Page 22 of On The Rocks

“I’ll kick your ass,” I vowed.

“You could try,” he challenged. “You wouldn’t get far.”

“Now, now, boys,” Tadhg interjected. “It’s supposed to be a happy occasion. Kicking the snot out of each other will piss Mam off, and Patrick will shoot Callum if he’s got a black eye in the wedding photos. We’re brothers, and we gotta stick together, especially as we’re welcoming a Mafia Princess into the family.” He grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. “Plus, tonight it’s our big brother’s bachelor party.” He turned to me again and inquired, “Is there gonna be strippers there?”

I pursed my lips before replying, “Lord knows. Liam organized it.”

“There’ll be strippers there,” Donovan declared.

“Yeah,” Tadhg agreed. “Liam can’t help himself.”

My lips curved at the thought of my last night of being single and, if indeed, strippers would make an appearance. Liam owned an upmarket strip club just outside the city, so the chances of encountering some were high.

Maybe I could indulge in a night with a hot dancer one last time before I became a married man?

As the thought entered my brain, a sudden memory of bright blue eyes flashed behind my eyes, and my stomach clenched with unease.

I ground my molars together.

It seemed my shy little wife-to-be was affecting me, which was a new feeling because no woman ever had before. Maeve was sweet, but on paper, not my type. Except, whenever I thought about how she fell to her knees when she was tripped and how her bitch stepsister could’ve injured her, my lungs set on fire.

Maeve Monroe may not have been the woman I would’ve chosen, but the fact remained she was going to be my wife, and with my name came my loyalty.

Andnobodyfucked over an O’Shea.

I was still smartingabout Maeve’s treatment hours later, sitting in a gentleman’s club owned by Liam. I was sprawled out next to Tadhg on a red velvet couch, watching a tall, statuesque blonde jiggle her fake tits in time to an R&B song.

Donovan had already gone off arm-in-arm with a tall, beautiful black woman, but I wasn’t in the mood. It seemed wrong to fuck somebody else on the eve of my wedding, especially when there was still a conversation to be had with Maeve about our marriage being one of convenience.

The couch dipped beside me, and my head swiveled to see Liam sitting to my left, his eyes glued to the dancer.

“She’s a talent, right?” Liam asked, tipping his glass of whiskey toward the gyrating woman before us.

“She’s gorgeous,” I concurred.

He smirked, his eyes shifting toward me. “I can arrange for you to spend some time with her in private if you like.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Call it an early wedding present.”

A thread of annoyance curled through my stomach. “You’d buy me a fuck with a woman who isn’t my fiancée for a wedding present?” I deadpanned. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Liam threw his head back and laughed before his eyes met mine, and he nodded approvingly. “Correct answer. Now, I’ll give you my blessing to marry my Maeve.”

“Your Maeve?” I asked pointedly.

The mirth drained from my cousin’s eyes, and he studied me closely. “She’s special. I know it; Da knows it. Hell, even my mam and bitch sisters know it. Why else do you think they’re so fucking shitty toward her? I just hope one day, you know it, too, Cal, because I’m always gonna look out for her no matter if she’s in NYC or Wyoming.”

I’d always gotten along well with Liam, but there was no mistaking the note of warning in his tone or the threatening look he sent my way.

Fuck.

“You know this isn’t a real marriage, right?” I checked.

“I’m not a fuckin’ idiot,” Liam retorted. “But Maeve’s the only sister I fucking like. You’re a decent man, Callum, but I also know you dip your dick without much thought. From tomorrow, you’ll need to have a thought for your wife. You get me?”

My eyes narrowed. “What kind of asshole do you think I am?”

His mouth twisted. “I know you’re not an asshole; if you were, I wouldn’t allow Maeve to walk down the aisle tomorrow, but still, I look out for my sister. She’s funny and smart, but she’s also inexperienced. You need to be patient with her.”

“If you want Maeve to be happy, why did you pick me for her?” I asked curiously. “I’ve never had a relationship or even a girlfriend before. Fuck knows why you’d saddle her with a guy like me. I’m not exactly a family man, and what I know about partnership and compromise you could write on the back of a damned postage stamp.”

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