Tiernan A Dark Irish Mafia Romance - Jane Henry Page 0,14
bloody fucking bested him.
And then I’m ushered away from the crowd, away from the noises, and into a brightly-lit reception room. Vivian shuts the door hard behind her, then swivels around and looks at us with wide, fearful eyes.
She’s about ten years my senior, with hair as black as ebony, high cheekbones, and full, cherry-red lips that are perpetually painted and glossy. Large silver hoops adorn her ears, bangles along her wrists damn near to her elbows. She jingles when she walks, with a sway to her hips, mesmerizing both women and men alike.
She snaps her fingers. “Sit, my loves.”
She points a long, pointed fingernail at the seats that are scattered around the room.
Where are we?
We sit. She paces the room and sighs, glances at the door and bites her lip. What the hell is going on?
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she mutters, shaking her head. She lights up a smoke and takes a drag. “Bloody hell.”
“Miss Vivian?” One of the younger girls raises her hand.
Vivian whips her head around to look at her, as if just remembering we were there.
“Yes, love?”
“Is there a victor in tonight’s match?”
Vivian blinks, then runs her fingers through her hair. She blinks again, opens her mouth, then shuts it.
“There will be,” she says quietly. “The McCarthy representative.”
A low murmur goes through the crowd. A girl to my left mutters, “Would’ve preferred Cage, the monster,” but she’s in the minority. I want to slap her. Who would want anyone but Tiernan, and in all his muscled, powerful glory? Jesus.
“Not me,” another girl whispers. “Bloody hell, his opponent was so fucking hot.”
Oh no they do not.
I’m surprised by the sudden vehemence that rises in my chest. No one will go with Tiernan tonight. No one.
But how the bloody hell am I supposed to prevent that? I certainly can’t.
“You alright, Aisling?” Vivian asks me, her brows drawing together.
“Feel a bit faint is all,” I breathe. “Need to use the loo.”
Vivian’s eyes stay focused on me, but after a beat passes, she nods. “Aye,” she says. “Security surrounds us. You’ll be safe. Out this door, immediate left. Come straight back.”
I kinda feel like I’m back in grade school.
“I’ll go with her,” Karla says, but both Vivian and I protest at once.
“All set, thanks,” I say. “I’ll only be a moment.”
Vivian nods. “Better to go one at a time tonight. I want the rest of you in here at all times. Easier to keep track of you.”
I still have the distinct impression she knows something, but I can’t be chasing whimsical fancies, not when I’m out of my head like this.
I exit the room and go immediately left like she said, but my eyes are skating left and right.
I need to find him. I need to know if he’s okay.
“Y’alright, miss?” A security guard to my left asks me.
“Oh, fine, just need a breath of fresh air,” I say, flashing him my most winsome grin.
“You can’t go that way—”
“Be right back,” I say. I turn, and I run.
He shouts and comes after me, when a wall of McCarthy men turns the corner and I come to a screeching halt. I know them immediately by their size and ink, and damn it all, I don’t want them to recognize me. I duck my head and run past them, but their appearance stops the guard from chasing me.
One of them looks after me, but I don’t look to see who it is. I feel his eyes follow me. I see an open doorway nearby, and quickly duck in. I need to be able to observe them without being seen.
“Did you see that?” says a voice I don’t recognize down the hall.
“What?”
“Swear I bloody knew that girl.”
Their voices fade. I peek out the door as discreetly as I can. The guard’s gone back to his room.
Oh, God. The McCarthys have Tiernan with them. They’re walking toward an exit.
He’s alive. Thank fuck, he’s alive.
Now what do I do?
I look around and see an exit sign in this little room. I’ll make my way back home. I’ll text Karla to get my things. The McCarthy men aren’t taking any of us home tonight, that’s for bloody sure, and for some reason, that appeases me.
I push open the door and pause. I have the distinct feeling I’m being watched. I turn to look behind me but see only the vacant room. The McCarthy men have left, along with the bloody guards.