specific destination in mind. I started to get nervous when the crowd between us began to thin, but then they turned down an alley and stopped in front of the second door on the right.
Plastering myself against the wall, I strained to listen. “You on the list?” a man asked.
“O’Shea,” Declan clipped. He always got annoyed when he wasn’t immediately recognized. Secretly, it tickled me to no end because it was preposterous to expect every person you came in contact with to know who you were. For fuck’s sake, we were the spawn of an organized crime boss, not descendants from the royal family.
“Any guests?”
“Do you see any?” I rolled my eyes. He could be such an asshole sometimes.
The man at the door deserved credit. He didn’t flinch or seem to give much of a shit that two of those O’Sheas were standing in front of him. With a nonchalant nod, he took a step back. “Go on down.”
I risked a glance around the corner to see Declan and Tiernan entering the building. After waiting for the longest ten minutes in history to pass, I walked down the alley and knocked on the same door. In the seconds it took for the man to answer, I contemplated turning and running for the hills but figured I didn’t have much to lose. If he wouldn’t let me in, I’d just call Tiernan and get in anyway. But where was the fun in that?
“You on the list?”
“I’m a guest of Declan O’Shea,” I said confidently and stuck my boobs out for good measure.
“He expecting you?”
I grinned seductively. “No, I’m here to surprise him.” I didn’t like the thought of him thinking I was my brother’s whore for the night, but I was willing to deal with it if it got me inside the club.
“You know where you’re going?”
“Sure do,” I giggled.
His eyes raked over me from head to toe. “Go on down,” he said, repeating the same words to me and stepping to the side. “Lucky bastard,” I heard him mutter when I was halfway down the stairs causing me to shiver in revulsion.
That was also when my excitement at getting past the doorman was replaced by a rush of nervous energy mixed with a touch of fear. I had no idea what kind of place I was walking into. What if it was one of those BDSM clubs, and I’d just become my brother’s slave by declaring myself his guest?
And that’s the thought that should’ve had me running for the stairs, but it didn’t. I knew both of my brothers would keep me safe, once I found them. Even if I didn’t find them, there was a good chance dropping my father’s name would get me out of almost any situation that could arise.
With that in mind, I pressed forward and moved deeper into the club, the sound of a crowd getting louder with each step I took. I finally came to a foyer with three doors where several people were milling about, thankfully not clad in latex and chains. Since I had no idea what was behind the doors, I leaned against the far wall and waited for someone to open at least one of them. Five minutes later, I had my answer. Each door led to a room filled with small bleachers surrounding a fighting ring in the center.
Since there weren’t any active fights, I wandered around from room to room looking for Declan and Tiernan. I did find a bar along the way and got myself a drink to help ease my nerves before continuing to explore.
I was in the first room on the left when the lights overhead flickered, and someone came over the speaker to tell us to take our seats. Based on how quickly the crowd collectively followed the instructions, I followed suit and planted my ass in the first seat I found.
From the moment I sat down, I could feel the man sitting beside me was staring at me. I glanced around the room to see if there was a vacant seat anywhere, but I didn’t think I was allowed to move after the way everyone dove for a seat.
He leaned closer, halting at the edge of invading my personal space. “Does your father know you’re here?”
My head snapped up, and I glared into the eyes of a man I’d never met in person but instantly recognized—Luca Peccati. “I’m an adult, Mr. Peccati.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “You’re also an O’Shea.”
“Does that mean I’m not welcome