Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
My gaze darts around the room, and I’m already pushing off my stool, but then I see them. She’s still with the guy, the two of them in the corner, at the far end of the bar, each with a glass in front of them.
My heart rate slows. Jesus. Chill the fuck out. There’s no danger lurking around every corner.
But the truth is, there is. I grew up that way and still know it’s true. What I’m doing isn’t safe. Sloan promised to look for us. Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t, but who’s to say he doesn’t take one look at me and knows who I am?
“You okay?” Omari asks.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
My gaze flickers between Omari and Aislin. She finishes her drink, then whispers something in the guy’s ear. He nods and calls the bartender over, I assume ordering another. Her lips press against his cheek before she slips away toward the bathroom.
“I have a feeling you have no idea what I just said.”
“Fuck,” I curse. I’m going to screw up the chance to hook up with someone else because I can’t stop focusing on Aislin. “I’m sorry. I’m just…protective.”
“Super fucking hot,” he says, and I can’t help but grin. My gaze happens to shoot toward the dude with Aislin just at the right time. The bartender hands her drink to him, and then the second he turns around, the guy grabs it from the top as if he’s moving it, and I see something fall into the glass. He immediately stirs it with the straw, then pushes it toward the empty stool beside him, and I see fucking red, can’t breathe.
Before I can think about what I’m doing, I’m shoving off the stool. It falls over and hits the ground with a loud clack.
“Dean?” Omari says, but I don’t respond.
Every bit of logical thought inside me shuts off as I push through the crowd, some yelling at me and shoving me back along the way. My heart feels like it’s going to explode, like it’ll burst out of my chest any minute now. The second I reach the guy, I slam my fist into his face with everything I have in me. He gives a shout, but I can’t make out what he says as I’m dragging him off the stool, pain shooting through my hand with every punch—face, gut, any fucking thing I can hit. There’s blood on his face and all over my hands.
“What the fuck?” someone shouts, and arms wrap around me and pull me off him. I hit and kick at whoever is holding me and don’t stop until I hear, “New Kid, chill the fuck out,” and realize it’s Tiernan.
I don’t know when he got here or how I missed him, but that doesn’t matter right now.
“Get the fuck off me.” I try to jerk out of his hold, but I can’t.
“Dean? What the hell?” Aislin says as she walks over and kneels beside the guy who’s made it to his knees, blood pouring out of his nose and onto the floor.
“He’s fucking crazy, man,” the date raper says, and I know I should call him out for what he did, but I can’t fucking find the words. Instead, I try to lunge at him again, catching Tiernan off guard, but he recovers quickly, with Cillian’s help, both grabbing me.
“Get the fuck out of the bar!” the bartender shouts. “I’m calling the cops.”
“Let’s go,” Tiernan tells me, then nods toward the counter, and Rory heads over, I assume to deal with the bartender. Everyone else has lost interest, getting back to their drinks and dancing like this is an everyday occurrence. “You’re coming with me,” Tiernan says.
“Fuck off. He—”
His hand presses against my mouth. “Outside, dumbass.”
And he’s right. This isn’t the place to say it because there’s no doubt in my mind that this guy isn’t coming back from what I’m about to tell Tiernan. Maybe that should bother me, maybe I should want him to be locked up, but I don’t. I want him to fucking suffer for what he tried to do to her, what he’s probably done to others.
Of course, I can’t let Tiernan know I’m onto what will happen. That doesn’t stop me from telling Cillian, “Don’t let her stay with him.”
He frowns, then looks at Tiernan, who’s watching me. He gives Cillian a nod, and he’s immediately heading over to Aislin.
I don’t fight Tiernan as he drags me outside, but the second we’re in the fresh air, I jerk out of his hold.
“What the fuck was that about?”
“He put something in her drink,” I spit out and see his expression ice over, his face hardening. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The murderous expression on his face is proof he’s like his father, that I was right and the guy inside won’t come back from this.