“Zoe, look at me,” Marc commands with a firm yet soothing tone.

  I do as he says and meet his gaze. I love his dark brown eyes. They seem to molten to an even darker color when his emotions are involved. Looking into them now, I suck in a breath, my lungs burning with the need to let it out as I see no pity coming through them. Instead, there’s something else entirely. I want to ask him what the look he’s giving me means, but before I have the chance to say anything, my brother’s voice breaks through the trances.

  “What the fuckin’ hell are you doing with my sister in your lap?” he snarls in a tone low enough not to wake Raya but loud enough to cause me to jump in fear.

  Looking from Marc to my brother, I can see just how pissed he is. Being my big brother and the only other person who knows about me being raped, Ezekiel has become extremely protective.

  “Zek,” I murmur, greeting my brother as I finally find the courage to pull myself from Marc’s embrace.

  When it comes to Marc, he has a way of ensnaring my very heart, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

  Chapter Eight

  Marc

  Finding out Zoe was raped and kept it to herself for so long bothers me more than I want to admit. The fact she did this is proven when she clutched to me while crying herself to sleep. I don’t know how long I sat on the couch after sleep pulled her under.

  “What the fuckin’ hell are you doing with my sister in your lap?” I jerk my gaze to find a man I know all too well standing in the doorway of Zoe’s house.

  Ezekiel Dunn. Also known as Finn Brisbane’s cousin as well as a member of the SoCo Security Investigations team who works for Jackson.

  Fucking hell.

  It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, but I would know his face from anywhere. What sucks, though, is I didn’t put two and two together and that he was the man I saw Zoe smiling at all those months ago when I spotted her out with some guy.

  Motherfucker.

  “Zek,” Zoe whispers, and I let her pull herself from my arms. I stand next to her, meeting Ezekiel’s gaze.

  “Twinkle, what the hell’s going on? Why is this asshole in here with you?” Ezekiel demands.

  “Watch it, Ezekiel,” I growl, starting to get pissed.

  “Zek, Marc isn’t the person. I promise. It’s not him. Please calm down. Raya’s in her swing sleeping, it’s been a bad enough day as it is. I ran into Mavis and told Marc about what happened to me,” Zoe rambles.

  “Hold up, Zoe. Did you say you ran into Mavis?” Zoe nods, wrapping her arms around her waist and hangs her head. “Fuck, Twinkle, are you okay?”

  “Who the hell is Mavis?” I ask, not liking the way Zoe seems to withdraw into herself.

  “None of your business, Marc,” Ezekiel snaps.

  “It is my business when I see a woman I fuckin’ care about hurting like this,” I retort with a sneer.

  “Marc, Zek, please stop,” Zoe says. Glancing at her, I see the way her bottom lip quivers.

  “Zoe, you know that I’m just trying to protect you. Maybe we should have just moved closer to my work to get you away from here,” Ezekiel grunts.

  A lot of shit runs through my head all at once as the pieces of the puzzle that are my Zoe Dunn. With her being Ezekiel’s sister, it means she’s Finn’s cousin as well and should be under the protection of the Alliance. She’s also got the backing of the SoCo Security Investigations team.

  “You know I didn’t want that. I eventually will have to tell Enya and Lillian about Raya, I’m just not ready yet. I don’t know when I will be either. I don’t want to see the pity in anyone’s eyes when they find out that poor, little Zoe Dunn, party girl extraordinaire, allowed herself to be drugged and raped.”

  “Grá,” I utter softly and get her to turn to me. When her eyes lock on mine, I pull her into me. “You need to calm down.”

  “Marc, you wanna let go of my sister and leave,” Ezekiel suggests.

  “Zek, I want him here,” Zoe whispers.

  “Zoe.” Ezekiel furrows his brow and looks between the two of us.

  “No, Zek, I need to talk about it. I’ve already told him about what happened, just not the full extent of it all.” The words come out quietly. Zoe’s pain radiates off her, and I can all but taste it in the air.

  Ezekiel seems to ponder what Zoe says and nods in response. “I’ll take Raya with me back to the office for a bit. Give you two time to talk.”

  “You can’t. The doctor said she has RSV. I don’t want to take her out,” Zoe panics. So that’s why she was taking her daughter to the doctor’s office.

  “RSV?” I don’t know what the hell that is.

  “It’s a respiratory infection. The doctor said it’s common in babies, but it still scares the day lights out of me that something can happen to her,” Zoe says.

  “Okay, Twinkle, why don’t you take Marc out back, and I’ll stay in here with her,” Ezekiel says and looks to me. “Zoe’s been through enough shit. If you’re looking to hurt her, I have no problem putting you in the ground, and I don’t think Finn would either.”

  Of course, Finn would have a problem because Zoe’s his blood. Finn Brisbane might be a part of the Alliance, but that doesn’t mean he won’t kill for those who are his family. He’s not like his father, that’s for sure. Taking over for his father on the southwest part of the US in the Alliance, Finn runs his ship differently than Dean, yet the same. Neither man has a problem getting his hands dirty. Last I heard, Finn was engaged to Olivia DeLancy.

  It’s a shocking arrangement considering all of the arrangements are normally between the different Irish families. Now with him branching out, the arrangement with the DeLancys is to keep a truce between them, and it opens up the possibilities for others. Right?

  Shaking my head, I stop the thoughts from leading to the possibilities for those of us not married. Getting out of contracts that are not wanted and making our own choices.

  I follow Zoe out onto the back deck. Glancing around, I smirk at the plants. Zoe definitely must have a green thumb. Lining the deck, she has even more mums set up in a pattern. I turn to look at the woman herself to see her watching me as she sits on a wooden swing.

  “You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to,” I whisper, seeing the weary in her eyes.

  “No, I need to do this. For the longest time, I thought it was you who raped me,” Zoe says, flinching.

  “What made you realize it wasn’t?” The fact she would think I would have violated her pisses me off, but I won’t take it out on her.

  “I don’t remember the fact of the man who hurt me. I can’t tell you what he looks like. The sound of his voice is the only thing that is seared into my brain,” she utters, dropping her gaze to the deck.

  Cautiously I sit on the swing next to her., “What did his voice sound like?”

  “He has a thick accent. Similar to yours and Dean’s.” She shivers and goes on to tell me the rest of her story. My anger toward the fact she would think I could harm her dissipates quickly. I also have an idea as to who it could’ve been that attacked her. Only I can’t be a hundred percent sure.

  By the time she finishes her story, I’ve made a decision where I stand with her. I’m gonna do what I have to, to make her mine. One day Zoe Dunn will be my woman. First, I gotta get her to trust me, and the way to do that is by showing her I can be her friend.

  Chapter Nine

  Zoe

  Three Days Later . . .

  “Lómhara, you’re gonna be fine. It’s time you let them all meet Raya,” Marc says from across the counter in my kitchen.

  Since the other day when we talked, he’s been here every day. I called out of work, claiming I was sick. Enya tried to say she’d bring me some soup, but thankfully, my brother was good enough to chime in. He told her it was best to stay away just in case—no reason for her to get sick while she’s pregnant.

  Tomorrow I’m going back to work but I’m taking Raya with me for the day. Sure, I’m keeping her in the daycare I’ve signed her up for. The staff is great, and I know my daughter is in safe hands there. Plus, the security company Ezekiel works for manages the security cameras and everything that is involved with making sure my daughter is safe.

  Stirring the noodles, I meet Marc’s gaze. “Do you know how hard it’s going to be to tell them?”

  “Zoe, babe, I get it’s going to be tough, but you gotta tell them. They’re your best friends,” Marc says with a grin, leaning further into the counter.

  Raya coos from her bouncer sitting on the floor, drawing Marc’s attention. My daughter seems to have wrapped Marc around her tiny little fingers. Marc grins down at her and moves. Quickly, he unstraps Raya from her bouncy seat before lifting her into his arms. She looks small in his much larger form. The way he handles her with care does something to my stomach. It’s like I have butterflies stirring up a storm inside of me that I can’t explain.

  “Isn’t Lillian coming by this evening?” he asks, pulling me from my thoughts that seem to wander anytime I see him with my daughter.

  “Yes.” I wanted to talk to her before anyone else. She was the one who claimed to know what was going on with me. Plus, I think it’ll be easier to start with her then move on to telling Enya tomorrow. “She should be here in about thirty minutes or so.”

  “You want me to stay while you talk to her?” God, why is he being so nice to me?

  “You would do that for me?” I’m baffled by his kindness.

  “Lómhara, I’m here for you no matter what.” The way he says that one word sends tingles of pleasure down my spine.

  “What does lómhara mean?”

  Marc smiles at me, then looks to my daughter, runs a hand along her cheek before bringing his eyes back up to meet mine. “Means precious, Zoe.”

  Oh. My. Goddess of all Hotness.

  Marc is going to send me into a full-blown panic attack if he keeps this up.

  Stopping what I’m doing in preparing dinner, I place my hands on the counter. “Um, Marc, I have to ask, why are you being so nice to me?”

  “We’re friends, aren’t we?” He quirks a brow. There’s a look on his face that makes me think he wants to say something else but is holding himself back.

  “Are we?”

  “Yeah, babe, we’re friends, and we’re gonna stay that way for as long as you want. I’m here for you and this little girl. You can’t stop me.” He chuckles.

  “Okay,” I whisper, a small smile forming on my lips at the thought of this man being my friend.

  Marc goes to say something, only to be interrupted by the sound of Lillian making herself known as she comes into the house. “Honey, I’m home,” she sings.

  Smiling, I lean over the counter to get a better look at one of my two best friends coming in my direction.

  “I have to say this place is so much cozier than the old place. I love the flowers out front as well as the baby stuff taking up space in the living room. Now, where is this beautiful little baby I’ve been denied the chance to see yet.” And that’s Lillian for you. Always lightening the mood in the room with her personality.

  Lillian’s been through her own fair share of hell in the past, and I wish I could’ve been more of a help to her. Unfortunately, I haven’t ever been able to do anything other than being there for her with a tub of her favorite ice cream and listening to her rant.

  Marc swishes the stool he’s sitting on around in order for Lillian to see Raya. Lillian’s eyes go from me to my little girl, then they take in exactly who is holding my daughter.

  “Since when have you two been together? Is she Marc’s?” Lillian brings her eyes back to mine and narrows them. She even takes it one step further, placing one hand on her hip, and wags her finger in my direction. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Zoe Dunn,” she says, deepening her voice to do her best impersonation of Ricky Ricardo.

  I sigh, breaking eye contact with her for a brief moment. When the two of us meet eyes again, I nod to the stool next to Marc. Once Lillian takes the seat, Marc offers Raya over to her.

  “Lillian, this is Raya,” Marc utters. “And no, I’m not her biological father. Zoe and I are just friends right now. She can tell you the rest.”

  Marc looks to me before standing from his stool. “I’m gonna head out and go take care of some stuff. Call me later and tell me how it goes.”

  “Okay.” I nod.

  Grinning, Marc leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek before leaving Lillian and me alone. I don’t say a word until the door closes behind him and neither does Lillian. Honestly, I’m not sure I could. The man is discombobulating my brain cells.

  Pushing my confusion to the side, I meet my friend’s gaze and lay it out there for her. I tell Lillian everything there is to know about what happened to me and about Raya. Tears spill down her cheeks as she listens but not once does she judge me or show any signs of pity.

  “I wish you would have told me,” she whispers when I finally finish.

  “I know. I’m sorry,” I say just as softly.

  “Zoe, you have nothing to be sorry for. You’re the victim in all this, and so is this precious little girl. You did what you had to do to get by and survive. Now it’s time for you to come out with the secrets, and it’s not going to be easy. We both know that Enya will be upset, but it’s only because she loves you. We’d do anything for you.”

  My throat tightens as I nod. I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to.

  “So anyway, now that we have the heavy out of the way, let’s enjoy dinner. Tomorrow we’ll worry about everything else,” Lillian declares, giving me one of her beautiful smiles.

  I don’t think I could ask for better friends. Lillian and Enya have always been there for me. Through thick and thin it’s always been us against the world. I didn’t realize I would pull away as I did, but I didn’t know what else to do. Enya was suffering enough after her own drama she didn’t need to know about mine on top of it.

  Shaking my head, I toss my dark thoughts away. I won’t think about them. Not now. Not tonight. Tomorrow is a big day, and I’m thankful I won’t be alone when everyone else finds out about my daughter.

  Chapter Ten

  Marc

  Pulling up at the bookstore, I check the time. I’m early, just as I planned to be. Zoe’s bringing Raya to work with her today, and I wanted to be here for her. She needs all the support she can get right now with all the bullshit I’m sure is going through her head.

  I didn’t want to leave her alone last night, but I got the sense that even though she wanted me there, Zoe needed to be alone with Lillian to tell her what she told me. When it comes to the fact I’m the first person she told about the attack, I’m honored because it showed she trusted me. Having Zoe’s trust means a lot to me, and I don’t ever want to taint her giving me that part of her.

  Parking my car, I shut off the engine and climb out. I hit the locks on the key fob and head for the doors leading to the store. The place isn’t open to customers yet, but everyone is here already except for Zoe. I know Ezekiel is bringing her in so he can also show her his support. I gotta admit I respect how protective he is of his little sister.

  Scanning the room, I lock eyes with Lillian, who gives me a slight nod. I move to my cousin, Dean, and his wife. “What’s going on?” he asks, furrowing his brows.

  “Same ol’ shit,” I grunt, giving him a shrug.

  “Highly doubt that. Everyone’s here for a reason, and I have a feeling you know what that reason is,” Dean mutters, being the intuitive fucker I know him to be.

  “Not mine to tell,” I grumble loud enough for only him to hear.

  Dean quirks a brow but doesn’t respond. I know he doesn’t like things being kept from him. But in Zoe’s defense, it wasn’t my boss’s business, not even mine. I’m just making it that way.

  A few minutes later, I spot Ezekiel stepping into the bookstore. His eyes lock on mine first, giving me a jerk of his chin. With his height and build, he’s easily able to hide the fact Zoe’s small form is behind him.

  “Zek,” Enya says in greeting from behind the book counter.

  “Hey there, Enya.” He grins.

  “Where’s Zoe?” It takes everything in my power not to move to Zoe. I get she’s going to have to do this on her own.

  “I’m right here,” she murmurs quietly and steps out from behind Ezekiel, holding Raya snuggled against her chest.

  Seeing Zoe holding Raya, I find myself moving toward her and taking her daughter into my arms.

  “Zoe?” Enya gives a look between Ezekiel, Zoe, and myself. “What’s going on? Whose baby is this?”

  “She’s my daughter, Raya,” Zoe whisper.

  “It’s okay, aingeal álainn. Remember they’re your family,” I utter and wrap my free arm around her shoulders in support.

  Nodding, Zoe leans into me as she faces her friends once again.

  “Zoe,” Bridget speaks up before my woman can open her mouth. “If you’re not ready to talk about whatever it is you felt you couldn’t talk to us about, we’ll wait. I’m sure you had your reasons as we all have had our own at one point in time. Some still do.”

  Gotta love my cousin’s wife. Bridget is one smart as hell woman.

  “Thank you, Bridget,” Zoe says, holding back the tears.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? Or had a baby?” Enya looks completely devastated to have been kept in the dark.

  “I didn’t say anything because you were going through enough at the time. I wasn’t going to unload my own drama on top of yours.” Zoe leans further into me, and Raya makes a cooing noise drawing my attention to her. I found out after the first time holding her, this little girl loves it when I hold her. For being only an infant, she knows how to wrap a man around her tiny little fingers.

 

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