the bag at my feet had to be the dead giveaway that I wasn’t just browsing the streets of Dublin.
“And don’t take it the wrong way. I just wonder…”
She was cut off when someone yelled out a name that must have been hers. She gave me a faint smile. “I have to take that. I’ll be back. I hope you’ll be here.”
I nodded, although I had an uncomfortable feeling like maybe I should flee as soon as she turned her back.
Twenty-One
Turner’s anger had simmered to a boil on the ride home.
“What do you mean you don’t know where she is?”
Griff, ever my protector, jumped in. “Hey dude, he told you the name of the hotel she stayed in.” If I wasn’t agitated, I might have laughed at his American accent when using the word dude .
“Yeah,” Turner began. “But he also said they rang her room with no answer. Which means, she’s probably not there anymore.”
Griff sighed. I took over. “My security team is on it.”
Tuner gave a humorless laugh. “She was supposed to be safe with you.”
I parked in front of the house. Turner hopped out and stomped towards the door. My mother opened it, no doubt having heard us pulling in. She greeted him as she did everyone. And thank God for Turner’s sake he was gracious in greeting her.
“He’s some peace of work. Who is he?” Griff asked in Gaelic before we exited the car.
“He’s the he that Bailey chose.” I didn’t stay in the car because I didn’t want to answer anymore of Griff’s questions.
Inside, after greeting my mother and ensuring her forgiveness for my earlier behavior, I motioned Griff over. I said to him outside of hearing distance of Turner, “Help get him settled. I have to make a run. I’ll be back soon.”
I ignored Griff’s questioning gaze and Turner’s reproachful stare. I headed out with purpose. There was something I needed to do.
On the drive, I went over in my head all the things I needed to say. In the end, Keely was like family. She was like a sister and didn’t deserve how I had used her over the last day. If I could at least set things right with her, some of the burdens would be released from my chest.
My knock on her door was not causal. She didn’t immediately answer either. I waited a moment before rapping again.
When the door opened, Keely stood in a robe that looked just pulled on. Her hair was a cascade of waves over her shoulders.
“JK,” she said dryly.
“All play and no work,” I teased in Gaelic, trying to break the ice of tension.
She smiled before it turned into a scowl. For a minute, she’d forgotten to be mad at me.
“What do you want? Are you here about me not being at work?” She didn’t give me a chance to answer. My whole prepared apology was going to waste. “It’s not like they respect me there. They think the only reason I have a job there is because they assume we’re fucking.” She said the last with so much distaste, I stepped back as if slapped.
“Keely,” I began, going to try to start anew with my prepared speech.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need or want anything from you. I quit.”
I opened and closed my mouth several times before I could speak.
“Puss,” a voice from inside the apartment said.
If a guy in a Darth Vader suit had stepped up and stood next to her I wouldn’t have been more surprised.
“What?” I asked out of confusion because I knew the man who stood there with a proprietary hand around her just shy of the underside of her breast. Her robe began to open as the hastily tied belt loosened. On instinct alone, my eye followed the parting material as it fell open. I shook my head because it was Keely who stood there with nothing under the robe but skin.
“What?” Keely spat. “What do you think? He gave me what you weren’t willing to.” The accusation hit me like a punch to the gut.
“It was just yesterday and you called him over? Why do you even have his number? Have you forgotten…?”
She cut me off. “I’ve
“And don’t take it the wrong way. I just wonder…”
She was cut off when someone yelled out a name that must have been hers. She gave me a faint smile. “I have to take that. I’ll be back. I hope you’ll be here.”
I nodded, although I had an uncomfortable feeling like maybe I should flee as soon as she turned her back.
Twenty-One
Turner’s anger had simmered to a boil on the ride home.
“What do you mean you don’t know where she is?”
Griff, ever my protector, jumped in. “Hey dude, he told you the name of the hotel she stayed in.” If I wasn’t agitated, I might have laughed at his American accent when using the word dude .
“Yeah,” Turner began. “But he also said they rang her room with no answer. Which means, she’s probably not there anymore.”
Griff sighed. I took over. “My security team is on it.”
Tuner gave a humorless laugh. “She was supposed to be safe with you.”
I parked in front of the house. Turner hopped out and stomped towards the door. My mother opened it, no doubt having heard us pulling in. She greeted him as she did everyone. And thank God for Turner’s sake he was gracious in greeting her.
“He’s some peace of work. Who is he?” Griff asked in Gaelic before we exited the car.
“He’s the he that Bailey chose.” I didn’t stay in the car because I didn’t want to answer anymore of Griff’s questions.
Inside, after greeting my mother and ensuring her forgiveness for my earlier behavior, I motioned Griff over. I said to him outside of hearing distance of Turner, “Help get him settled. I have to make a run. I’ll be back soon.”
I ignored Griff’s questioning gaze and Turner’s reproachful stare. I headed out with purpose. There was something I needed to do.
On the drive, I went over in my head all the things I needed to say. In the end, Keely was like family. She was like a sister and didn’t deserve how I had used her over the last day. If I could at least set things right with her, some of the burdens would be released from my chest.
My knock on her door was not causal. She didn’t immediately answer either. I waited a moment before rapping again.
When the door opened, Keely stood in a robe that looked just pulled on. Her hair was a cascade of waves over her shoulders.
“JK,” she said dryly.
“All play and no work,” I teased in Gaelic, trying to break the ice of tension.
She smiled before it turned into a scowl. For a minute, she’d forgotten to be mad at me.
“What do you want? Are you here about me not being at work?” She didn’t give me a chance to answer. My whole prepared apology was going to waste. “It’s not like they respect me there. They think the only reason I have a job there is because they assume we’re fucking.” She said the last with so much distaste, I stepped back as if slapped.
“Keely,” I began, going to try to start anew with my prepared speech.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need or want anything from you. I quit.”
I opened and closed my mouth several times before I could speak.
“Puss,” a voice from inside the apartment said.
If a guy in a Darth Vader suit had stepped up and stood next to her I wouldn’t have been more surprised.
“What?” I asked out of confusion because I knew the man who stood there with a proprietary hand around her just shy of the underside of her breast. Her robe began to open as the hastily tied belt loosened. On instinct alone, my eye followed the parting material as it fell open. I shook my head because it was Keely who stood there with nothing under the robe but skin.
“What?” Keely spat. “What do you think? He gave me what you weren’t willing to.” The accusation hit me like a punch to the gut.
“It was just yesterday and you called him over? Why do you even have his number? Have you forgotten…?”
She cut me off. “I’ve
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