—
“Clare? Clare!” Rory was inches from her face, his eyes full of worry.
“What?” She frowned, wondering why her head was aching.
“Are you okay?” He gave her his hand, helping her sit up slowly.
Glancing around, she realized she had been flat on the ground, and a giant knot on the back of her head was the source of the aching. Her mouth was dry, her skin cold, and she felt guilty for the apprehension on Rory’s face.
“What happened?”
“I have no idea—I think you fainted. Here, drink this.” He handed her a bottle of water, and she gulped it down gratefully.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, embarrassed as he helped her stand up.
“Don’t be. I’m the one who should be sorry. I pushed you too hard today.” He frowned as his hands circled her waist, securing her on her feet. It was clear he was not going to let her go until he could be sure she wouldn’t fall over again.
“Come on, let’s get outside. Some fresh, cold air might help.”
She allowed him to lead her out of the ring.
Less than a minute later, they stood on the sidewalk out front, staring at each other. He pulled her to him, something she always loved. He rubbed her upper arms, using friction to warm her up, since it was a bit cold. The fresh air was definitely what she needed, though; her mind was already clearing.
“Talk to me, mhuirnín.”
She bit her lip nervously, not sure what to tell him. Her life with Travis wasn’t something she was proud of, and it wasn’t fun to think about or remember. She dropped her forehead against his chest, cuddling into him. He squeezed her tighter, enjoying the intimacy but not letting it distract him.
“I don’t know what to tell you. I just remembered something from when I was younger.” She sniffed, looking up at him. “I guess it still affects me more than I realized.”
His jaw stretched tight, and she knew that he didn’t like her answer. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was holding back a lot, or because he was feeling protective.
“Who did you think about?” he said through gritted teeth.
“What do you mean?”
“I was twisting your arm behind your back, Clare. Who did that to you?” She should have given him more credit, she realized, as he had easily put that together.
“My ex, Travis.” She wrapped her arms around Rory’s waist and pressed her cheek into his shoulder. “He could get a little rough sometimes.”
Rory exhaled slowly, and she felt his chest deflate underneath her cheek.
“Never again. No one will ever lay their hands on you again.” He finished by kissing her forehead and wrapping her even tighter into him.
—
It was days later, but Clare still felt like she was on air as she flitted around O’Leary’s in the evening, helping patrons. Over and over again, her mind kept replaying the training she’d done with Rory the last few days, how protective he had been that first day, and how powerful he had made her feel every day since as he taught her more and more.
He inspired something in her, empowered her to be someone she hadn’t known was possible. He believed in her, something no one else had done before in her life.
Aside from that, she had never before felt cared for and guarded, but with Rory she felt like she had a brand-new shield standing between her and every pain she had ever felt. Nothing could get through him to her; she was safe.
Any reluctance she had initially shown with Rory was gone—after all, it was hard to deny anything was happening when his brother had caught them naked together. She didn’t mind; she had come to terms with the fact that she did want to be with Rory. She hadn’t felt this giddy about a man since high school, and she was pretty sure that back then it had been just because someone was showing an interest in her.
Now that she wasn’t an insecure young teenager, it felt different. Rory wasn’t just a great guy, someone who made her shiver with excitement or who did things to her in bed she hadn’t known possible. He was also able to make her feel strong. He made her see herself through his eyes, and she loved what she saw.
This felt like a beginning, but of what, she wasn’t sure.
Clare smiled to herself as she daydreamed, sliding a rack of steaming, freshly washed beer glasses out of the dishwasher in the kitchen and carrying it out to the bar area. O’Leary’s was packed, even for the late hour, so she resumed making drinks once the glasses were restocked.
“Crown and Coke over here, Clare.” The handsome young man she recognized as Kane, Rory’s younger brother, took a free spot at the bar.
“Hi, Kane.” She gave him a cordial smile, feeling slightly awkward—she hadn’t actually spoken to him since he’d found her and Rory naked in the ring.
“Aw, don’t be all stiff on me now, Clare.” He winked at her, taking the drink as she slid it over to him.
“I’m not.”
“Oh, yes, you are. Okay, so I caught you sleeping with my brother. Big deal. You could do a lot worse.” Kane shrugged.
“We weren’t sleeping together!” she protested, unsure why she was lying.
“Really?”
“Well, we were, uh, but—” she stammered, not knowing what to say to hide the crimson embarrassment that snuck up her cheeks.
“I heard the same song and dance from him, doll. Both of you are falling all over each other right in front of us, then denying anything is happening. We’re not blind, you know.”
“Who’s we?”
“That would be me.” Quinn, Rory’s other younger brother, slapped Kane on the shoulders.
Jimmy joined them. “I want in. What are we talking about?”
“Clare, have you ever officially met my brothers? This is Quinn, local lowlife and jack-of-all-trades, and the youngest of us, Jimmy. He’s NYPD, so be on your best behavior.” Kane winked at her.
“Good to meet ya, Clare. If you’re serving drinks, I’ll take a Guinness.” Quinn smiled at her, tossing his black hair out of his eyes. Redheaded Jimmy pulled up a stool next to Kane, while Quinn just leaned against the bar.
“Same here, Clare. Thanks.”
Clare busied herself getting their drinks, trying not to be flustered that three insanely attractive and buff men were all standing in front of her and focusing only on her. On top of all that, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was being assessed to see if she was good enough for Rory.
“So, you’re the girl who’s completely changed our big brother?” Jimmy smiled at her, leaning on the bar.
“What do you mean?”
“He means that Jimmy hasn’t had to fudge as many police reports lately,” Quinn teased, giving his brother a gentle shove.
“I didn’t fudge police reports.” Jimmy scowled for a second, but then he cracked a mischievous smile. “I just lost them more often when they had Rory’s name on them.”
“Don’t worry, Rory’s not like that anymore,” Kane reassured her.
“Not even close,” Jimmy added.
“He used to party all the time, a never-ending parade of skanks, but lately I haven’t seen him even blink at a single woman,” Kane told her.
“Except you,” Quinn confirmed, watching her intently.
“He’s not even partying. I haven’t seen him drinking this past week. It’s crazy.” Kane continued, and the brothers all nodded in agreement.
“People change.” Clare kept a straight face, trying to contain her excitement. She didn’t want to tell herself that Rory was actually that taken with her; it left too much room for disappointment. What if they were wrong?
“Only with the right motivations,” Kane told her as she handed them all another round of drinks.
“Here, it’s on the house.”
“Is that a bribe, Clare?” Quinn teased.
“Bribe for what?”
“Leave her alone, Quinn,” Jimmy ordered.
“To win the Kavanagh clan approval, of course. Haven’t you heard? Our pops runs this
part of town, old-school Irish Mafia, used to be quite the boxer back in the day for the Westies,” Quinn continued, sounding like he was both bragging and trying to sound intimidating.
Clare blinked at him, her mouth falling slightly open. She had heard some of the rumors and she had met Seamus, but while he was a bit gruff and certainly had a tough exterior, he had been gentle and kind with her.
“Trying to scare away my girl, Quinn?”
Everyone turned around to see Rory towering over them, arms crossed over his chest. With the intimidating stance he was holding himself in as he eyed his brother, he seemed to stand ten times his normal size.
“If she can scare.”
Quinn smirked at her, as if the two had a secret between them. She smiled back, feeling like she had just passed their test.
“Didn’t work,” Clare jested, trying not to stare at Rory, who happened to look irresistible at the moment in a skin-tight black T-shirt that showed every muscle outlined beneath.
“I like her, man. Don’t fuck it up,” Quinn told him as his brothers began ragging on Rory.
“I don’t plan on it.” Rory’s stature softened and he motioned for her to come over to the end of the bar, away from his brothers, where there was a break in the wooden surface. She smiled and quickly followed, pushing up the section of the counter that lifted so employees could get from behind the bar into the pub. Rory joined her in the gap and slid his arms around her, pulling her against him.
They were slightly hidden from view by the lifted counter and the wall on the other side of them, so she felt less inhibited about the public display.
“My brothers are assholes,” he said, grimacing.
“I think they’re sweet. They clearly love you.”
He moved to trail his fingers down her upper arm.
Clare felt her body shiver in response, but she was far from cold. She admired his silver eyes, eyes that seemed molten now as he stared intensely at her.
“So, I’ve been thinking, and I want to ask you…” Rory pushed a stray hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, pausing for a moment.
Clare immediately blushed, feeling self-conscious as she realized she was wearing her apron still and reeked of alcohol from splashing beer on herself earlier.
“Ask me what?” She slid her hands up between them, resting her palms flat on his chest, enjoying the solid feeling of pure muscle beneath her.
“Go on another official date with me.”
“That doesn’t sound like a question.”
“Maybe because I already know your answer.” He leaned in toward her, kissing the tip of her nose gently. A bit light-headed just from his touch, she felt her body sag against him.
“Okay,” she whispered breathlessly. She couldn’t think of anything else to say; her mind had gone completely blank.
“Kane’s first match is on Friday night. Come watch. Then we’ll go out after to celebrate,” he told her as his lips grazed the corner of hers.
She just nodded, her hands gripping his shoulders to keep herself from collapsing. Even though he was bending over slightly, she still had to reach up quite a bit to touch his shoulders as he towered a foot above her.
A shrill, irritating voice cut into their conversation. “Clare!” She just rolled her eyes, cursing Cian in her mind for having the ability to completely ruin a perfect moment.
“I think your boss is calling.”
“Clare, the two-top by the window needs drinks. Go take—” Cian appeared behind her, already ordering her around. The moment he saw Rory standing there, he froze and his hand protectively came up to guard his face.
“What is he doing in here?” he seethed in a low tone.
“Cian, relax. I’m not going to punch you. Yet,” Rory said menacingly, just enough question in his voice to make Clare’s boss wonder if that was true.
Cian crossed his hands over his chest, trying to appear tougher than he was. “You’re banned from here.”
“He’s not banned. The corporate manager already said you couldn’t ban anyone,” Clare said defiantly.
Cian just narrowed his eyes at her, his nostrils flaring. Giving up, he stormed off to the back room, cursing under his breath.
“Feisty.” There was a spark in Rory’s eyes as he gazed at Clare.
“Don’t forget it.”
“I’ll see you later tonight to take you home, mhuirnín.” He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, then released her and strutted back over to his brothers, who were clearly snickering and being juvenile about the interaction.
Rory whacked Quinn on the back of his head, which told Clare Quinn must have made some type of smart-ass comment. Cian shouted for her again, and she scurried back behind the bar to finish her shift.
Chapter 14
“Clare, don’t you have a cellphone or something?” Cian barked as he wandered back into the empty pub to find her counting her tips at the counter.
“Yeah, why?”
“Stop using the bar’s number as your own personal line, then.” Cian scowled, pulling open the cash register and replacing the empty tray after having secured all the day’s earnings in the bank envelope.
“What are you talking about?”
“You have a call on line one. Hurry up—you still have side work to do.”
He waved her away as Clare pushed the bills on the counter together and pocketed her tips, heading to the back room that led to the office. She couldn’t imagine who would be calling her here, since only her new, local friends knew she worked here.
She picked up the receiver that was sitting on the desk, off the hook. “Hello?”
“I’ve missed that sound,” a scratchy voice rumbled, and Clare instantly felt her stomach drop.
“Clare?” the caller said when she didn’t respond.
“What do you want?” Her teeth were clenched together, her tone stern.
“That’s not a very nice way to talk to your boyfriend, Clare.”
“How did you find me, Travis?” She tried to stay stern, but her voice was faltering. She bit her lip furiously, angry at herself for showing fear and even more angry at him for causing it.
“You were never the brightest crayon in the box, baby. I’ve known where you are for a while. I’ve let you have your fun, your little bout of independence, but my patience is running thin. You have something that is mine, and I want it back. So, either you come home or I come to you. And you know that if you make me come get you, you’re not going to be the only one to pay for your mistake.” He went from nonchalant to forceful and threatening in a flash.
“I’m not coming back, and that money is mine; it was my parents’. You stole it, and I stole it back. You’re not touching it, or me, again. We are over. I’m not your girlfriend.” She clasped the phone receiver in her hand tightly, her body shaking.
“You know I’ve always liked it when you pick the hard way. A lot more fun for me. See you soon, baby.”
The line went dead.
Trembling, Clare placed the phone on the receiver, closing her eyes. She felt nauseated and realized she was about to vomit. Jumping up out of the office chair, she rushed down the hall to the employee bathroom and instantly emptied the contents of her stomach.
“Well, that’s just disgusting. You could have at least closed the door,” Cian said from behind her, as he leaned against the doorframe.
“Sorry,” she whimpered, kneeling over the toilet, waiting for the next round of sickness to hit her.
“You better not be pregnant. I can’t afford to hire and train a new bartender right now.”
“I’m not pregnant, Cian. I just need to go home.” She stood up and washed out her mouth in the sink, then wiped her face with some paper towels.
“Fine, I’ll finish up tonight. But only because I’m afraid you might puke on me. You have a couple days off anyway, but you better be good to go by Saturday.” He marched back to the office, not showing any further interest in her or concern for her well-being.
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She unsteadily trailed over to her locker and collected her belongings, then called a cab from her cellphone to meet her out front. She knew Rory would be mad at her for leaving early, but she didn’t want to explain to him. Things were still so new between them. She didn’t even know how to define what they were to each other.
Once thing was certain: She wasn’t about to burden him with her problems.
Especially when it now seemed like she was going to have to run again.
—
Rory checked his cellphone for the time. Clare was normally done by now, but she had yet to leave O’Leary’s and meet him and Ace out front. Circling around the alley to the back of the building, he knocked on the metal door.
“Fuck, what do you want?” Cian greeted him after pushing open the heavy door. Rory ignored the man’s unpleasant attitude, staring past him into the back of the restaurant.
“Is Clare done yet?”
“No, she left like ninety minutes ago.” He crossed his arms, staring Rory down defiantly.
“She left early?”
“Yeah, she was really fucking things up tonight, so I sent her home.”
Rory tightened his jaw at the comment, narrowing his eyes at Cian and seriously contemplating breaking his nose again. Ace snarled quietly next to him, feeling the animosity between the men. Rory put his hand out flat, a signal for Ace to calm down. Nervousness flashed over Cian’s weaselly face as he glanced at the dog and gulped.
“What are you talking about?” Rory tried to keep his voice calm and slow, when really he just wanted to smash a fist through Cian’s arrogant face.
“First, giving out the bar number like it’s her own personal line. I don’t tolerate employees using up our phone bill like that. Then puking everywhere the moment she finishes her call. Disgusting. That girl has been nothing but a headache since I hired her. Big mistake.”
“Cian, I’m trying really hard here to control my temper, but if you say one more bad thing about Clare, I will make you regret it.” Rory clenched his fists at his sides.
“Fuck, calm down, Irish Hulk.” Cian was getting bolder, and for a moment Rory considered helping him relearn his lesson. Not tonight, he decided, Clare needed him.