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Finally getting there and parking almost two hours later, I make the short distance to the rooftop bar where Eriu waits for me, waving her arms while a man with chin-length dark hair and cutting blue eyes looks at her, not threateningly, but longingly. Like he wishes he could touch her.
I don’t recognize him at all, and if he knew any better, he’d stay away from someone like Eriu. She’s the daughter of the Mob. Not to mention Iseult Marino’s little sister. Iseult happens to be Gio’s wife and an assassin for the Irish Mob. That bit of information probably wouldn’t be so shocking to anyone who has the misfortunate to get on her bad side. So I pity any idiot who tries to hurt Eriu. They’d find themselves in a load of shit. Between her sister and three older brothers, that girl has an army behind her.
“You came!” she screams over the music, shaking her hips as she grabs my hands and forces me to dance to some annoyingly obscene pop song.
I drop my mouth close to her ear. “Did you drink without me?”
“Maybe!”
I laugh. “Who is that man staring at you?”
I pass my attention to him, and he narrows a glare.
“Oh, that’s Devlin.” With that, her face falls and her shoulders drop. “He used to be my bodyguard. That is, until he went to prison. And now he’s my bodyguard again. Yay…”
“What?” I blink.
“Don’t ask. Long story.” She sighs. “He came out of prison afew months ago, and when I came to New York, he followed me. Follows me everywhere, actually.”
Her eyes go to his, and he holds her stare. She closes her eyes for a moment before she looks back at me.
“I know he’s here because of my father. Definitely not because he wants to be around me. That would be a miracle.” She scoffs. “Probably told my father he’d be a good little soldier and watch out for his pride and joy.” Her gaze turns to slits. “I hate this. I hate wanting him the way I do! God! I wish he’d just leave. I’ve wanted him for so long, but all he does is turn me down.”
She grinds her jaw and shakes her head.
“Wait.” I jerk back. “He’s your bodyguard and youlikehim, like him?”
“Just look at him. How could I not?” Her brows gather, and she stares yearningly at him while he pins her with his own gaze.
Except his is dark and brooding, like he’s fighting not to pin her up against the nearest wall.
“How about we start at the beginning?” I suggest.
Her chest rises and falls with a quick sigh. “He works for my dad. And at one point, he was my bodyguard. But I’ve always had a major crush on him. One day, I drugged him and?—”
“You did what?!”
“Don’t look at me like that! I was so sheltered, I wanted to let loose, so I went to a club with a friend.”
My brows curve. “Not judging. Just surprised.” I grin.
“I surprise a lot of people, it seems.” She snickers. “Anyway, while I was at the club, I did something bad, and Devlin took the fall. Ended up serving time for me.”
“Wow, this just gets better.” I can’t help but laugh.
She narrows a glare as she goes on. “I wrote him letters while he was in prison, visited him there. I wanted him to know howsorry I was. That I was willing to take the fall, but he wouldn’t allow it.” She flicks her gaze upward and sighs. “Once he got out, I thought maybe we could be together, but he told me it would never happen.” Tears shimmer in her eyes, caught between her lashes. “He’s never going to want me. I have to come to terms with that. So now, this is all we have. Him following me around and stalking me.” She huffs a breath.
Well, looks like I’m not the only one with a bodyguard and stalker. She’s got the two-for-one special, though.
“Maybe he just thinks because you’re younger and your dad’s his boss, it won’t work.”
“Well, I can’t wait around for him to change his mind, now, can I? He’s the only man I’ve ever wanted, and he’s just going to stand there and watch me instead of being with me? I know my father will eventually arrange a marriage for me, and Devlin will do nothing about it.”
I know that arranged marriages are still a thing in her circle, and I feel sorry for her. She should marry someone she falls in love with. It’s the natural thing.
“Maybe you should give him something to motivate him a little…”
“Like what?” Her tone catches with curiosity.
