Lucky This Isn't Real: MacBride Brothers Series St. Patrick's Day Fake Fiance Romance

by Jamie Knight

  Putting down the roses so they wouldn’t get ruined, I stalked toward him, my rage acting as a higher form of focus.

  “Who the fuck are you?” His words were distant and muffled, as though said from down a hallway. I took no real notice, not even when he went to his desk, which put me in mind of the one in Garrison Matthews’ home office. A fresh wave of hate washed over me as he pushed a button on the phone. I should count myself lucky really, he could have kept a gun in there.

  On the other hand, he was a white-collar wuss, not a trained militant.

  Turned out Chau was even more of a wuss than I thought, calling in the cops to take me on rather than fight me himself. Too pampered and arrogant to face the consequences of what he’d done and what he’d been trying to do. It made me so mad I picked up the phone receiver and hit him with it. Knocking him toward the wall and away from Darcy.

  I put myself between Chau and Darcy as the prick recovered himself, a new sort of rage rising in him. The punch was good but far too predictable, leaving a little whoosh of air in its wake as it flew past, inches from my face. My return was dead on target, knocking Chau back against the same wall, which he then slid down into an awkward sitting position. His eyes crossed, and the bloody imprint of my Claddagh ring outlined in the middle of his forehead, making it a hit he would never forget.

  My rage lessened, and I turned at the sound of Darcy sobbing. I went to her and took her in my arms.

  “I love you. I love you. I love you,” I murmured. “Only recently did I realize how much. Your dad offered me a check. One million dollars. He said to take it and never see you again. I ripped it up. I nearly punched him too. You are worth more than anything, and I will never leave you again.”

  She fell against me, and I held her as she cried, her tears muffled by my chest. I just kept saying I loved her over and over again.

  “Did he hurt you? If he did, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

  She shook her head. “If you hadn’t arrived when you did…”

  Sirens sounded from outside, and security thundered down the hallway. “Here they come.”

  “You need to run,” she said. “I don’t want you getting arrested.”

  “No,” I said, doing up her pants. “It won’t do any good. They’ll find me, and things will be worse. I can handle it, not least because it is right, at least according to the system.”

  “But—”

  “I did something,” I insisted, showing her my ring as evidence, “gotta pay the piper.”

  “I’ll tell them what happened. What Chau tried to do.”

  Honestly, I was just so happy I could be there for her. I really didn’t give a damn about the consequences. It wasn’t my first fight, even if it was the shortest or the first time I’d be going to jail as a result. All that mattered to me at that moment was that Darcy was safe, and those who would harm her were in a world of hurt. Retrieving the bouquet of roses, I presented them to her regally, relieved when she accepted.

  “Will you wait for me?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Then maybe we can discuss us getting married for real.”

  She stood on her tiptoes to kiss me, which I took as a yes, and I sank slowly to my knees before her, placing my hands behind my head, waiting for the boys in blue to make their melodramatic entrance.

  “Watch this,” I said as they approached.

  Like clockwork, the state’s tin soldiers charged in. Their guns were drawn even though they knew little about the situation, shouting their commands.

  “Police! Get down on your—oh.”

  I really wanted to laugh. I honestly did. It was all I could do to keep it together. It was a prank I’d learned from Patrick. Back where overzealous police patrols were a lot more prevalent in our area. Crime prevention, they called it, though I never noticed it made much of a difference aside from bruised knees.

  “Officer, do what you need to do, but I assure you this is a mistake,” Darcy said, sounding like Nicole to an almost spooky degree.

  “It’s not really—”

  “Hush, I’ll do everything I can to get you out.”

  “Love you,” I grinned as I was hauled out of the office.

  “Love you more.”

  Chapter Twnety-One - Darcy

  My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I hadn’t been through a lot in my life, certainly not physical danger but what happened with Emil was by far the most harrowing experience I’d ever been through. What might have happened if Sean hadn’t come in when he had didn’t bear thinking about. Yet think about it, I did. Every horrific detail running through my mind like a movie I could feel.

  Nicole rubbed my back. The cops had wanted me to stay in Emil’s office, but Nicole had insisted on taking me to hers. It was nice to be in a safe, familiar place. Chau wanted me for himself, that was clear, and he wouldn’t stop until he got me, which he very nearly did.

  I wanted to run down to the police station and bail Sean out. It wouldn’t matter how much it cost. I would pay anything to have him back, but the cops also insisted on interviewing me. I wasn’t sure why. It should have been clear what happened by my hair, face, and torn blouse. I looked awful, and I knew it, unable to understand why they couldn’t too.

  “Now, Ms. Matthews, tell us what happened,” one of the two male officers who’d stayed behind asked.

  “I was in the office with Emil. That’s Emil Chau in case you’re taking notes.”

  He flipped out his notebook and started doing just that. Having reminded him how to do his job, I continued.

  “He was watching me like he always did. I didn’t like it but didn’t make a fuss. I am well aware there is no law against looking, and I would be sure to be reminded of that if I said anything. Then he grabbed me and threw me down on the desk. He ripped open my shirt and tried to get off my pants, but I managed to getaway. He was chasing me around the desk when Sean came in.”

  “Mr. Chau was hit very hard,” the other cop in the room said. “The doctors expect the wound to scar in that shape. That could be considered a disfiguration.”

  “Awww, poor baby,” Nicole sassed. “Your attitude is why women don’t report sexual assault. Look at her.”

  “Miss.”

  “Sorry,” Nicole said, rolling her eyes as soon as the cop looked away.

  “According to Mr. Chau, you two were having a, er, tryst in his office when Mr. MacBride, a jealous ex-lover, burst in and assaulted him. It was then that Mr. Chau called us.”

  “That’s odd, considering he paged down to security before Sean hit him. And Sean hit him only after Emil, I mean Mr. Chau, took a swing at him first.”

  “Yes, but you would say that, wouldn’t you while trying to cover up kinky office sex and protect your ex, who you said yourself you love.”

  “Sorry, could you repeat that?” Nicole asked, leaning in with a micro recorder.

  “What?” the cop asked testily.

  “That bit of blatant sexual discrimination you just perpetrated. Could you repeat it for the recording? It will come in very handy when we make a formal complaint to the police commission.”

  He ignored Nicole and continued. “Have you any evidence for your stated version of events besides Mr. Chau’s word for it?”

  I shook my head. “Isn’t my ripped blouse enough? Wait, I just remembered—” I stood to grab my bag, but Nicole reached out and touched her hand to my arm

  “I think we’re done here.” He put away his notebook, and both of them left the office.

  “Chauvinist assholes,” Nicole spat when they were out of earshot.

  “Why didn’t you want me to get my bag. The hidden camera is there.”

  “Because I didn’t trust those two. One look at you, and it’s obvious what went on. Download the footage, so you have a copy, then show the cops. You also need to get a good lawyer, preferably one who specializes in immigration law.”

  “Immigration law?”

  “Since Sean is Irish, it makes t
hings a bit harder in terms of prosecution if he isn’t a citizen of the country, particularly since America and Ireland have an extradition treaty. If he does any jail time, which is unlikely, it would be there. The cops don’t exactly have nothing, but they have something.”

  “Gavin,” I said, struck by inspiration.

  My hands were rock steady as I dialed the number, hope looking closer than it ever had before.

  “I’m guessing you calling me in the middle of the day isn’t a good thing,” Gavin said when he picked up.

  “Long story, Gav. Basically, my boss tried to assault me, but Sean came in and assaulted him right back. The police came, and now Sean has been arrested. I need you to call the lawyer who got you your work visa and see if he knows anyone who can help.”

  “The bloody eejit. I’ll make the call and get back to you as soon as I can.”

  “Thanks,” I said and hung up.

  “Do you want me to drive you down to the cop shop?” Nicole asked

  “No, I’m good. I just want to get down there.”

  “Don’t forget to grab your bag on the way. You need to get that footage before you show the police.”

  “Thank you.” I kissed Nicole on the forehead before running from her office.

  Downloading the footage from the camera onto my tablet and phone in my car as I drove, I headed for the police station. I wanted to go home and change my ruined shirt but was even more driven to get Sean out as soon as possible. Doing up the buttons on my jacket to cover my boobs, I redid my hair and make-up to look a bit less of a fright and marched into the police station.

  “May I help you?” inquired the desk sergeant.

  “I need to talk to someone about bail.”

  It took some doing, but the desk sergeant, who was a lot more helpful than the patrol officers back at the office, contacted the proper authorities.

  When he found me two detectives to talk to—a male and a female—I showed them the footage that showed Chau stalking me, attacking me, and swinging first at Sean. The footage was a bit blurry, so I also reluctantly opened my jacket to show it was really me getting assaulted. Then there was the sound—it was staticky and hard to understand.

  “Please go out to the waiting room,” the female detective instructed. “We’ll contact you when bail is set.”

  I sank back against the wall, my jacket almost falling open again. Quickly doing it up, I got ready to wait for as long as it took.

  It was a game. At least that was what my addled mind told me. The cops didn’t like that I’d disproved their stupid theory with solid evidence and were punishing me. Making me wait for hours to bail Sean out. Refusing to give me any information. I tried to ask. First, the desk sergeant who just said it wasn’t his department, which was fair enough. It soon got to the point where I asked any passing uniformed cop about Sean MacBride’s status.

  “Oh, honey. There you are.” I nearly cried as Maggie embraced me. It felt like the cavalry had come, and everything was going to be okay.

  “How long have you been here?” Gavin asked.

  “I don’t even know anymore.”

  “I’ll go see what’s going on. Since I’m his brother, they have to tell me, right?”

  He went up to the desk with the strut of the righteous, actually making me believe he might have more luck.

  “Sorry, we’re late. I haven’t been feeling well,” Maggie said.

  “Are you sick?”

  “No, noting like that…” she hesitated. “Now isn’t probably the best time to tell you, but I’m pregnant.”

  “Now is a perfect time.” I hugged her tight, happiness radiating off both of us. Our small celebration ended when Gavin returned about twenty minutes later, his stride not one of abject triumph.

  “Apparently, they don’t have to tell me anything.”

  “What did your lawyer say?” I asked.

  “He found us someone. He’s superb but not cheap. It looks like Sean won’t be extradited, especially if it can be demonstrated that he was intervening.”

  “I have footage,” I blurted. “I showed the detectives when I came in. It shows everything. There was a camera in my bag,” I elaborated, trying to keep my voice down. “The police have my tablet, but I downloaded the video on my phone too. The angle is a bit wonky, but it is clear what was going on. What Chau was doing to me, and that he swung first before Sean hit him.”

  “There should be no problem then,” Gavin said with a comforting grin.

  I wished I could share his confidence. Sean was supposed to leave in two days, and I wanted to spend every spare second with him, but that wouldn’t happen if he was in jail. My main concern was getting him back with me where he belonged. The rest we could work out after.

  “Miss me?” came the voice I’d grown to love.

  I threw myself at Sean taking him in an iron embrace, never planning to let him go again.

  “How much?” Gavin asked.

  “Nothing. All the charges were dropped,” Sean said.

  As if on cue, my phone rang, Nicole’s number displayed on the screen.

  “Want the good news?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Emil was persuaded to drop the charges. The police weren’t quite as useless as they seemed. They told him they had the footage in evidence, and then I got a call from Maggie saying they had secured a lawyer the likes of whom could make the opposition shit themselves at the mere mention of his name.”

  “What’s the bad news?”

  “It’s likely you’ll lose your job. I tried, I swear I did, but there just wasn’t enough evidence from the video alone, without audio or a clear shot of Emil’s face for me to have him fired, let alone charged. I had no leverage to bargain.”

  My stomach plummeted. “Will you be fired too?”

  She sighed. “Dunno, probably. Chau can really hold grudges. I’d like to try and practice something other than corporate law anyway. Maybe I’ll go to Ireland and see if I can snag a sexy Irishman like you and Maggie.”

  “Thank you so much. I’ll never be able to make it up to you.”

  “What are friends for, right?”

  Everything settled for the moment, Gavin took Maggie back to their place, and I took Sean’s hand, still not ready to let go yet.

  “I think we need to get you into the shower,” I said.

  “I’m not the only one.”

  It was the longest drive I’d ever been on, despite the fact it couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes in real-time. I had to let go of Sean’s hand to hold the wheel, but he kept a hand on my thigh. For the first while after what happened in the office, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to be touched again. Sean’s hand, even so close to my pussy, the warmth going right through the cloth of my pants, was a comfort more than anything else.

  Ditching my mostly ruined clothes on the way to the bathroom, we were naked and kissing before the shower spray had become tolerable. It was my intention to pamper him after what he’d been through for me, no matter how intent he was on doing the same.

  Soaping him down, the suds running down his skin like a waterfall, I washed his hair. Not something I’d ever really done for someone else before. It felt even more intimate than sex. I wanted to give the man in front of me everything. I would give him the world if I could.

  Letting the suds do their work, I rinsed him off, taking a firm hold of his hardening cock as the soap washed away. Just being near me was enough to get him hard, which seemed only fair, seeing as he never failed to get me wet.

  Reaching around with both hands, I tended to his beautiful cock, stroking with slow, gentle movements, as I kissed the back of his neck, standing on my tiptoes to be able to reach. He came ridiculously hard, his thick cum splattering against the shower wall.

  “Two days without you were two days too many.”

  “You didn’t touch yourself?” I asked.

  “Nope. I was saving myself for you and only you.”

  I turned hi
m to face me, his cock nudging off my hip. Dropping to my knees as fast as it was safe to do in the shower, I took his cock in my mouth and sucked it in as far as I could go and then some, deep throating his beautiful manhood until he flooded my throat with a second load.

  It wasn’t easy, but I swallowed every last drop. It was the least I could do for what he’d done for me. I was mad at first that he’d let himself get arrested, but he’d been right. Running would have just made it worse. He did what he was supposed to and, with a little help from our friends and his brother, he was back with me the same day. All the hours of waiting and wondering, worrying me sick at the time, melted away as I pleasured his beautiful cock.

  He couldn’t resist forever, and, eventually, I relented and let him do the same with me. Savoring his gentle hands as he washed me all over, ending with him shampooing my hair which he was impressively good at, which shouldn’t have surprised me since he had massaged my feet like a reflexologist.

  I rinsed myself off, not wanting him to have to do everything, just the fun stuff, and led the way out, insisting on drying us both off, him first of course. I gave him another blowjob after drying off his cock. I just couldn’t help myself. It looked so perfect and delicious. Like it was supposed to go in my mouth, as well as other places. He didn’t protest, stroking my hair and moaning delightedly as I worked his massive cock. Taking it a far as I could without gagging. It was rather clear I would need more practice, which neither of us would complain about. I swirled my tongue around the head at every given opportunity. Blessed with another sweet load, I took him gently by his cock and brought him out into the main room.

  I hadn’t known what I would do until I started to do it, but it began to come together quite well in my mind. Taking Sean over to our bed, I kissed him passionately before slipping away into the kitchen. He watched me with loving attention, which I didn’t mind at all.

  If anything, it felt good to feel his presence as I put the next part in motion, even if I had just thought of it at the time.