by K. Renee
“Go get ready.” A smile appears on her face this time, and she walks back into the bathroom to continue getting ready. I grab me phone and dial Rory’s number. If anyone would have me back, it’s him. We’ve been through so much over the years, he wouldn’t turn me down.
“Aye Jerick. How the hell are ye?” he answers.
“I’m good. I need a little backup tonight. Ye in?”
“Feck arsehole. Ye know Cara doesn’t want me going out to the bars.” I laugh at that. He’s so damn pussy whipped.
“Aye, but Ciaran is in town, and me lass wants to go out. I need some people I can trust with me. Bring Cara. She can meet me, lass.”
His sigh is exaggerated, but I expected that. He doesn’t do much without her approval nowadays. “Fine. I will get her on board with this. Shit better not go down while she is with us.”
“Aye. It’s more of a precaution. Don’t know what he’s here fer yet. Only seen him once.”
“Aye. Give me a ring when ye are ready,” he says before he hangs up. If I could count on anyone, it would be Rory.
Dialing another number, I wait for the answer. As it rings, I think about the shit that can go down if Ciaran decides on making his move. He will try and take me out without thinking twice.
“Aye.” The voice says on the other side of the line.
“Conaill,” I greet.
“Jerick. How the feck are ye, brother?” I blow out a breath and listen for Stana for a second before I say anything.
“I’m doing. I need a favor, Connie.”
“Aye, what do ye need?” One thing that’s great about Conaill is that he will always help if I ask. Rory, Conaill, and I have been inseparable since we were small lads. We are as thick as thieves with the rap sheets to prove it. Their da’s are part of the family business, they are me family.
“Ciaran is in town. I’m taking me lass out and need to have me back covered. I have Rory coming out too, but I need another lad I trust.” I hear him grunt into the phone before it gets silent.
“Why the feck is Ciaran in town?” His question isn’t something I have an answer to, but I wish I knew the answer.
“No fecking clue. It could be for payback fer the shit I did to him back in Belfast. Or it could be because of me brother. He hasn’t reached out, but I’ve seen him. I don’t want anything to happen to me lass, so I’d appreciate the help.”
“Aye, ye got it. Just give me a time and a place. I’ll be there.”
Eleven
Stana
Finally walking out of the bathroom, I see Jerick laying on the bed, looking at his phone. He’s dressed, and I can’t help but check him out. He showered while I was fixing my hair, but I didn’t know he had a change of clothes here. As soon as I step out of the doorway, his eyes meet me.
“Jaysus,” he mutters. I continue to walk toward him, and his eyes never leave me.
I do a little spin so he can see the whole dress. “What do you think?” I ask. It’s been a really long time since I’ve had the confidence to wear anything like this and I kind of like the feeling it brings. The dress hugs all of my curves and shows a little more than I’m used to, but I wanted to look good for him.
He gets up and off the bed, slowly making his way towards me. As he comes to a stop in front of me, he doesn’t touch me. He just scans over every inch of my body. I feel like I’m being analyzed, but I don’t move from where I am.
One thing I’ve learned about Jerick in the short time we’ve known each other is that he does things differently. I don’t know if it’s because he grew up in a different country or if that’s just how he is. He’s unique in his own way though, and I love that about him.
Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m falling too fast for him. I shouldn’t want to spend every waking moment with him, but I do. I love the way he makes me feel when he’s around. I feel safe and protected something I haven’t felt in a long time. Maybe it’s because of my past or just because I’ve felt so alone for far too long.
My feelings for him grow every day without as much as a reason. It’s just him I guess.
“Ye look fecking amazing,” he finally says. He wraps a hand around the back of my neck and pulls me to his body. I wrap my arms around his waist, and with the heels, I’m closer to his height.
“I’m glad you like it,” I whisper against his lips.
“Ye have no fecking idea. I can’t wait to get ye back here and under me. The dress will look much better on the floor.” I roll my eyes at that cheesy pickup line, and he just laughs. “Ye don’t like me line?” I shake my head no and push off of his chest, trying to keep from laughing at him.
“No, it was kinda lame. You typically have something suaver to say when you say them.” I wink at him and go to the bed to grab my clutch, checking to make sure I have the phone he gave me and my ID.
When I turn around, he is on his phone typing something out. Waiting for him to finish, I take the time to check him out. His black dress pants fit him perfectly. They flawlessly hug his ass, and I want to say forget going out. I would rather pull his pants off of him and stare at his naked body instead.
My eyes move up to his light grey dress shirt and black jacket. He looks ultimately put together, and I want to peel his clothes off of him instead. Maybe we should just stay home, yeah, that sounds way better. “Ye ready, love?” he asks, pocketing his phone. The distance between us disappears, and I’m in his arms before I can even take my next breath.
His hands run down my back and land on my ass, pulling me into his body. “Yer so damn halainn,” he murmurs before kissing me softly.
“Thank you,” I whisper. He runs his hand back up my back before he grabs my hand and leads me out of the apartment and towards his car. Before we even take off, his phone starts to ring.
“Dia dhuit hello?” I don’t know what he just said, but the sound of his accent and the words get me hot. I don’t know what it is about his accent that turns me on, but it is seriously the best thing I’ve ever heard. He doesn’t even say anything else until he’s hanging up the phone. “Slán go foil see you soon.” He pockets his phone again and continues to drive in silence.
“What did you just say?” I ask. Although I love hearing him speak a different language, I don’t like that I don’t know what he’s saying.
“I said hello and see ye later.” He gives me a usual smirk that can melt the panties off any women within a five-mile distance from him.
“It sounded way sexier when you said them in the other language.” I laugh.
“It’s Gaelic,” he says looking back at the road. I continue to watch the side of his face as he scans the street and drives towards our destination. I have no idea where we are going still, but it doesn’t matter as long as I am going with him.
“Are we meeting someone else?” I ask.
He turns to look at me for a second before he answers my question. “Aye. I have two of me lads coming out as well.” He doesn’t give me any more than that, but then again I don’t press him for any more information. He wouldn’t put me in harm’s way; I know that much for sure.
When we finally pull up to a building, I see the flashing lights and the line that wraps around the building. “Wow,” I murmur as we drive by the building. I’ve never really been in a club before, so this is going to be an experience all on its own.
“Ye never been to a club?” He asks when he pulls into a parking garage across the street.
“No. I’ve been to a bar before, but nothing like this.” I take a deep breath and hope that I don’t get claustrophobic in there. “That line is long. How long does it take to get in?” I’m truly curious because I’m not really sure how long I’ll be able to stand in these heels. I never wear them, and I know that it won’t take long before my feet start to ache.
“We don’t. I know a few people.” He grins as he pulls into a parking spot. “While yer with me, ye will never have to wait in the line.” He grabs his phone and wallet before getting out of the car and
walking around to my side. As he opens the door, I see the glint of something under his jacket. I ignore the weird feeling I get and take his outstretched hand.
When I stand, I have to adjust my dress back down to the appropriate length before I move away from the car. His hand never leaves my lower back as we make our way out of the parking garage and towards the busy street. As soon as we step foot out of the garage, a couple comes walking up.
“Jerick.” The man greets. His accent is similar to Jerick’s, so it puts me at ease.
“Rory,” Jerick says grinning. He walks over to Rory and pulls him in for a hug. He moves over to the woman next, kissing both of her cheeks. “Cara.” The smile on her face tells me that she cares about him.
“This here is Stana,” he says grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to them. “Stana love, this is Rory and Cara.” I shake hands with both of them, and I see some unspoken conversation going on between Jerick and Rory. I don’t say anything, but it makes me nervous.
“I am so glad to meet the girl that has been stealing Jerick away from us!” Cara says with a huge smile on her face. She links her arm with mine and starts to lead me towards the club, leaving Jerick and Rory to walk together behind us.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly.
“Oh no! Please, girl, I am so happy for him to have found someone. He never introduces us to his lady friends, so this is a big deal.” She’s so giddy, and it’s a little nerve-wracking.
“So Stana, where are you from?” she questions as we come up to the long line of people. They start bitching as we walk by them towards the front doors.
“I’m from New York, but I’ve bounced around a few times and landed here.” I look behind us and see Jerick and Rory in deep conversation about something. You can’t hear them, but it seems way too intense for just catching up.
“Wow. Good thing you landed here then! Otherwise, you wouldn’t have met our guy Jerick.” We come to a stop at the front of the line, and the bouncer takes one look at us before opening the door and letting the four of us in the club. Groans and whines come from the line, but the bouncers don’t seem to care one bit.
“We just cut in line,” I finally state in shock as the loud music engulfs us.
“Well, that’s what happens when you show up with Rory and Jerick. They are like royalty at the clubs. We always get in without a problem. No line waiting for us!” She laughs as she drags me to the bar with her and orders herself a drink before asking what I want.
“I don’t know. I’m not much of a drinker,” I state, looking around the room. She orders me something before ordering the guys drinks as well. As the bartender brings the drinks to us, Jerick tosses a couple bills on the bar before turning his attention back to Rory.
Cara hands me a drink, and I take a small sip. The taste is fruity but strong. The look on my face has to be amusing because she starts to laugh as she hands the other drinks to the guys. “I guess you weren’t lying.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like this before.” I make a funny face again.
“Well once you get the first one down, the next one will go down easier.” She grins, grabbing my hand and leading me towards a table. We push our way through a few people and finally, come up to an empty table. I set my drink down and pull up one of the barstools. Taking a seat, I feel my feet sigh in relief. I needed to give them a break.
A hand on my shoulder causes me to pause, but when I turn to see who it is, a chill shoots down my spine. He looks familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve seen him before.
“Get yer hand off me girl,” Jerick says in a deadly tone. The guy puts his hands up in the air and slowly takes a few steps back from us. He winks at me before he turns to go and I reach out to grab onto Jerick.
“Who the feck was that?” Rory asks, still watching the man walk away.
“No clue,” Jerick says looking down at me. “Ye alright?” I nod my head, and he cups the side of my neck. He doesn’t say another word, but when I look back at Cara, she has an understanding look on her face.
“So have you ever been here before?” she asks breaking the awkward silence that we fell into.
“No, this is actually my first time in a club.”
I start to scan the room. I don’t want that man to come near me again.
“Oh my god, this is going to be an experience than!” She says, back to her giddy attitude.
Twelve
Jerick
The fecker that put his hand on Stana’s shoulder isn’t going away. He’s been watching her for the last hour and the more she drinks the closer he gets. I have no idea who the bastard is, but if he goes near her again, I won’t hesitate in taking him out. He’s messing with the wrong lass.
I watch as Stana and Cara are dancing together, with their arms in the air and singing along to some shitty song. They both are knackered, and I can’t even imagine the shit that Rory will have to deal with getting Cara home. She’s a lush and a half, and I can’t wait to watch that shit.
“Aye, Jerick,” Rory says from beside me. “Ye see why I don’t let me wife near ye anymore. Ye get her all knackered, and I have to be the one to drag her ass home.” He laughs and continues. “But on the plus, it’s always the best shag.” I grin at him before turning back to look at Stana.
She’s swaying her hips to the beat of the music, and her eyes are closed. The smile on her face never disappears even when the song changes. Just as the fecker starts to move, I see Conaill walking into the club. “Rory, get Connie.” He nods and moves in the direction of Conaill, while I make me way towards the dance floor. Just as I get to the dance floor, the lad from earlier turns and walks the other way.
I close the distance between Stana and me, just as Conaill and Rory get to the guy. He freezes as soon as he sees them walk up to him. He looks up at me when they don’t move from their spots. Our eyes stay on each other, neither of us giving up. I see Conaill say something to him and his attention focuses on him.
Getting to Stana, I wrap me arms around her waist and pull her body back into mine. She turns in me arms and throws her arms around me neck, putting a wet kiss on me lips. “This isss the vest night ever!” She yells at me ear. I pull back and kiss her nose, looking over her shoulder at Cara who has both of her thumbs up and a huge grin plastered on her face.
“Ye knew that man that’s been following ye all night?” I ask in her ear. Her happy smile turns into fear, and she clutches onto me harder.
“No. I don’t know him. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him.”
The fear sobers her up slightly. I motion fer Cara to come to us, and she doesn’t think twice about it. She looks over at Rory, and he nods his head. I release Stana and wrap me arms around both of them, leading them towards one of the back rooms in the club. We use these rooms typically for business deals, but tonight, I’m going to find out who the feck this arsehole is.
Once I get the girls settled in one of the rooms, I send a bartender in to get them more of their fruity drinks. I see Conaill and Rory going into another of the rooms, and I follow suit. Once I walk into the room and shut the door behind me, I get rid of all the emotions. It’s how I survive out on these streets.
Not letting anything affect me thinking.
“Who the feck are ye?” I ask. He looks between me, Rory, and Conaill, not saying a word. Conaill grabs him by the back of the hair and forces him to look at me. “Why the feck are ye following me lass?”
When he doesn’t answer that, he takes a fist to the gut. “He asked ye a question,” Conaill bites out. He doesn’t have much patience for people who don’t talk. If it’s up to him, he would just torture the bastard until he sang like a canary.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The bastard finally says.
I stand right in front of him and get right in his face. “Ye know exactly what I’m talking about. Ye put yer hands on me lass. Ye’ve been following her around all night. Now, I want to know why.”
&n
bsp; “Don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I haven’t been following anyone around,” he says entirely dismissing me.
Rory walks over to him and runs his knee into the lad’s gut next. He doubles over in pain and drops to his knees. “Give me the information I want and they leave ye alone.” He looks up at me with a pained expression but doesn’t tell me what I want to know.
“Fuck you.”
Conaill hits him again, this time in the mouth. He collapses to the ground and moans slightly. He goes to get back up, and Conaill hits him again. “Alright,” he whimpers out. “I’ll tell you what you want to know,” he mutters, wiping the blood from his lip.
“Speak,” Rory says kicking him in the ribs.
“I was supposed to get close to her. Get her alone and grab her.” He moves to his knees but doesn’t get up from there. He just protects his ribs from another blow.
“Who sent ye?” I growl.
“I don’t know. Some dude with the same accent as you fuckers.”
“Where are ye supposed to take her?” I demand. I need more fecking information than he’s giving me. I feel like part of this is a damn set up. “Rory, go check on the lasses, aye?” He moves through the room and out the door without a word.
“Out the back door. There was going to be a car waiting for me.” Conaill hits him again, and he keeps talking. “I was supposed to put her in the trunk. I swear that’s all I know.”
I don’t say anything else to him, I just blow out a breath and then sucker punch him in the side of the head. Whoever the feck is behind this is going out of their way to get me lass alone. He collapses to the ground, and I nudge him with me shoe. He doesn’t move, so I motion to Conaill. “Let’s drop him in the trunk of the car out back that’s waiting fer me, lass.” He nods and grabs the guy, heaving him over his shoulder and making his way through the back and towards the back door.