Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
That was the problem. It wasn’t. She’d grown up around the casual violence and threats that came from underground crime, even if she’d been on the outskirts for the most part. It wasn’t seeing those two guys beating Cillian up that spooked her so bad.
It was that she’d walked away from that night with all her convictions about the man questioned.
“It was fine. I scared them off with your trusty shotgun.”
“This time.” He took the order from the impatient guy and grabbed two Buds from the fridge below the bar. After the guy paid, Benji turned back to her. “Next time you might not be so lucky. You know what they say about heat waves—everyone is on edge and ready to fight. That goes double for anyone under the umbrella of O’Malley, Sheridan, or Halloran.”
How had this turned into him telling her to back off? She propped her hands on her hips. “I can take care of myself.”
“These aren’t common street thugs—not in this part of town, and not giving a beating to an O’Malley. Whoever it was won’t forget that you intervened, and some of the families around these parts can have a long memory. If you’re not careful, you might turn down a street one night and find yourself in more trouble than you can handle.”
The sad thing was that if that ever happened, it wouldn’t be a Boston family threatening her. It would be the Romanovs. She couldn’t say that to Benji without explaining her past, though, and she wasn’t willing to go there. Not tonight. Probably not ever. “I’ve got it covered. I promise. That wasn’t even what was bothering me in the first place.”
He frowned. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I patched Cillian up and made sure he was okay and…” God, why was she even talking about this? She wasn’t some high school girl with a crush. She’d already seen how that kind of thing worked out—with her in over her head and knocked up by a man who would never love her like she desperately needed. Olivia took a deep breath. “Never mind. It’s not even worth talking about.”
“Boy got under your skin, didn’t he?”
Of course Benji saw through her. One didn’t end up as a bartender as long as he’d been and not know how to read people. “Pretty much. It doesn’t make any sense. He’s so…” Gorgeous and broken and kissable.
“That boy has seen some things.” Benji hand washed a few glasses, his gaze on the room. “A year ago, I’d tell you to steer clear of Cillian O’Malley—not that you’d need the advice. That boy was trouble personified, and he had no little liking for the ladies. That’s all changed now, but you should still steer clear of him because of what family he was born into. He might mean well, but meaning well doesn’t count for shit.”
That’s what she was afraid of.
“Benji, you’re an awful friend. The first rule of being a wingman is that you don’t warn the beautiful woman away from me.”
Olivia turned, half-sure she’d misheard, but there he was. Cillian sat on the other side of the bar, every hair in place and almost masking the still-healing gash on the side of his head, a casual grin on his face, looking like he hadn’t been beaten all to hell just a week before.
Like he hadn’t completely blown her off since.
She pasted a neutral expression on her face, but from his expression, it wasn’t all that neutral. “Can I get you something?”
“Your number.”
Good lord. “Thanks, but I like to reserve my time for people who actually make time for me.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It took me longer to bounce back than I expected.” He even looked sorry, like he regretted the absence as much as she had.
Her anger wavered, but she held on to it with both hands. Being with him would always be like this—always me on a need-to-know basis and worrying my idiot self over him. “It’s fine.”
“I may not be a genius, but even I know when a woman says that it means anything but.” He looked at Benji. “How pissed is she right now?”
“She is standing right here.”
Benji raised his hands. “I’m staying out of it. Olivia, holler if you need something.” Then the coward fled.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re batting a thousand tonight, just like normal.” Except for that single night last week when he’d been downright human. More than that, he’d been a person she actually understood on some level and wanted to know more about. Now he had his pretty boy facade firmly back in place, and his charm grated on her like sandpaper beneath her skin. It was a slap in the face after how worried she’d been about him. “Apple juice?”
“Please.” He watched her grab a glass and pour the drink. “If it helps, I’m sorry I was gone so long. Things on the home front got away from me, and I had to take care of them before I could get back in here.”