***
“Adam McGregor. The one and only.”
I’d stepped out of the office to get some fresh air and fight a migraine that was starting to bury its way in my skull.
Or maybe it was my conscience yelling at me. Unwanted memories of my last fight five years ago with Owen, had been throwing themselves at the wall of my mind.
So seeing Frankie wasn’t what I needed today. “I didn’t think you went out in the daytime.” I bit into the sausage I’d bought from a street cart and continued to walk. The prick followed me, his voice a shrill noise over my shoulder, aggravating my headache.
“Congrats on your win last weekend. I didn’t think you still had it in you, but it’s good to know I won’t be fighting a complete pussy.”
Was that his idea of a compliment?
“Why the hell are you following me?” I stopped to face him but tried to remain cool. I shoved more food in my mouth to keep from slugging him right there in the street.
Frankie’s attention was on a woman who walked past us in flashy pink heels. Then he looked back at me. “I saw you and thought I’d offer my congratulations.”
“Yeah, sure. Sounds about right,” I remarked sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
I stepped to the side of the flow of people on the footpath and tossed the rest of my lunch in a nearby trash bin. I leaned against a storefront, my appetite gone with the bastard in my face.
He rubbed a hand over his jaw and stepped in front of me. He was way too damn close. Was he trying to start something on the bloody streets right now?
“How’s Les?”
“How the hell do you think he is? You know he didn’t belong in the cage with you.”
Frankie laughed. “Why should I give a shite about that?” He stepped back and slapped a hand to his chest. “I mean, you can’t talk, can you? What about that guy five years ago? Maybe you should look in a Goddamn mirror.”
I wanted to lunge at him, to grab his leather jacket and rip him apart.
But he was right.
I had fecked up in my past, and now I was doing it again.
“Get out of my face, Frankie,” I grumbled.
He tipped up his square chin. “Looking forward to annihilating your sorry arse in November.”
I zipped my mouth as an elderly woman walked by us, holding back the obscenities that hung on the edge of my tongue.
Frankie grinned at me and joined the crowd.
I was free.
Now I needed to go hit something.
***
“I won’t be in for the rest of the week. I have other business to attend to,” I told John.
I had slipped back into the office later in the day, knowing that almost everyone would be gone except John. The workaholic.
I’d spent a few hours at a nearby gym. It was one I’d never been to before—I wanted a place where no one would recognize me. The last thing I wanted was to run into Frankie again, or any of his maggot friends.
“Sean is busy, so I need you to cover the meeting with the Jensen Group tomorrow. Can you handle it?” I asked John.
John removed his glasses and held them in his hands, studying me, his brows pulled together. Oh Jesus, not him, too.
“Adam, I’ve known you since you were a teenager, back when your da dragged you around the office.”
As if I hadn’t already had enough from my brothers and sister.
“Are you fighting again?” He set his glasses down and straightened in his seat.
I rubbed my temples, taking a second to think about how I wanted to respond. I’d been working for Da’s company since high school. He’d groomed all of us to take a role at the company. It was a family business, and he wanted to keep it that way.
But I’d also started learning to fight when I got out of high school.
I had lived in two different worlds, and I became two different people as a result.
“Do your ma and da know?” John asked, not waiting for a response. He’d already drawn a conclusion, and I almost didn’t mind. I didn’t want to answer.
I released a deep breath and took a step back from his desk. “How is it going with the interns?” I deflected.
John frowned at me and pushed to his feet, shoving his hands in his slacks pockets. Disappointment was etched in the lines of his face. “I like a few of them, but I have concerns about one.”
At least now we were talking business. I eased up a little in my stance. “Who?”
“Anna.”
I hadn’t expected that answer. “Why? I thought she and her partner won the pitch.”
John angled his head at me. “I’m worried whether she would be a good long-term asset if anyone finds out about you and her. She has a lot of potential, but I can’t offer her a job if people think it’s because she’s with you.”
“What the bleeding hell are ya talking about? Anna and I—”
John faked a laugh. “Give me a break. I saw how you two were looking at each other in your office last week. You look at her every time you pass by her. If there isn’t something going on now, there will be.”
I had always valued John’s opinions in the past, but right now I was ready to blow a fuse. Maybe it was the fighting—it always put me on edge. “I think we’re done here.” It was one thing for John to give me shit about fighting, but talking to me about Anna? That wasn’t going to fly. I turned to leave his office.
“I’m trying to look out for her, Adam,” he called after me, and that stopped me in my tracks. “Especially if you’re fighting again. If you’re going down, don’t bring her down with ya.”
Sixteen
Anna
I stood inside Hueston Station with the kids gathered in a group off to the side, waiting for Adam to arrive. I hadn’t spoken with him since Tuesday night, although I’d heard he’d been in the office Wednesday for a few hours, on and off. But he didn’t show up for work on Thursday or Friday.
I checked my watch again. The train was supposed to depart for Tullamore in five minutes.
“Where is he?” Conor asked. I had a feeling that Adam was like the sun to him. A lot of the kids probably felt like that.
“Hey, I didn’t know Sean was coming,” Chloe shouted.
Adam’s brother walked with purposeful strides toward us, his blue eyes pinned on me. Adam hadn’t mentioned he’d be coming. Well, the more chaperones, the better, I supposed. Even if two of them were devastatingly handsome.
Of course, Sean and Adam couldn’t be more different, and it became obvious as Sean neared me. Sean gave off the pretty boy vibe, with his gelled blonde hair and continuously close shave. His clothes reminded me of Abercrombie—he could have been their cover model, in his cable knit sweater and khaki pants.
Adam, on the other hand, had an edge. There was a touch of darkness to him, and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, or how I felt about it. Although I had no business thinking about him at all.
“Sorry I’m late.” Sean waved to a few of the kids before stepping up next to me.
“Um, that’s okay. I didn’t know you were coming.” I grabbed my duffel bag when the trained roared up in front of us. I waited for the passengers to exit and then motioned for the kids to go ahead. “Stay together in this car,” I said, pointing to the doors of the train car in front of us.
“Adam didn’t tell ya?” Sean’s brows pulled together, and he rolled his eyes. I had to assume the eye roll was for his brother. “He asked me on Wednesday to step in for him. Sorry, I thought you knew.”
I tried not to allow the weight of his words to sink me. But a hard splash of disappointment hit anyway as I stepped into the train car, following in after the kids.
I took a seat, and Sean sat across from me, facing my way. “Well, do you like horses?”
“Not really.” He laughed. “I’ve never been much of an animal person.”
“What—how is that possible? Doesn’t everyone love animals?” I looked over my shoulder, checking to make sure the kid
s were settled.
“Adam and Holly are more the animal types.”
“Well, I love horses, and these kids are amazing. We’ve all been excited about this trip. I’m so thankful to Adam for giving me the chance to work with them.”
“And what made you want to volunteer?”
“It’s kind of complicated, actually.”
He perked a brow and grinned. “Oh really? Enlighten me.”
“Well, I was supposed to live with a friend of his, a guy named Leslie, but I guess something happened that made it, um, unsafe.” I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t sure how much to say—not that I had much to say about it in any case! “Anyway, I’m staying at a hotel now, which isn’t cheap. So, Adam is helping me out with the hotel, and I’m working at the center in repayment.”
“Really?” Sean’s light blue eyes met mine, and I clutched my purse tight, pressing it into my lap. An unease whisked through me.
“Yeah, I—” The words died on my tongue as the doors started to close, and then a very familiar arm shot between them, stopping the doors. Adam stepped onto the train, and it felt as though all of the oxygen had swooshed out past him. “He came,” I said softly, not sure if I wanted anyone to hear me. Apparently Sean heard, however. He stood up and looked Adam’s way.
“The plan’s changed. You don’t need to go now,” Adam told Sean.
Sean grabbed his bag and approached his brother. I could only see their profiles from where I was sitting, but there was definitely some unspoken communication going on between them. Sean said something in a low voice and Adam jerked his head back, his brows slanting down in anger. The entire train rocked with tension.
“Have a good time,” Sean bit out over his shoulder as he gave Adam one last look—a look of disappointment. Then he left.
“You’re here!” Jenna exclaimed, and the other kids jumped from their seats and barreled down the train car to greet Adam. Some of them flung their arms around him.
I tried to hide the smile that pulled at my lips as I watched his shoulder strap slip down, his bag falling to the ground as the group cheered.
Adam’s eyes captured mine as he patted Chloe on the shoulder. The group of teens dispersed and found their seats once the train began moving.
Adam picked up his bag and came toward me. I was still sitting, staring at him like some speechless idiot.
“Hi,” he said softly. “Is this seat taken?” He arched a dark brow.
I wet my lips as the memory of our kisses came to mind. “I don’t know.” I folded my arms. “You planning on telling me why you were about to abandon us to your brother?”
“I’m sorry.” He slid down into the empty seat across from me, his jeaned knees brushing against mine. The slight touch had me inching back in my seat. “I was afraid to tell you.”
“You could have at least sent a text.” I shook my head and looked out the window. The city of Dublin was basked in light as the sun began to lower in the sky. Orange and pink swirls of color kissed the tops of the trees as we trundled by a park.
“I could have, but I was a coward.” His words and the sound of the sexy Irish lilt of his voice had me stilling.
I looked back over at him, finding his eyes. “So why are you here now?”
“I shouldn’t be.” He leaned back in his seat and rested his hands on the fabric of his well-worn jeans. “But I realized at the last minute that I’d be disappointing everyone.”
“Well, Sean would have been great company.” I tensed a little, angry at him, even though I wasn’t sure if I really had a right to be. “But the kids are happy and that’s all that matters.”
“Trust me, love. You’d have lost your mind with my brother—he’s a bit of a tool. A fancy pants, if ya will.”
Yeah, I had gathered as much. “It’s hard to believe you are brothers.”
He nodded. “Aye. I keep asking Ma if she adopted me, but she insists I’m legit.”
He was trying to make me laugh, to calm the waters, but it wasn’t working. Well, not yet, at least. “So.”
“So,” he repeated, and I caught a smile stretching across his face.
“Have you ever ridden a horse?”
“Maybe once or twice.” He paused. “And how long have you been riding?”
My purse began to vibrate, and I lost my train of thought. “Um.” I reached into it to retrieve my phone, not sure who’d be texting or calling me. “I learned to ride a horse before I learned to ride a bike,” I said at last. “But that’s what happens when you’re raised on a horse farm.”
“There was a horse show here in Dublin just last month. Too bad you missed it.”
“Oh.” Yeah, that was too bad. “Well, I’m sure this trip more than makes up for it.” I studied the phone in my hands, staring down at the message that was lit on my screen.
It was like a punch in the stomach. I wanted to throw up. How had Jax found my new number? Why was he messaging me now? No. No. No!
My insides screamed as my body went into panic mode. But I was an ocean away from him. I was safe, wasn’t I?
I shoved my phone back in my purse, noticing my hand trembling when I retracted it from the bag.
“You okay, Anna?” Adam was leaning forward, his hand resting on my knee.
I kept my eyes on his hand, on its veins, on the slight purplish marks on his knuckles. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re lying.”
My gaze flickered to meet his. “Can we talk about something else?” I swallowed. “Please?”
His eyes darkened with concern, but he pulled his hand away and straightened in his seat. “What would you like to talk about?”
What did I want to talk about? “Maybe I’ll go check on the group.” Before he could respond, I darted away and scooted next to the empty seat by Conor.
I joined in on their conversation, the unease drifting from me. The text message became a memory in the back of my mind. But when I glanced over my shoulder at Adam, his head was tipped back, resting against the seat, his eyes on the window, a blank stare on his face. My stomach flipped with worry, and I wondered if he was the one in real trouble.
***
“This place is fierce!” Conor shouted as the kids tore off the bus we’d taken from the train station. I wondered if Adam had ever traveled this way. Did he know what it was like to live like the other half?
Half. Who was I kidding? Adam had his own percentage point.
Adam laughed as he watched the group jump up and down in front of the massive home, which was the bed and breakfast that provided access to our riding adventure. I looked in the distance for the stables, but dusk had fallen, and I couldn’t see much.
“You ready for this?” Adam nudged me in the hip.
“Are you is the question! I don’t want you falling off the horse and breaking a leg or anything.”
“Trust me, Anna. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Let’s hope not.” I smiled at him and walked ahead, joining the kids as they made their way to the house.
“Welcome,” Marie, the owner, greeted us.
I’d spoken to Marie on the phone a few times before our arrival, and so I already recognized her voice. She stood with open arms on the large front porch. The place reminded me of home. Of course, my family’s farm was nowhere near this big, but it had that same country feel, with the porch and rocking chairs, the fresh air, and the open spaces.
“You’ll love it here.” Marie winked at me as I climbed the few stairs to the porch. “The stew’s ready. Let me show you to your rooms, and then we’ll all meet in the dining room for supper.”
The kids entered through the open door, and I came up alongside Marie. “I have them set up two per room.”
“Perfect. Thank you for fitting us in.”
Adam stepped up next to us, and Marie’s attention shifted fast to him.
“You must be the lovely man footing the bill for all of this.”
Adam shook her hand and nodded. “They’re
a good group of kids.” He smiled and then walked into the home.
“He’s a keeper.” Marie smiled, and my cheeks burst red.
“Oh. No. We’re—well, we work together.”
“Too bad.” She winked a green eye at me once again and went ahead into the house.
I gave myself a minute to collect my thoughts before going in.
I caught up with the group, trailing behind as we toured the cute, but large home. “Now, I didn’t think you’d want to use the hall bathroom with the kids, so I have two rooms on the other side of the house.” We followed after Marie, and she stopped outside one of the rooms and motioned for Adam and me to enter.
The bedroom was quaint, with a queen sized bed in the middle, covered by a yellow, flowery comforter. There was a nightstand on each side. “This works.” I nodded and smiled.
“The door to the bathroom is here.” Marie pointed to a door in one of the interior walls of the room.
“So, Adam and I will share the bathroom?” I wondered if Marie could sense the hesitation in my voice.
“Is that a problem?” She looked to Adam, who remained standing near me with a blank look on his face. “There are locks on both sides of the doors. Be sure to lock the door when you’re in there so you don’t drop in on the other accidentally.”
“I’ll do my best to remember.” Adam’s eyes were on me now, and a cool bristle of need slipped inside me.
What the hell is wrong with me? I dropped my small bag and purse on the chair as Marie and Adam walked through the bathroom to his room.
“I’m starving. Going to find the kids,” I called out to Marie and Adam.
I needed a moment alone—to fight back the biting desire that funneled through me like a tornado, taking all my emotions round and round in one sweeping movement.
***
After the meal, Marie’s husband, James, started a large fire outside the house. We all gathered around on makeshift stools made of cut lumber. Adam immediately got down to the business of roasting a marshmallow. Well, more like torching it. The flames ate at the sugary treat until it was charred. He brought the sticky black blob close to his mouth, and I couldn’t help but stare at his lips as they parted.
Forever Dublin (Forever #2) Page 13