Page 135 of Three Irish Kings
I ran out of money after three days and bought a burner phone to call Colleen. I explained nothing over the phone, just told her I was in trouble, and she wired me five grand and told me to stay put, knowing something was terribly wrong.
I’m grateful for my friend, as shady as she may be, but maybe Dare got to her. He wouldn’t hurt her... would he?
As I hurry to follow him to his car, he doesn’t even look at me.
It's only a quarter of a mile to where he's parked at the bus station, but it feels like five miles because I keep trying to talk to him, and it falls on deaf ears.
“Dare, please,” I say when he’s sitting in the driver’s side, staring across the street where someone is helping the asshole who accosted me up.
He’s been a thorn in my side since the bus, and I can’t deny that I’m grateful Dare showed him a lesson, but it wasbrutal.
The guy’s going to be in the hospital for a long while, from how Dare pummeled him.
I’ve never seen him act like that, never seen him violent, and it both scares me and... arouses me.
I shift in the passenger seat, reaching over to take his hand.
He jerks away from me. “I said, don’t touch me.”
“Dare, you have to listen to me. It’s not what you think. I?—”
“It’s not what I think? So, youdidn’tleave me while I was sleeping to what, run off with some fucking guy?” His voice is loud, almost yelling, and I wince.
“I didn't run off withanyone, Dare, and I think you know that. That guy’s been bothering me since the bus, but he doesn’t have anything to do with why I left.”
“Then that’s even worse. You’re probably giving information to Cormac.”
My eyes widen. “Cormac? You really think I’d funnel information to your enemy?”
“I really don’t know anything anymore.” He revs the engine, driving to the bed and breakfast. “You’re staying here, right?”
I blink.
He’d figured that out easily, and I hadn’t told Colleen where I was staying, so it wasn’t her.
“How did you know?”
He snorts. “What do you think, I’m an idiot? It’s the only place within walking distance that would accept cash. Cash that youstolefrom me.”
“I’ll pay you back?—”
“Stop. Just fucking stop, Isla, you know it’s not about the money.”
I start to cry softly.
This isn’t the man who whispered sweet nothings into my ear after we made love, not the man who showered me with gifts and touched me so softly.
He’s not angry like I imagine Liam is or sullen and quiet like Cillian. No, he’sfurious.And he looks like hell, stubble dusting his jaw, stale beer practically coming out of his pores.
“Are you... is everyone... okay?”
Dare laughs darkly, shoving the door open when he parks, and I scurry to get out with him.
He’s got blood spattered on his hoodie, and his knuckles are bleeding worse than they should be.
“We’re all pretty fucking far from okay, Isla.”
Isla.Nota ghrá.
