted with more shite. But I didn’t come this far to give up now.

  With the softest of touches, Babydoll runs her fingers through my hair. I can’t help but sigh because it feels so good.

  “The biggest enemy you’ll fight is yourself, Punky,” she whispers, reading the turmoil inside me.

  And she’s right.

  She gently places a finger under my chin, coaxing me to look at her. A mix of emotion is reflected in her eyes as she’s supposed to be mad at me for lying to her. But the love we feel for one another seems to always win in the end.

  “You want to save the world,” she says, stroking over my jaw. “But who’s going to save you?”

  With nothing but sincerity, I reply, “You have. Ye were the only thing that gave me strength when I wanted to give up time and time again. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, but yer not one of them.”

  She blinks back her tears.

  I wrap my fingers around her other wrist and place her hand against my chest, where I nestle into her palm, lowering my guard. She strokes my cheek with trembling fingers.

  “What are we going to do?” she asks, and I know we’re no longer talking about this war we never wanted a part of.

  She’s vulnerable and scared, and even though I know she can look after herself, all I want to do is protect her. “I don’t know.”

  “I should hate you. It would be easier if I did.”

  “I know.”

  “But I don’t,” she confesses, looking away. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I feel like I’ve been fighting for ten years.”

  Her sincerity has me slowly rising to my feet.

  She stands before me, her breaths uneven. She’s nervous.

  “I know what ya mean,” I admit, wanting her to know I’m tired as well. “I don’t know why ye continue to help me…but I’m thankful that ye do.”

  She lifts her chin, working her bottom lip as she knows what’s about to happen.

  “I do it because I—” She suddenly pauses, realizing if she says the words, there’s no turning back. “It’s not like this with others.”

  With a heavy sigh, I surrender, sealing our fates forevermore. “I know.”

  Before she can say another word, I press my lips to hers and make her breaths mine. Instantly, she softens against me, humming into my mouth as I devour her whole.

  She stands on her toes and wraps her arms around the back of my neck, meeting me stroke for stroke as our tongues move with a languid speed. Even though this kiss is passion-filled, it’s slow, hungry for so much more because we’ve realized nothing, no one, stands in our way.

  This is finally our time where we can be Puck and Cami.

  I can’t get enough of her. I never will. Placing my hands low on her waist, I draw her to me, pressing us chest to chest. Our mouths tangle in a union of utter perfection because this is it. No more lies, no one standing in our way.

  The only people to fuck this up is us.

  “I want you,” she whispers against my lips. “I can’t stop.”

  “I want you too,” I confess. “I always will.”

  But there’s something I need to tell her before we do this. Something which will change the course of everything.

  With one final kiss, I pull away, smiling when she pouts as she doesn’t want me to stop. “Before we do this, I need to tell ya what I’ve planned, and if ya still want me afterward, well, then…I’m yours. Forever.”

  Her slender throat dips as she swallows deeply.

  “Some things have changed, while others have remained the same. I didn’t know what to expect when I got out. But what I did know was that workin’ with Brody was the only way to find Sean.

  “But Sean isn’t as powerful as I thought he would be, which is why he’s still in hidin’. He knows he can’t beat Brody. He knows that the loyalties he was certain he would gain after Connor’s death actually see him for the piece of shite that he is.

  “It’s because of this that the plan has now changed. It’s because of you, because of yer fearlessness that I’m going to do somethin’ I should have done a long time ago.”

  Babydoll nervously licks her lips. “What are you going to do?”

  I never thought I’d ever utter these words. “I’m goin’ to kill Brody, but I want to make sure yer okay with me doin’ that. He’s a fucking bastard, but he’s still yer dad.”

  She takes a moment to process what I’ve just shared because she understands when I say I’m going to kill him, I mean now. No more waiting. I thought I needed him alive, but I don’t. There is no undying loyalty for either Sean or Brody because neither could ever be the leader Connor once was.

  The men can be swayed given the right price or circumstance. Or, given the right leader.

  If what Babydoll says is true, then the only person who can build an army with loyal men is me. It doesn’t matter that Connor isn’t my father. His colleagues and friends will always see me as the eldest Kelly son; the rightful ruler of Northern Ireland.

  They are waiting for change, and that change is me.

  I will kill Brody, making an example of him in case anyone else dares challenge me for my throne. This means it comes down to two people—Sean and me. And I won’t lose.

  “So, Baby, do ya still want me, knowing I’ll have yer father’s blood on my hands?”

  Babydoll’s breathing is shallow, and I worry she’s gone into shock. I understand if she needs time. Or if she begs I change my mind.

  But when she steps forward so we’re inches apart, I realize she doesn’t need time. The only thing she needs is…me.

  “Yes. I want you. Always. Forever. I…love you…so fucking much, it hurts to breathe.”

  Closing my eyes, I bask in her admission because I’ve not heard it in so long. To be loved is a gift. But to be loved by Babydoll—that is nothing short of a miracle.

  “Then I’m yours.”

  She doesn’t have a chance to speak because I’m on her, cupping the back of her neck, holding her prisoner as I kiss her passionately. She allows me to dominate her, her body molding to mine because we’ve finally come home.

  I circle my tongue with hers, deepening the angle as I lead her to the point of no return. She moans when I bite her bottom lip, before sucking it gently. Even though we’re pressed front to front, it’s not close enough, so I lift her, coaxing her to wrap her legs arou
nd my waist.

  She does, her pussy snug around my erection as I slam her back to the wall. Our mouths never miss a beat as we devour one another like it’s the last day on earth. In some ways, I suppose it is because this is the start of something fucking beautiful.

  She rubs herself against me, whimpering in need. I want nothing more than to fuck her senseless, but with Ethan in the next room, I know we’ll have to raincheck on that thought. But I won’t leave my girl wanting. She’s waited long enough.

  Walking toward the foot of the bed, I toss her onto the mattress, relishing in her yelp of surprise before she scampers onto the pillows, her eyes never leaving mine. Her taste lingers on my lips, but the sweetness I crave lays between those parful legs of hers.

  Her skirt has ridden up, teasing me as I can just see the black lacy triangle covering her lovely cunt. She enjoys seeing me riled up, so she merely leans back on her elbows and opens her legs wider with a sassy grin.

  Ethan won’t wake for a while as he’s still fucked up on the shite in his system. So I kneel onto the end of the mattress, taking in the goddess before me. Her choppy breaths reveal her nerves, and no matter how many times we’ve done this before, it always feels like the first time.

  With an unhurried pace, I crawl toward her, coming to rest at the junction of her thighs. Her body trembles with anticipation as I gently rub over her underwear. She’s wet. I’m hard. A deadly combination.

  She lifts her hips, allowing me to slip off her underwear. When I see her pretty pink cunt, I lick my lips, ravenous beyond words. I don’t bother taking off her skirt because I can’t wait. Pushing it aside, I lower my mouth to her pussy and lay a single kiss over her hot flesh.

  With a whimper, Babydoll lowers herself onto the pillow and opens her legs wider. I always feel so appreciative she’d allow an animal like me to touch her. I run my tongue along the seam of her pussy, humming when her sweetness hits me low.

  She opens her legs wider and threads her fingers through my hair, a silent plea I give her what we both want. I surrender because I need her as much as she needs me. She’s still injured, so I’ll try to be gentle.

  I lick her slowly before parting her flesh with my tongue. She moans, arching her back and opening herself up wider to me. I take the offering, using my mouth, tongue, and fingers to work her over until she is quivering uncontrollably.