by K. Renee
He opens my door for me and helps me in before shutting it and making his way around to the driver’s side. I take this time to check him out. His slacks are snug, fitting his ass perfectly. The black button up shirt that he is wearing today pretty much fits him like a glove. I watch the way his muscles move with every movement he makes, and I get a tad bit distracted.
When he gets in the car, he stares at me for a second, but I don’t even notice. “Ye done drooling, love?” He grins, and I snap myself out of the haze I was just in.
“Yeah, sorry,” I mutter, looking through the windshield. I swear I make myself seem like a forty-year-old virgin with the way I drool over him.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I like that ye can’t seem to get enough of me.” When I look over at him, I see the sincerity in his expression. I don’t know why he would want to have me drooling over him. It’s strange, but then again so is the way we met.
When I don’t say anything to him, he changes the subject. “What do ye want to eat, love?” The more I listen to him talk, the easier it is to understand him.
“I don’t care. I’m not picky,” I say quietly. He starts the car, and takes off into the mid-day traffic. I watch as cars and people go by, but I don’t pay attention to where we are going. The silence is kind of nice and comfortable. He doesn’t force me to talk when I don’t know what to say, and it makes me a little wary.
“I hope ye like sandwiches,” he states when we come to a stop at a traffic light. I turn my head to look at him and see something in his expression that makes me want to lean over and kiss him. I don’t know why, but my body is pulling me in weird directions around him. I shouldn’t want him as much as I do. I shouldn’t want him at all.
“Yes, I do.”
I sound lame, I know, but he makes me nervous. A kind of worried that scares me. If anything, I need to be careful. I can’t revolve my whole life around someone else again. I can’t take that leap of faith. That’s it, I’m officially crazy. We just met. Nothing is going on more than that.
I shut my mind off and try to focus on the stuff that is going on right now. I can’t keep thinking about long-term things with him. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the day after. I just have to live day by day like I have for the last year.
We pull into a parking lot, and I don’t recognize the place at all. I take my seatbelt off and scan the area around us, nothing looking familiar. I don’t move as he gets out of the car and makes his way to my side. Part of me is afraid that something terrible will happen here and the other part of me is scared that he’s going to just leave me here to fend for myself.
Yup, that’s it. I’m officially crazy.
He opens my door and reaches in for my hand like a complete gentleman. Once he shuts the door behind me, he intertwines our fingers together and leads me towards a run-down building. The moment we make it through the door, I can smell the delicious smell of fresh bread being baked.
“This is a well-kept secret,” he murmurs in my ear as he pulls me closer to his side. “I come here a lot. They know me order by heart already. Take yer time and let me know when yer ready to order.” I nod my head, not taking my eyes off the extensive menu board that is above my head. I scan over all the items and finally decide on something.
“I think I’m ready.”
He grins and walks with me closer to the counter.
“Ah! Jerick! It’s so good to see you.” The man says from behind the counter. I look up at Jerick and see a huge grin on his face.
“Good to see ye as well, Michell.” I look up at the man and see the friendly look on his face.
“So you want your usual?” He asks before looking down at me. “And what can I get for you, beautiful?” I feel my face heat at the use of beautiful.
“Can I get a Bacon Mac?” I ask, twisting my fingers together. I don’t know why I’m nervous. I shouldn’t be. Maybe it’s because this is the first time I’ve been out on a date in four years. It’s not a date, who am I kidding.
Jerick hands the man over some money, and he tells us it will be ready in a few minutes. Jerick leads me over to one of the small tables and pulls my chair out. I take a seat and continue to scan the room. Everything in this place is cute and somewhat cluttered. Pictures are covering one of the walls to the right of the area, and I can’t help but grin when I see a photo of the man behind the counter and Jerick standing together smiling.
When his eyes meet the photo on the wall, I turn my attention back to him. “That’s a great photo of you both.”
“Thank ye. It was taken a few months ago at their daughter’s wedding.” I don’t say anything to that, but then again I don’t know what to say. Some would say I’m awkward during conversations and I have to admit that it’s true. I never know the right things to say.
Eight
Jerick
Watching her in the sandwich shop, I can see how guarded she really is. She doesn’t give more information than ye ask fer and she doesn’t supply much to the conversation. I want to know more about her, but she doesn’t say more than a few words each time.
“How did you find this place?” she finally asks.
“I know a guy,” I answer with a grin. She raises an eyebrow at me and waits fer me to say more. “Me best mate is the husband of the daughter. We have spent many days sitting here waiting on his bride to get off work.” She laughs at that.
“So you sat in here and ate sandwiches while she worked?” I nod me head, and she starts to laugh harder. “Did you get tired of always eating sandwiches?”
“No. She would make us off the wall kinds, and we would be the taste testers of sorts.” She raises an eyebrow at me, and I can’t help but laugh this time.
“So you tried out new sandwiches?” I nod me head just as Michell calls out me name. Getting up from me chair, I walk over to him, and he grins.
“She’s a beauty. Girlfriend?” He asks just loud enough for me to hear.
“Something like that,” I answer. I don’t know what we are right now. I don’t like putting labels on things like this; I’m more of a go with the flow type of guy. That way if I shagged someone else, I don’t have the label of a girlfriend to get in the way. It’s a dick move, I know, but it’s the way I’ve lived me life since being in the states.
“Don’t let that one go kid. I know you and Rory are good guys. Don’t let the shit you do for your family keep you from falling in love.” I don’t say anything back, but I do nod me head in understanding. He’s right about Rory being a good lad. Me, not so much. Rory has been me best mate since we were wee lads and not once has he ever thought bad about me or me family due to the shit we do fer a living. If anything, he’s worked fer us a time or two when times got tough. I dragged him with me when I left Belfast. I needed some lads on me side when it came to the family stateside.
Taking the tray of food back over to Stana, I set it down in front of her and take me seat. “Oh wow, this looks amazing.” Her eyes scan over all the food on the tray. I hand her a bottle of water and grab me sandwich, taking a bite.
I watch her tentatively take hers and take the first bite. Her eyes close and a small moan comes from her throat. Every inch of me tenses up, and I have to take a deep breath. Holy feck. She sounds fucking sexy as hell moaning like that. It brings back all thoughts of last night and this morning. Me dick stiffens in me pants, and I have to adjust meself.
“This is amazing,” she says after she swallows.
We continue to eat mainly in silence beside asking a few questions here and there. In the short time, we’ve been here, I’ve learned that Stana is an only child, never stays in one city for more than a few years, and that she doesn’t trust very quickly. The trust thing is strange since she barely knows me and has believed me enough to be in the same bed as her last night.
I want to know more about the man that broke her heart, but I don’t want this lunch to end on a wrong note, so I keep it to meself. Maybe I’ll ask her tonight when we are alone. By t
he time she’s done with her food, I’m just sitting there watching her. She’s so damn beautiful. I don’t think she sees it herself and that is even more attractive.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” She finally asks, sitting back in her chair.
“I love watching ye. Ye don’t know how halainn ye are.”
She blushes a little, and I can’t help but grin at her.
I feel me phone vibrate in me pocket, but I don’t bother with it yet. Me time with her is coming to an end soon anyway. I need to get her back to work. “You are crazy,” she finally says, her eyes staying on the table instead of coming back to me.
“Aye, love. But I don’t lie.”
She rolls her eyes at that, and I can’t help the chuckle that slips from me.
She checks the clock on the wall by the door and then looks back at me. “I should probably get back to work.” Her eyes tell me everything she doesn’t. She doesn’t want to go back to work. Instead, she rather spend more time with me.
If I didn’t have shit to do right now, I would be taking her back to her gaff and shagging her again.
“Alright, Banphrionsa. Let’s get ye back to work.”
She smiles politely at me but doesn’t say anything. Getting up, I walk the tray to the garbage and push all the trash off. Putting the tray on the top of the garbage lid, I walk back to her and wrap me arm around her shoulder, pulling her body into mine.
“See you later Jerick,” Michell calls out. I wave to him just as he winks at Stana.
“He likes ye,” I state when I get her to the car.
Her head whips around, and her eyes widen. “What do you mean?” she asks slightly panicked.
“He told me to keep ye around.” Her skin visibly pales in comparison to her natural skin tone.
“What does that mean?” I swear she doesn’t see the beauty she holds. She may be a little damaged from the last muck she dated, but looking at her, I see so much more than just the pretty face.
Once I get her in the car, I make me way around to the driver’s side. As I open me door, I see a flash of me past that I never expected to come stateside. I stare at him as he casually leans against the wall across the street. He doesn’t make a move to come towards me, but the look on his face tells me all that I need to know.
He wants to get revenge.
Getting in the car, I start the engine, not taking me eyes off of him. I don’t want him coming after me while I have Stana in the car with me. If anything I would rather we end this shit sooner rather than later, but he knows how I feel about bringing a woman into our shit.
As we take off towards her office, I can feel her staring at the side of me head. “What?” I ask when we get out of sight of Ciaran.
“Just wondering why you got all quiet and pissed back there.” I look at her for a second, surprised by her using the word pissed. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad word out of her mouth yet.
“Ye caught that, aye?” She nods her head, reaching over to put her hand on mine. I blow out a breath as we come to a stop light. “Well, I saw a lad from me days back home in Belfast. Let’s just say it won’t be a welcoming party when we finally speak.”
Her eyebrows scrunch up, and she looks at me funny. “What do you mean? Are you guys not friends?”
“No, love. We had a few run-ins together back in Belfast. Let’s just say there might be blood when we finally come face to face.” The light turns green so I don’t get to see the look on her face, but I can feel the tension coming from her body right now. She doesn’t like confrontation. She doesn’t seem to like violence either.
“So is it like a feud of some sort?”
I shrug me shoulders.
“Kind of.”
I don’t know how else to explain it besides the truth, and I am not ready to tell her about that yet. I would rather continue to get to know her before I give her the gory details that will make her run and hide.
“You’re not going to give me more than that are you?” She asks just as we pull into the parking lot of her work.
“Not right now, love.” I put the car in park and turn to face her for a second. Her eyes are bright and questioning. She may not ask a lot of questions, but the ones she does ask make ye worry about what she might find out.
“Can you tell me soon?” I nod me head but don’t say anything else. She looks at the clock on the dashboard before she looks at me again. “I need to get back to work. Thank you for the lunch date.” She shuts her mouth quickly and closes her eyes for a second before she turns to grab her bag and open the door.
Before she can move, I grab her arm, and she turns to look at me. “I’ll be back at five.”
She gives me a small smile in response, so I close the distance between us and kiss her. Her hand comes up to cup the side of me neck as she kisses me back.
I get out of the car before she can get her wits about her again. Opening the door for her, I help her out before I shut the door. “I’ll see you later,” she whispers.
Pulling her body into mine one last time, I whisper in her ear, “I can’t wait.” She kisses me cheek quickly before walking away. I watch her until the door shuts behind her. Scanning the parking lot, I blow out a breath before making it back to me door. There is no one in the parking lot, but I can feel someone watching me. It could be Ciaran, but it could also be one of the family.
Grabbing me phone from me pocket, I check the last incoming message.
Niall: Meeting at the club. One hour.
I check the time of the message and the clock before I mutter under me breath. I need to be there in twenty minutes. Taking off in the direction of the club, I think about that shit is about to come on me doorstep with Ciaran in town. I need to talk with me Da about his appearance and what it means.
We need to be ready for the shit storm he typically brings with him.
As soon as I get into the club, everybody has already gathered around. I take a seat at the bar and get the bartender to bring me a drink. Before me Da starts to speak, all the employee’s disappear, and the room is empty besides us. I scan the room and see the faces of the newer members as well as, the older ones.
“We have a few problems coming up,” Da states. “A few shipments are coming in the next few days, and we need men on the ground to ensure that nothing happens to them. We will be selling the shipments to a Russian biker and his club. Keep the information on the down low, and we shouldn’t have any problems with the pigs. Stay out of sight if possible and make sure no one tries to steal our guns out from under us like the last time.”
I don’t say a word because that shit isn’t my deal. I mainly do collections in the neighborhoods as well as beat downs and murder when needed. If anything, this was more me cousin’s side of things. He continues to talk about the damn shipment, but I zone it out. I could care less about the shit they deal with. If anything I just need to know what I need to do this week. I already know that I have collections tonight, but that is nothing new.
When me Da turns to me, I finally listen in. “I need Naill and Jerick to continue collecting. We will need as much cash as we can get our hands on in the next few weeks. We have a new venture coming on the horizon.” I frown at that. What the fuck does he mean new venture?
Instead of questioning him in front of all the men, I keep me mouth shut.
“Get to work and don’t make me regret having ye still on the damn payroll.” The men around the room start to disperse, but I continue to slowly sip me drink.
“Jerick, me lad,” he greets, coming to take a seat next to me.
“Da,” I say in greeting. I know I need to talk to him about Ciaran, but with this new information, I don’t know if it’s the right time.
“Why so glum me lad?” he asks, motioning for the bartender who just walked back in to bring him a drink.
“What type of venture are ye working on?” I know I shouldn’t ask in the bar area, but I can’t help it. I need to know what type of shit I will be heading into. If th
is has to do with any of the collections, things can get a little tricky.
“Ye does not need to worry,” he says with a frown. I shake me head at his answer, and I know he isn’t going to give me more than that.
“I need to worry because everything always has to do with me side of things. Ye mess it up with me collections, we have no cash. Just give me the details so I can work it out on me end.” He puts his hand on the bar and turns to face me.
“Don’t tell me how to run the family Jerick. I can cut ye out just as fast as I let ye climb the ranks.”
I don’t take his threat seriously. He would never cut me out of the family. I’m the one who helped him build it into what it is today, and if he didn’t have me on his side, shit would fall apart faster than it did in Belfast.
“Ciaran is in town,” I state before he pisses me off more. His attention turns towards me, and he narrows his eyes at me.
“Ye brought that no good lad out here? Why the feck would ye be involved with him again? He got yer brother put away fer murder.” I roll me eyes at that. Me brother got himself put away fer murder. He was the one caught putting the damn body into a trunk.
“I didn’t bring him stateside. I don’t know why he’s here, but we need a plan. He’s gonna want revenge on me.” We both don’t say anything else. There isn’t much more to say. Me Da knows the type of man Ciaran is, and so do I. If he’s here, he wants something from me or me Da.
Nine
Stana
One Month Later
Walking through the apartment wearing nothing but Jerick’s button up from last night has become a norm for me. I don’t know if it’s strange that whatever this is has become this comfortable or that I am even thinking of him as my boyfriend. The boyfriend part might be a stretch since we don’t really go on dates.
I mean, sure we go out to dinner and lunch every once in a while, but we mainly stay in. His crazy work hours don’t leave for much time together unless it’s in bed, not that I’m complaining. Grabbing a coffee cup, I start the coffee and wait for it to brew. The smell is divine, and I have to thank Jerick for that.