Page 33 of Dublin Beast

It sucks rocks that Anton is pissed at me. I know how desperate he is to find Zhara and I know he thinks involving more people in our plans is the wrong play, but he’s mistaken.

The wooden door to the pub swings open and the warm scent of ale and fried food welcomes me inside. Being late afternoon, the place isn’t packed, but the low hum of conversation creates a steady backdrop.

The waitress that warned me away from Jamie spots me as I approach the bar. “And you’re back. I haven’t seen you in a few days. How are things?”

The concern in her voice isn’t subtle and I force a smile, grabbing a menu. “Everything’s fine. I’ve been holed up in my hotel working on a couple of projects. I’m taking a well-deserved break to order some takeout.”

She nods, wiping her hands on a towel as I scan the menu and place an order for one pot pie special and three bacon cheese burgers with chips. “For you and your mates, then?”

I pull Bryan’s credit card from my pocket and slide it across the bar. “Lunch is on him.”

The woman pauses, glancing at the Amex Centurion card. Her brow lifts, amusement curling at her lips. “You’re a woman who likes to live dangerously.”

I arch a brow. “How do you figure?”

“Nicking a card from a man like this is likely to get you tied up in a dark room somewhere.”

Oh.

Unbidden, an image slams into my mind—Bryan’s strong hands wrapping rope around my wrists, that deep voice murmuring low and dark in my ear. “Ye’ve been a very naughty girl, trouble. How do ye reckon ye should be punished?”

Heat floods my cheeks, and I force the thought out as quickly as it came.Not the time, Harper. Get it together.

I clear my throat and meet the woman’s gaze. “I didn’t steal the card. Lunch is actually on him.”

She smirks, tapping the order into the system. “Still risky, love. Word around here is he’s at 62 Castle.”

I pause, surprised that Bryan’s location is something worth talking about. “Yeah, that’s where we crossed paths.”

Something about discussing Bryan and his whereabouts in public makes me uneasy. When she hands me back his card, I nod toward a table near the door. “I’ll get out of your way while I wait.”

I take a seat and pull out my phone to see if I’ve got any messages. A couple from home, but none that need to be addressed. My brothers and I are close, but it’s the ‘I’ll come if you need me but until then, I’ll be living halfway around the world’ kind of close.

Scrolling absently, I watch cat videos on TikTok and let my mind unwind.

A shadow falls across the table.

I glance up, my stomach twisting as Jamie Rowan slides into the seat across from me.

For a split second, fear—sharp and visceral—pierces my gut. I smother it quickly and draw a deep breath. “Hey, there you are. I tried to call you… to apologize for what happened. It was crazy, right? That guy rushing over and starting a fight?”

Jamie flashes me a smile, but his casual charm doesn’t seem to ring as true as the last time I saw him—in the moments before that mob-on-mob fistfight.

I keep my expression neutral. “Jamie? Is everything all right? What’s up?”

He leans back, arms draping lazily over the next chair. There’s definitely something off. His movements are too measured, his gaze a little too sharp.

“How’ve you been, Harper?”

“Fine.” I glance toward the bar, where my food still isn’t ready. “You?”

“Can’t complain. Although, I did get a bit of blowback from my boss after your friend interrupted our introductions the other day.”

I tilt my head. “My friend? I had never seen that man before in my life. He went after your boss. It had nothing to do with me. Is that what you think? You think that was because of me?”

Jamie taps his fingers against the table. “I think you’re playing games, little girl. You’re not as naïve as you pretend, and you brought trouble to my door.”

I shrug. “I don’t know what trouble I could cause. You showed me around and took me out for drinks. What’s wrong with that?”

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