by L. A. Casey
I stormed over to his side, gripped on his shoulder, and pulled. "Get up and leave us alone!"
He looked to his shoulder then looked up at me and glared. I moved my hand away from him but kept my glare in place.
"Dominic, leave."
He smiled at me, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm only talking to your boyfriend-"
"Gavin isn't me boyfriend and won't ever be thanks to you, so just fuck off and leave us the hell alone. You have ruined me first date as it is, so just go away!"
I hated that my voice cracked a little; everyone who was in the restaurant heard it when I shouted, and my embarrassment only upset me further.
I gave up on Dominic and looked to Gavin. "Can you take me home, please?"
He looked both pissed off and saddened as he nodded to me and stood up from his seat. He reached from my hand, but I found myself moved aside as Gavin's hand was pushed away from me.
I gaped when I got my footing and stared at Dominic. He actually moved himself in front of me, pushed Gavin's hand away from me, and got in his face.
What the fuck was this lad's problem?
"What the fuck are you doin'? You stupid yank-"
Dominic's fist flew into Gavin's jaw cutting his words off. I yelped when Gavin flew backwards onto the ground. I then screamed when Dominic tried to move after him raising his fist again. I flew into a rage and jumped on Dominic's back. I wrapped my left arm around his neck, my legs around his hips, and started pounding onto the back of his head with my right fist. Each blow was hurting my hand, but I didn't care. I wanted to make him hurt because his stupid self had made me hurt tonight when Gavin broke off our date because of him.
"Damn it, Bronagh, get off me!"
"No!" I shouted and continued to punch his head, shoulders, and back.
I was pulled off Dominic and held off the ground like a rag doll.
"Calm down, hell cat," a voice chuckled into my ear.
I struggled against the hold on me. "Let me go, Kane. I'm goin' to kill that bastard!"
"That bastard is my little brother so I can't allow that," he chuckled again.
I struggled again but stopped when Gavin got to his feet and rubbed his red and slightly swollen jaw. He glared at Dominic then cut his eyes to me.
"I'm out of here, Bronagh. I'm sorry, but this is too much to deal with."
With that said, he turned and stormed away.
I was wide-eyed, and stared after him. "Gavin, wait, please-"
"Don't!" Dominic's face was in mine and growling. "Don't call after him. He isn't man enough if he doesn't want to fight for you."
Fight for me?
"He doesn't have to fight for me! I was his if he wanted me, but he doesn't, and it's all because of you! Why can't you just leave me alone and stop interferin' in me life?"
Dominic held my gaze and said, "Because I want you."
I knew he wanted to have sex with me, he had told me that enough times before but for some reason I felt like he wasn't just saying he wanted that this time. It felt like he was saying he wanted all of me. Too fucking bad he couldn't have me. He was dangerous; he made that clear each time I encountered him, and I just couldn't have him in my life like that. He could break me.
"Dominic, I can't," I whispered. "You're too different from me-"
"I'm calling bullshit on that. You were just on my back, pounding your fist onto my head in a blind rage. You're more like me than you think."
I glared at him. "Havin' a bad temper doesn't mean I'm like you. You fight for fun like a sick twisted fuck. I hit you to defend," I paused for a moment before clearing my throat, "to defend Gavin, not because I enjoyed it."
"I don't fight for fun, trust me on that," Dominic muttered catching my attention.
That confused me so I asked, "Why do you fight then if not for fun?"
He looked me in the eye. "I fight for my family, for my br-"
"Dominic." Kane cut him off in a low warning tone.
I raised my eyebrows and wanted to thump Kane for cutting Dominic off. I couldn't ask him what he meant because all of a sudden throbbing spread throughout my hand, I let out a strangled cry and instantly cradled it.
"Oh shite, I think I broke me hand!"
Kane put me down - yeah, he held me up during that entire conversation which had to have killed his back under my weight - and came around to examine it with Dominic.
"Let me see," Dominic said softly.
I shook my head like a little kid and snapped, "No, it hurts! Go away!"
He smiled a little. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."
The hospital? Where they stick needles in people and cut them open?
I felt myself go pale, and before I knew it, I was swaying and then was encased in Dominic's arms.
"I've got you," he murmured into my ear.
That wasn't comforting!
He kept an arm around my waist as we walked out of the restaurant. We bumped into security guards who were piling in, and Dominic sighed and looked at them. "I know, I know. I'm never to enter the premises again."
I frowned and as we left, he smiled down at me. "Not my first time being kicked out of a place for fighting."
"Shockin'," I grunted which made him laugh.
Kane ventured off with his lady friends after Dominic assured him that I would be fine with him; I seriously doubted that because he was the reason my hand was killing me!
"I'm goin' to punch your brother in the face the next time I see him, I know he text you where I was."
Dominic snorted as he buckled his seatbelt. "He actually text me and asked me if I wanted to hit up MacDonald's after his date with those girls. I had nothin' else to do so I said sure. I was just as surprised to see you and Gavin when I walked in as you were to see me."
Kane had a date with two girls?
The dirty fucker.
I shook my head. "Your brother knew somethin' would come of it, the sadistic bastard."
Dominic laughed out right then, and I hated that I wanted to smile. My hand was now throbbing badly though, so instead I whimpered a little.
"Are you okay?" Dominic asked.
I snapped my head to him and glared. "Does it look like I'm okay?"
Dominic didn't reply, so I glared at him harder. "Answer me!"
He chewed on his lip. "No, because you're just going to yell at me no matter what I say, so I'm keeping my mouth shut."
I grunted. "That'd be a fuckin' first!"
Dominic didn't reply with a snotty retort, and it was sort of weird.
I looked at him, and he laughed and glanced to me. "I'm not going to argue with you babe so stop trying to bait me."
I growled. "I'm not your babe."
He smiled. "I forgot, sorry."
He wasn't sorry, the bastard.
I shook my head and groaned and held my hand to my chest. "God, this hurts so bad."
I felt tears stinging my eyes, and I willed them away.
"Bronagh, don't cry," Dominic pleaded.
I sniffled. "I can't help it, it really hurts."
"I know, but we're nearly at the hospital. I'll make them fix it, okay?"
I nodded my head still sniffling as I fished out my phone. I rang Branna before the pain got so bad that I couldn't talk.
"How is the date goin'?" Branna squealed when she answered.
I whimpered.
"Bronagh? Baby? What is it? What's wrong? Did Gavin hurt you? I'll fuckin' kill him-"
"Branna, shut up." I cut her off with a cry. "Gavin didn't hurt me, but I am hurt and I'm on my way to the hospital."
"The hospital? Why? What happened?"
I snorted through my pain. "Dominic happened."
Dominic sighed from next to me, and it made me grin a little even though I was hurting.
"Dominic?" she snapped then growled, "I'm goin' kill your little brother."
"Not if I kill him first," I heard Ryder bellow.
Dominic heard it as well, because he groaned out loud, an
d it made my grin widen.
"We're on the way. I'll be there as soon as I can Bee, okay?"
I nodded and sniffled. "'Kay."
I hung up just as Dominic pulled into the hospital, we found parking near A&E and got out so we could head inside. I felt Dominic at my back when I was giving my information to the woman behind the counter, and it was distracting me. When I was checked in, we headed inside the waiting area that was absolutely packed with people.
I glared at Dominic. "I hate you."
He nodded his head. "I hate me, too. We're gonna be here all fucking night."
I growled, "Leave then, no one is askin' you to stay."
He gave me a look. "If you think I'm leaving you here, then you don't know me very well."
"I don't know you at all," I fired back.
He rolled his eyes and tugged on my good hand leading me towards the only spare seat in the room which made me kick his shin and earned me a snort from a couple of people.
"Trouble in paradise?" a man asked Dominic, grinning.
Dominic snorted. "Nah bro, this is foreplay for us."
I gasped, and Dominic instantly ducked away from me which the man and some others found funny. I was mortified; I could feel my face and neck burn.
"I'm sorry, I was only playing," Dominic murmured to me when he saw how red my face was.
I only glared at him, then widened my eyes when he sat down on the only seat available. What a dickhead. I was the one who was hurt, I should be sitting down not him. I was about to tell him that when he reached forward, placed his hands on my hips, turned me around and then pulled me down onto his lap. I felt even more mortified than I already was when some people glanced at where I was sitting on Dominic. My arse was directly on his groin, my thighs were lined on top of his, my back was against his chest and the back of my head was on his shoulder.
It was a very intimate position, and it both thrilled and infuriated me.
"You can hit me later. Just relax now until you get seen by the doctor," Dominic said in my ear then kissed my cheek three times.
It was a surprisingly sweet gesture that did indeed shut me up. I felt my heart begin to pound as butterflies erupted across my stomach. He could make me so livid with one action then completely happy with another. I didn't know how to separate my feelings when it came to him.
I relaxed after a few moments and began looking around the hospital waiting room. There were four girls sitting across from us that were at least two years younger than us, smiling at Dominic and shooting him appreciative glances. One girl looked at my thighs and chewed on her lip before randomly looking away. I looked down and swallowed, my thighs tripled in size because I was sat on Dominic and it made me uncomfortable. I remained seated on him, but I sat up and took off my cardigan and draped it over my legs, covering them.
“Are you warm?" Dominic asked when I settled back against him.
I shook my head and held my bad hand to my chest.
"Then why did you-"
"I was coverin' me legs," I mumbled.
Dominic was quiet for a moment. "I'm probably going to regret asking this but why did you cover your legs?"
I blushed and whispered, "'Cause they triple in size when I sit down."
Silence.
I was about to speak when Dominic mumbled, "God save me from girls and their stupid way of thinking."
I gasped making him snort as he nuzzled his nose on my neck. "I happen to think you look fucking gorgeous tonight. I've never seen you wear clothes that actually fit you before. I must say, Bronagh, I like it a lot."
The tips of my ears felt on fire as I ducked my head making him laugh.
"Bronagh Murphy?" called out a female voice.
I stood up and held onto my cardigan and moved towards the nurse who called my name. I felt Dominic follow me and didn't say anything. I knew I would need someone in there with me, or I would probably pass out.
"Bronagh?" The nurse asked me when I stopped in front of her.
I nodded my head then chewed on my lip when she looked over my shoulder. "Family or partners only-"
"I'm her boyfriend," Dominic cut the woman off.
I blushed while the nurse smiled and nodded her head and gestured me into the triage room. I moved inside and sat on the examination table. The nurse looked at the hand I was cradling and made a face.
"That looks painful."
"It is," I assured her.
"How did this happen?" she asked.
Dominic lowered his head behind her while I shrugged and said, "I punched a lad who told me I was fat and said I needed to go on a diet."
Dominic snapped his head up and stared at me from behind the nurse; I kept a straight face and looked at the nurse. "I don't usually act that way but the lad really hurt me feelin's."
I directed the last part of my sentence at Dominic making him frown.
The nurse shook her head. "I hope you hit the little shite hard enough to bruise. That is a disgustin' thing to say to a person!"
Go nurse!
I nodded my head to her. "I think I hurt him."
"You did," Dominic mouthed to me and rubbed the back of his head, wincing, making me bite my lip so I wouldn't smile.
The nurse went about examining my hand, apologising every time I winced, groaned, and just plain screeched.
"I'll book you in for X-Rays before you can see a doctor. You can tell from the waitin' room that we're pretty busy tonight. Our waitin' time right now is seven hours; it will be another two or three hours after you get seen before you can go home, okay?"
Guess I wouldn't be going to school tomorrow.
"Yeah, that's fine, thank you. Me sister is on her way so she will stay with me-"
"I'm staying with you; Branna can argue with me all she wants, but I'm not going anywhere," Dominic cut me off.
I raised my eyebrows at him while the nurse beamed in his direction.
"That's very sweet of you to stay with your girlfriend."
I was about to say Dominic wasn't my boyfriend when he smiled back at the nurse, and I forgot about what I was thinking. His dimples were standing at attention, and I couldn't not look at them.
I came to grips at that moment that his dimples were a huge weakness of mine which was crazy because holes in someone's face shouldn't be so bloody attractive! I continued to look at Dominic while the nurse put my hand and arm in a sling and tied it off around my neck. He was watching what her hands were doing to me for a moment before he looked up at my face and found me looking at him.
I knew I was here because he had ruined my date with Gavin and any chance of a relationship with him, and I was mad about that but as much as I said I hated him, I couldn't force the feeling when it didn't exist. It existed at some stage but not anymore. Sure, he pissed me off something fierce, but I didn't hate him. We didn't see eye to eye on pretty much everything, but his persistence in wanting me was slowly but surely making me overlook the fact that we were probably the worst match. And having him in my life goes against everything I've ever built up about keeping people out. He was a risk and instead of shutting the idea down again, I was actually contemplating on whether to take the risk.
Holy shite.
"What are you thinking about?" Dominic asked me while the nurse was out getting me some painkillers and a slip for me to hold for my X-Ray when my name was called later.
"I'm thinkin' that you're dangerous, and that havin' you in me life would be doin' what Branna always wanted me to do, open up to someone. You're a risk that I'm thinkin' of takin'."
Dominic stared at me for a moment before he stepped forward and moved himself between my legs. "You want me?" he whispered.
I swallowed my pride. "You have to work on not makin' me so mad but yeah, I want you."
He cupped my cheeks with his hands and strummed his thumbs up and down.
"I'm not sayin' I'll be your girlfriend right away, I'm sayin' that I'm open to the idea."
He raised an eyebrow. "So I'm on a
trial basis with you?"
I nodded. "Exactly, I just want to feel out how this could work with us before I put a title on us, is that okay with you?"
"Can I kiss you whenever I want?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes at him. "No kissin' in school because I'm not ready to deal with any of that drama, especially after what happened with Destiny, but in private? Sure."
"I'm fine with it then."
With that said, Dominic crushed his mouth to mine and forced his tongue into my mouth, making me gasp and grip his arm with my good hand.
I barely had a chance to kiss him back because suddenly his body and mouth weren't pressed against mine anymore. I opened my eyes and found he was across the room with a female on top of him, swinging her fists down on him.
The female was my sister, and she was beating the shite out of him.
Fuck!
"Are you sure you don't want to press charges, sweetie?"
I shook my head and scrubbed my face with my good hand while the female Garda asked Dominic the same question for the fifth time. She was young, twenty-five at the most, and was smiling and nodding her head at him every time he spoke, then cooing over him like the new nurse was when he winced over the needle digging into him while she stitched the cut under his eye that Branna's ring caused when she socked him.
"He already told you he doesn't want to press charges against me sister, why are you being so repetitive?" I asked the Garda, the snarl in my voice not going amiss.
The Garda snapped her gaze to me and glared. "It is me job to ask the victim of attacks these types of questions more than once to make sure they are solid on their decision."
Yeah, sure it was.
I scoffed and asked, "Is it also your job to flirt with said victim while his girlfriend is sat right next to him?"
The Garda had the decency to flush while the nurse stitching up Dominic's under eye went deathly quiet and stopped her cooing over him when he made noises of pain.
"Listen here, I wasn't flirtin'-"
"Yeah, you were, but you might as well give it up; he isn't interested in you. Right?" When I looked to Dominic, I found him already watching me, which made my insides jump a little because his gaze was dark, and it was entirely focused on me.
"Right." He grinned just as the nurse finished up his stitches and moved away from him but only by a couple of inches.