Page 161 of Shattered Veil

Aw, fuck, I’ve seen that look in a man. Is he insane?

I’m about to give him a talkin’ to when my wife snags my arm, and I sit back down.

My sister is an adult. Just as I argued for Ella to make her own choices, Shea should get the same consideration.

We land in Ireland, a small airstrip in Dunbar Valley. Lachlan, Darragh, and Trace practicallysurround Shea like she’s a celebrity. They leave in one hired SUV, while Ella, Denton, and I wait for another.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with your brothers and Shea?” Ella asks, touching my face. “I can wait for you at the hotel.”

I chuckle to myself. Hotel. “No, you don’t leave my sight around here.”

She glances around the hangar. “It’s dangerous?”

“Dunbar Valley is a torture camp. It’s mostly criminals. My father recruited assassins from the place back in the day.” I tense up. “When Lachlan was eighteen, Da sent him here.”

“To train as an assassin?” Her voice squeaks.

“And to be punished. This place is privately run. Someone dumps you here with instructions, you get whatever treatment your sponsor paid for.”

“Your brother Cormac is here.” She clutches her chest. “What did he—”

“There’s time to explain that.” I have to ease her mind because Lachlan is bringing him home.

He doesn’t think I know.

“But my brother,no brotherwill ever hurt you. You’re an O’Rourke. You are one of us now, Ella.”

She blushes as I help her into the SUV that arrives for us.

A twenty-minute ride later, I take out that red satin mask from my leather duffle.

“What is that for?” Her eyes widen.

Smiling, I slip it over her eyes. “I have another surprise for you.”

“Balor,” she says breathlessly. “First a plane. Then you put me on the deed to your house.”

“Our house. Our children are living in a house that both their parents own.” He kisses my nose.

“You do so much for me. You’ve given me everything.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you’ve given me. Peace. Love. And the motivation to stop hating myself for only wanting one way to get off.”

I slide the mask on and put my arm around her.

The sun is ready to set over the green knolls of the vast property of ourlodging.

Even I’m impressed. But I keep my excitement in check.

I open the car door and help Ella out.

Denton, who’s my bodyguard now, and mostly looks after Ella, takes our bags from the back.

Before the stone steps, I remove the blindfold.

Ella blinks and spins around like she doesn’t believe what she’s seeing. “We’re staying in a castle?”

I smile. “You’remyqueen. You deserve to spend our honeymoon being treated like royalty.”