Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Dean is first, carrying a duffel bag I’d rather not know the contents of. “We’ll be back,” he says simply, in his very Dean way.
“You big jerk.” Aislin walks over and gives him a hug.
I don’t move from my spot beside the sink.
Tiernan is next. He looks at me. “Be good.”
It doesn’t take a genius to know what that means. Don’t leave. Don’t tell anyone. I know what will happen if I do.
I give him a nod, trying to keep myself from shaking, but it doesn’t work.
“Bunny!” Rory practically beams, bouncing on his toes, clearly unable to keep still. “We get to go have fun tonight! Sorry you can’t go.”
I…don’t even know how to respond to that. “I don’t want to go.”
“Why not?” he asks.
Is he serious? I like Rory…a lot, but he’s for sure the wild card in the group, the opposite of Cillian in a lot of ways, and yet they fit. “Because I don’t…?”
“Your loss.” He grins, playing with his fidget spinner, before giving me a wink.
And then…Cillian appears in the doorway, and my breath catches. He’s wearing all black—they all are, but really, it’s like there’s no one in the room right now but us.
He looks almost…shy, like he’s not sure how to act around me…like he’s not sure how I feel about him.
And in this moment, all the things Aislin said click into place. I push off the counter and walk over to him. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck. Cillian’s grip is tight around my waist, nearly squeezing the life out of me, but somehow, it’s still not enough.
“I promised, remember?” he says, and I nod, not ashamed of the wetness in my eyes. I was earlier, but screw that. Whatever he’s doing tonight is scary and dangerous, and I’m allowed to feel what I feel. It doesn’t make me weak. It means I care. That I’m human.
When I pull back, Cillian wipes the tears. “None of that. I’m a fucking badass,” he says, and I chuckle. “I’ll see you soon, Kitten.” He cups my cheek, presses his lips to mine…and then he’s gone.
I don’t move from the spot, watching the empty space until I feel Aislin beside me. “I think I’m in love with him,” I admit. I’m in love with Cillian O’Shea despite all the things he does, despite the fact that I just felt a gun against his body when I hugged him…and I want to be in love with him. That doesn’t mean I don’t know what he does is wrong…it just means I love him more than I care about that. The future lawyer and the criminal. How will this ever work?
“Good. That just means he’s not in it alone, and you gave him even more of a reason to come home safe. That’s important, ya know? If you hadn’t hugged him like that, he would have been worried about you all night, wondering if it would change things, and he needs his head in the game.”
I nod, understanding what she’s saying.
“Oh look. Zuri sent a photo.” She holds her cell out, probably just trying to distract me, and I see a beautiful woman with gorgeous brown skin, glitter on her eyes, and braids.
“Have you made any progress yet?”
She sighs. “I like her so much, but I still can’t figure out if she feels the same. You’re waiting for your boyfriend to come back, and I’m trying to get a girlfriend… I think that calls for cupcakes.”
I grin, feeling an unexpected closeness with Aislin. “I think so too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Cillian
My stomach is tangled up in a way it never is before we do something like this. Sure, there are always nerves. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t, but this time they’re deeper, burrowed into my bones.
“You good?” Rory asks from beside me in the back seat.
“I promised Ollie I wouldn’t kill the people who did this to him.”
“Why would he ask you not to do that?”
“Because that’s the way he is, asshole.” I nudge my friend.
“You’re doing this for him,” Dean says from the front seat. “We all are.”
Which is true, and I’m not changing my mind, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel wrong to, that it’s not another reason Ollie deserves better than me. He was scared for me tonight, worried about my safety, and I’m fucking lying to him.
Tiernan says, “Wherever your head is right now, you need to fix it. If not, you’re not going. I won’t risk you getting hurt because you’re worried about what he’s going to think.”
“Fuck you. I’m not sitting shit out and you know it.”
“Then fix your fucking head. I’m not trying to be a dick here. I’m saying it because it’s fucking important. You’re important.”
I sigh, lean forward, and squeeze his shoulder. Shit like that doesn’t come easily to Tiernan, so I appreciate it for what it is. “Love you too, fuckface.”