Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
My jaw clenches as I think of all I know now. So much has changed since the day Taegan and I met. I smile just a little as memories of that day fill my thoughts.
“Come on, O’Brien, just give us your money and we’ll make this easy today,” Roger, the school bully, taunted with a smug grin on his face.
I hated this kid. My dad worked hard for the money he gave me, but this kid and his crew were there to collect every day. Especially since none of my older siblings were around to protect me. Sure, it pissed me off, but it was better to give over the money and be done with it.
I hated it in America and in two more years, I’d be on my way back home, where I could find Ciara and keep my promise. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the money my da gave me that morning. I learned to keep what I wanted tucked away in my sock.
I never let them take it all. When I lifted my head and my hand to hand over the money, that’s when I saw her. The little spitfire with the fiery red hair.
Benny Jones snatched the money and pocketed it, but I barely noticed because my eyes were fixed on the bouncing red curls heading my way. I looked at her face to see her brows furrowed and her lips set in a tight grim line.
“What’s the matter with ya, O’Brien?” she snapped with her sharp Irish accent. “Ya make us all ashamed to claim ya. Yer the tallest kid in your grade, and I know for a fact yer brothers haven’t left ya to be a wuss. Find yer balls and make yer countrymen proud. For Christ’s sake, make yerself proud and put an end to this.”
Her big green eyes burned into mine as her chest heaved with anger. I don’t know what it was, but there was something about her eyes that reminded me of Ciara.
Not the color, but the look that said she believed in me, and I could do anything. Something snapped on the inside. I suddenly didn’t want to let them pick on me.
I wanted to fight back. It wasn’t like I didn’t know how. I’d been boxing since before we came here to the States. Ciara’s dad would teach us both and sparred with me when I hung out in the barn with Ciara to watch him train. I continued training when we moved here.
I figured when I found Ciara, I would need to keep up my part of the bargain, and if her dad wanted to kick my ass, I wasn’t going to make it easy. However, I never thought to fight back when I needed to. I never took what I learned in the ring outside.
In that moment, my temper became unhinged, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to allow me to lock it back away. I straightened my shoulders and turned to Roger.
“Tell ’em to give me my money back,” I hissed.
“Don’t let your little girlfriend here get your ass kicked, O’Brien.” Roger chuckled.
Before I could think, I smashed my fist into the side of Roger’s face. I turned to Benny, who threw his fists up, but he was too slow. Two body shots and he doubled over, groaning.
Let’s not forget to mention he wet his pants. I turned for the other three who were with them, but they were running out of the schoolyard, not bothering to look back.
“I knew ya had it in ya,” my new little conscience chirped with a wide smile. She went to lift my money from Benny’s pocket as he groaned on the ground next to Roger. “No one will be pushing ya around now. Come on, I’ll let ya buy me a slice.”
“I’m Dylan,” I murmured as I rubbed the back of my neck with the arm she didn’t have her arm linked through.
“I know who ya are, silly. I dated your brother for six months.” She giggled. “That’s how I knew ya could actually kick all their asses. I don’t understand ya, O’Brien.”
“Not much to understand.” I sighed.
“I think there is, and I intend to figure it out.” She looked up at me and beamed. She had to look up at me with her petite frame and it made me wonder if Ciara would be so much smaller than me. “Ya can call me Taegan.”
“Thanks, Taegan.” I genuinely smiled for the first time in a long, long time.
“Don’t mention it, O’Brien. From now on, I’ll be the only one allowed to kick yer ass,” Taegan laughed.
She was right. From that day on, she’s been the only one I allowed to give me any kind of shit. Ma had been right. I do have my da’s temper. Once it was unlocked, I had a hard time locking it back away.