by L. A. Casey
“I’ll take that as a no,” he chortled. “This piece of shite says he wasn’t at the docks tonight. Can ye’ believe that?”
I looked at Kevin Marshal, a dumbass gang member who crossed his boss for a stack. If it wasn’t for him, I could have still been with my brothers, kicking back, drinking beers and talking shit.
“You’re made on CCTV footage, Kevin.”
His face paled. “I am?”
Joe snorted. “Yeah, ye’ are.”
Kevin looked from Joe to me, then back to Joe.
“Please, don’t kill me.”
Joe burst into manic laughter that was purely for Kevin’s benefit. Kevin was Brandy Daley’s best friend’s son, and Joe, one of Brandy’s puppets, was instructed to scare the shit out of him for helping himself to Brandy’s money. I didn’t hurt people anymore, but if someone paid me to scare the shit out of someone who was in the wrong, I’d happily do it. I scared people every day when they looked at me for free, so this worked in my favour at least.
Not that I needed the money, but a little extra to line my pockets was always nice.
I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes at Kevin, who honestly looked like he was about to piss himself. He was bound to the chair he sat on with his hands behind his back, and sweat pumped out of him. His face was a little busted up thanks to Joe’s men who picked Kevin up for our little chat. He was rightly roughed up, and from the look of fear and regret in his eyes, I doubted he’d steal from his father’s friend ever again.
Joe didn’t say a word to his men as he motioned for them to remove Kevin from the room, and just as I was about to leave, two other men drag a battered man into the room and sat him on the chair Kevin just vacated. They tied his hands behind him and pulled the black sack that was covering his head away.
“Shane.” Joe smiled. “How are ye’, son?”
Shane, a man I had never meant, had an eye so swollen it was sealed shut. Blood dripped from his nostrils, and his lip was fat and busted open. Someone had roughed him up good.
“Fuck you, Joe.”
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Joe, who wasn’t bothered by Shane’s outburst.
“Kevin’s friend.” He shrugged. “Helped him steal the money and was involved in a shipment goin’ missin’ tonight.”
I stepped back. This man wasn’t going to get a warning beating like Kevin. He would most likely die for what he did. No one stole from Brandy Daley and got away with it. Kevin was lucky he had a father who was close to Brandy; otherwise, he would mostly have the same fate as Shane. Joe asked Shane a few questions about the location of the shipment that was lost, and he answered none of them.
“Remainin’ silent will only lead to more bad shite happenin’ to ye’, Shane. Do yourself a favour and tell me where the shipment is. I know ye’ tried to jack it. I’ve eyes everywhere along the docks.”
Shane laughed, then spat in Joe’s direction. “If ye’ have eyes all along the docks, then why did none of them see where your shipment got to?”
Joe took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his face. “I don’t have time for games. Tell me what I want to know or me friend ‘ere will breaks your legs. Your choice.”
Still, he remained silent. One of the men who brought Shane into the room didn’t wait for an order from Joe before he advanced forward and threw a punch at Shane, who couldn’t defend himself. There was a lot of shouting, cursing, and screaming that followed in the next twenty seconds, and I looked away from the beating just as the other man who brought Shane into the room opened the door, and a gasp sounded.
“I took a wrong turn. I’m so sorry.”
My heart stopped because I knew who that voice belonged to. Just before the man could go after Aideen Collind, I stepped forward and moved in front of him.
“I’ve got her.”
He shrugged and turned back to Shane getting his ass handed to him. I looked at Joe, nodded and then left the room knowing I would never take another job offer from him again. I didn’t want to be involved in people getting hurt anymore. That part of my life was over, and I wasn’t revisiting it for no one. I jogged out of the room and followed the sound of heels clicking against the floor, as well as laboured breathing. I turned onto a hallway and silently walked up behind Aideen, who turned and walked head first into my chest.
“Ow!”
She lifted her hand to her forehead and rubbed it.
“You should watch where you’re going.”
I watched as she recognised my voice, and I wanted to laugh when her fear fled, and annoyance took root, but then I was reminded where she was and just how dangerous things could have been for her if I hadn’t been the one to come after her.
“What the hell are you doing back here?”
Aideen swallowed and looked from left to right. “I could ask you the same thing,” she replied with confidence I knew she didn’t feel.
I set my jaw. “No, you fucking can’t. This is no place for someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” she asked, offended.
I walked forward, and she backed up towards the wall. “Yeah, someone like you.”
When her back pressed up against it, she blurted, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She sucked in a startled breath when I surged forward and gripped both of her arms with my hands.
“It means”—I leaned in close to her face—”that good girls don’t belong here. Understand me, baby doll?”
Her eyes were wide, and her plump lips were parted. She was scared, but she was trying her hardest not to be, and I admired her for it.
“What makes ye’ think I’m a good girl?”
I allowed my eyes to roam over her and felt my lips twitch. “I don’t think you’re a good girl, baby doll. I know you are.”
“That just goes to show ye’ really don’t know me because I do belong ‘ere... I’m ‘round ‘ere all the time. I’ve actually hung out in Darkness since before ye’ even moved here. I’m practically an OG of this place.”
I wanted to laugh.
“Oh, really? Then tell me something, OG, why do you look lost walking down these hallways?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it because she had no clue how to answer me because she was lost. She was too stubborn to admit that, though, so instead, she said, “I don’t have to justify meself to you, Slater.”
I did chuckle then. “That you don’t, baby doll.”
She tried to pull free of my hold, but my grip tightened on her.
“Let go of me!” she demanded. “And what the hell is with this baby doll crap?”
I hadn’t realised I had called her baby doll, but I looked at her from head to toe and shrugged, “You need babying, and you look like a doll so... baby doll.”
“Is that your way of implyin’ that I’m fake like a doll?”
I tilted my head. “Uh, no, you little weirdo.”
“Now you’re callin’ me short?” She huffed. “You’re a real—”
I surprised her when I began to laugh. She went completely silent, and I concluded it was because she never heard me laugh before.
“You need to calm down,” I said. “I’m not insulting you. First, all I’m saying is you need looking after. You being here proves my point, so that’s what I meant by babying. Second, you look gorgeous, fucking unreal, so that is what I meant by a doll. Put them together and you get baby doll, baby doll.”
Her voice was soft as she said, “And little?”
I grinned. “You’re a little bitty thing, what can I say?”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and she couldn’t look me in the eye. She was pleased with what I said, but her damn pride wouldn’t allow her to admit it.
“Your observations and sugar sweet words won’t get ye’ anywhere with me, so ye’ can let go of me arms.”
The challenge in her tone amused me. “Make me.”
She scowled up at me. “I don’t have time for this. I ju
st saw somethin’ I shouldn’t have, and I have to leave before they find me—”
“I already found you,” I interrupted.
Her jaw dropped. “You were in that room?”
I shrugged in response.
She placed her delicate hands on my chest and tried to push me away. “Get away from me.”
She looked scared of me then, and I hated that.
“It’s not what you think. I was more of an observer than an active participant in that room.”
Her eyes widened. “So ye’ watched a helpless man get attacked? How fuckin’ noble of ye’, Kane.”
“Aideen, you take people at face value too often.”
She regarded me. “I clearly do because I thought you weren’t into anythin’ bad. Looks like I was very wrong.”
She rounded on me then and turned right, trying to find her way out the club. I followed her.
“I’m not a bad man, Aideen.”
She scoffed. “What are ye’ doin’ back ‘ere then?”
“Working.”
She stopped midstride and turned to face me. “What type of work?”
“It’s nothing that concerns you, babe—trust me.”
“Bite me, Slater.”
I took a step closer to her. “Tell me where and I’ll be happy to oblige.”
Her pupils dilated a fraction, and her breathing became audible as I moved closer to her. She stared up at me with doe like eyes, and said, “Kane?”
I lowered my face to hers. “Aideen?”
Her lips parted ever so slightly, and her eyes locked on my lips.
“What’re ye’ doin’?”
I wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt.
“Call it an act of impulse.”
She shivered. “Ye’... ye’ better not be thinkin’ what I think you’re thinkin’.”
“I bet our thoughts are pretty identical right now, baby doll.”
“Get away from me,” she said with no conviction. “Lose the stupid nickname, too.”
She didn’t want me to do either of those things. Her cheeks were flushed, her body was leaning into mine, and she was all but panting before me.
“Not a chance in hell on either count, baby doll.”
Before she could yell at me, I pressed my lips against hers. I waited for any sign that she truly didn’t want me. I had it planned out in my head, and I’d let her smack me if she wanted to, and then I would apologise profusely if she wanted nothing to do with me. But the possibility of that vanished when she opened her mouth and flicked her tongue against my lips. She moaned when I kissed her back she slid her hands up my arms to my shoulders where she pressed her fingers firmly into my flesh.
I pressed her back against the wall and moulded my body to hers. I slid my hands to her sides, then around to her ass where I roughly palmed her behind and drew a hiss from her parted lips. I positioned my hands under her butt and lifted her so I could kiss her without bending down. I pinned her in place with my hips, hooked my right hand under her ass to support her, and her cupped her face with my left hand as I kissed her. Her legs moved around my hips and squeezed me. A groan left me as she rolled her pelvis against mine, sending a shudder throughout my body. My already aching cock throbbed.
Without a word, I broke our kiss, lowered her to the ground, grabbed her hand, and tugged her along behind me.
“Where are we goin’?”
I didn’t answer her, the need to push her back up against the wall and fuck her screamed at me. I refused to take her in a place so tainted. She was worth too much to be degraded by the likes of Darkness. Aideen had to practically run to keep up with me, and I appreciated it because if she slowed down, I was more than tempted to toss her over my shoulder and start running.
“Where are we goin’, Kane?”
Her patience with me was running out.
“My house.”
“Why?” she demanded. “There are plenty of rooms right ‘ere that we could use.”
I didn’t stop walking, nor did I look over my shoulder at her.
“I hate this place; the last thing I want to do is fuck you in it.”
When we reached the main doors that led back into the club, I gripped the handle and pulled it open. Aideen winced when the volume of blaring music flooded into the once silent hallway. She pulled her hand from mine and covered her ears.
“Fuck!”
The noise didn’t bother me; the only thing that did was my cock. I took hold of Aideen’s arm and led her through the club. Some people moved out of our way, and those who didn’t, I pushed aside, not caring who they were. I snapped at couple of people, and once their eyes landed on my face, they scattered like roaches. Just as I got into a stride, I was suddenly pulled to a stop by Aideen. When I turned and looked at her, she shouted over the music, “Skull is expectin’ me to be in a room in the back waitin’ on ’im.”
I felt my body go rigid. “I don’t fucking think so.”
I bent down, pulled her over my shoulder, stood, turned, and continued walking out of the club. I could hear Aideen scream with laughter, but I couldn’t laugh. I wanted her too much to even consider it. As I jogged up the stairs, she hollered, “Me tits are goin’ to pop out!”
I did laugh then as I smacked her ass and ran up the stairs faster.
“Bastard!”
Her laughter didn’t stop as I zoomed through the bouncers and people who were still trying to gain entry to the club even though it was nearing closing time. When I reach the car, I set Aideen down on her feet and steadied her by placing my hands on her shoulders. She was looking at the ground, so I tipped her chin up with my fingers until her eyes found mine.
“You seem nervous.”
She swallowed. “I am nervous.”
“Because I’m going to have you or because you’re worried Skull will find out?”
I didn’t care about Skull, but I didn’t want Aideen to care about him either, and it baffled me as to why I felt that way.
“Skull and I aren’t together, Kane. We decided that for good tonight. He just put me in the back room because I wanted to go home, but he couldn’t leave to bring me home. He’s still workin’.”
I deadpanned. “I’d bet my life that he would have fucked you when he got back to the room.”
Aideen shook her head. “He respects me. He wouldn’t take advantage of me if he knew I didn’t want to have sex with ‘im.”
I pressed her body against my car with mine.
“Do you want to have sex with him?”
She placed her hands on my chest. “I don’t know what I want.”
“I do,” I said. “Me.”
I kissed her again, and she melted against me, and it was too much for me to bear.
“Get in the car.” I growled against her kiss swollen lips. “Now.”
When she slid into the passenger seat, I slammed the door shut and sped around to the driver’s side. When I jumped inside, I had my belt buckled, the engine started, and the car reversing in a matter of seconds.
“Oh, my God!” Aideen screeched when I put the car in gear, then took off out of parking lot. “I want to survive this ride. Slow down.”
“The only thing you will be riding tonight, baby doll, is me. Now, sit back, shut the fuck up, and let me drive.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aideen’s jaw drop, but no words left her mouth. She regarded me for a long moment, and I could almost hear the gears in her mind turn. Normally, she would cuss at me or demand an apology ... but not tonight.
“Ye’ know I don’t do what I’m told, Kane.”
I took a sharp left turn. “You will when I fuck you.”
“That looks really uncomfortable.”
I looked at her and followed her gaze to between my thighs.
“It is, but you can make me more comfortable in less than five minutes, so just shut up and let me get to where I’m going.”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned over and moved her mouth over my cock.
“Aideen!”
I felt the heat of her tongue through my jeans, and the urge to buck my hips up into her face almost killed me.
“Unzip me,” I implored. “Fuck, Aideen, unzip my jeans and put your mouth on me.”
She grabbed my zipper with her teeth and tugged it down. She used her hand to pull it fully down when it wouldn’t budge anymore. “Say please,” she murmured and kissed the tip of my erection through my boxers. I would have done a handstand naked at that moment had she asked me to.
“Please!”
She tugged my boxers down but lost her grip, causing the band snap against my balls. I hissed more in shock than in pain.
“My bad.”
I just about whimpered when I felt her hot breath over my cock.
“Just blow me, please.”
She gently kissed the tip of my erection and coated her lips with the pre-cum that seeped from the head. She wasted no time in sucking my cock into her mouth and bobbing her head up and down. When she sucked me, my eyes threatened to cross.
“God, yes!”
Just as she got into a good rhymed, she back off, sat back in her seat, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hands.
“Wh-what?” I stammered. “Why did you stop?”
She shrugged. “I figured I’d do a better job once we get into a bed. It’s a little awkward givin’ head in a fast movin’ vehicle, knowin’ I’m seconds from dyin’. Plus, me seat belt was diggin’ into me side.”
I floored the accelerator on the car.
“Kane!”
I ignored her for the remainder of the drive, and when I pulled onto my driveway, I looked at her and barked, “Out. Now.”
I tucked myself back into my jeans as I jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut. I wasted no time in rounding on Aideen’s side, but she was moving way too slow for me. I opened the door, reached in, unbuckled her seat belt, and hooked my left arm under her legs and my right around her back. I wordlessly lifted her out of the car, turned us around, and kicked the door closed with my foot. Aideen giggled and put her arms around my neck. She leaned into me and planted kisses along the base of my neck until her lips touched a spot that made me shudder.
“Damn it, Aideen!”
She laughed when I set her on the ground next to the front door of my house.
