Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
The restaurant is slow and I’m not on the register today, but still, I tell Chuck, our coworker, “I’ll take care of them,” because they’re here for me. I don’t want Cillian to think I’m afraid of him or that I’ll back down.
“Okay,” Chuck says, disappearing into the kitchen.
“What’s up, pet?” Rory says when they reach the counter.
“Cherry.” I nod at him, my gaze flicking toward Ollie and Cillian—Ollie smiling while Cillian frowns. I settle my attention on Ollie. “You have a good trip?”
“We did. Cil got to meet my dad. It was good seeing him. By the way, this brooding, possessive man who is about five seconds from pissing on my leg is my boyfriend, Cillian.”
“Four…three…two…” Rory grins, and I chuckle.
“Nah, I don’t have to do that. I think Blondie here knows not to fuck with what’s mine, right?”
“You don’t let your boyfriend have other friends? Are you afraid he’ll leave you?”
“Oh no,” Ollie says.
“Well, this is gonna be fun,” Rory adds.
I’m paying attention to the two of them, so I don’t realize what’s happening when Cillian’s arm shoots out. His hand wraps around my throat, and he yanks me over the counter.
“Cillian! What the hell!” Ollie reaches for his arm, but Rory wraps his arms around him, pulling Ollie away from me.
“Let him do what he needs to do, Bunny.”
He’s squeezing me, and it’s becoming more difficult to get a breath in, but not enough that I’m afraid.
“Um…Shai?” Chuck says.
“It’s fine,” I grit out. A couple of people in the restaurant are watching, but no one says anything, knowing better.
“This isn’t a game,” Cillian tells me. “He isn’t a game to me.”
“I’m not playing…not with him, at least.”
“Get out of here, Chucky,” Rory says, and Chuck listens.
Cillian’s voice is vicious when he says, “There’s nothing I won’t do for Ollie. If he wants to be your friend, fine. Just know that if you hurt him, you die. If someone else hurts him because of you, the same thing. You can make this out to be whatever you want, but he’s mine and I’m his, and I’ll burn the motherfucking world to ash for him if I have to.” He drops his hand, then straightens his clothes as I suck in a sharp, gasping breath. “You and Rory can play your games, but the same thing goes for him. You do anything that gets him hurt in any way, and you won’t like the consequences.”
Rory’s hold on Ollie has slackened, and he says, “He loves us,” as if this is all a joke and just another day in the life for them.
“What would you like to eat, Kitten?” Cillian asks, soft and loving, in total contrast with how he spoke to me. “You haven’t eaten since breakfast and need food in your stomach before your shift starts.”
“Just pepperoni is fine,” Ollie tells me.
I place the order, along with three drinks. Cillian pays, then he and Ollie head toward a table, Ollie clearly giving him a piece of his mind as they go.
“He’s protective,” Rory tells me.
“No shit.”
And maybe it’s wrong of me, maybe it means there’s something fucked up inside me, but I respect Cillian for caring so much about those he loves.
“He’s good to Ollie,” Rory adds. “Don’t get ideas in your head.”
“I’m not, and strangely, I believe you. I’m just even more confused about what’s going on with the three of you.”
“Jealous?”
“Turned on.”
“That’s my pet.” Rory grins, then joins them at the table.
My gaze flicks toward them every now and again, Ollie looking like he hasn’t let up on Cillian yet.
“Dude, are you okay?” Chuck asks when he rejoins me.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You know who they are, right? You don’t want to fuck with them.”
No, I don’t want to fuck with them, but I crave them, crave what they have. “I’m aware.”
When their pizza is ready, I make sure to bring it out to them so Cillian knows he didn’t chase me away.
“What time do you clock in?” I ask Ollie.
“Five.”
Cillian drums his fingers on the tabletop. They’re long and elegant but also masculine. They’re a piano player’s hands. I can imagine them dancing along the keys and feel the urge to play. I don’t have my keyboard anymore, so I haven’t played since we moved to Ashford.
“Cool. I’ll see you soon, Ollie.” Then to Rory, “Text me, Cherry.”
He cocks a brow. “Always looking for trouble.”
He’s right. At least I have been since moving here.
I head back to work. They eat, and when five comes around, Rory and Cillian leave, Ollie coming over to get to work.
“I’m sorry about that,” he tells me.
“It’s cool.”
“It’s really not,” Ollie counters.
I shrug. “I would do the same for someone I care about.” Which is a strange thing to realize is true about me. He frowns, forehead crinkled up. “Plus, it keeps things interesting. I think I’m gonna like it here a lot more than I thought.”