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Twenty-Nine
Brennan
That definitely hadn’t gone as planned.
While I could have prevaricated over who Camille was to me, the second he’d opened the door, when I’d seen Da’s reaction to her, I’d known that wasn’t possible.
In all honesty, I’d thought it more likely that I’d walk out of their place with a full belly than a shiner, because Da was not only getting old, he wouldn’t have pulled that move in front of Ma. But I’d been wrong on both counts.
None of Ma’s roast had been consumed, and I wasn’t rocking a black eye.
It was a close won thing though. The more shit he spewed, the more I wanted to beat him, but my week had already taken a twist, I didn’t want to end it with sending my da to the ICU.
With years’ worth of bitterness building up, there was no way in fuck I could do anything other than make him pay for what he’d done to us. I never allowed myself to feel resentment for the path I’d taken, and I wasn’t about to start now, but when it boiled down to a fight? I’d let my fists do the fucking talking.
The journey back to the city was quiet. I appreciated that. I knew we were both deep in our thoughts, so I set a playlist on low that suited my mood—Jose Gonzalez. I appreciated the soft, twinkling notes of his guitar and dulcet voice as I tried to figure out my next move.
Not just with Da, or Ma, but with the NWS. As well as all the other crap that was coming home to roost.
Rats, rats everywhere. It was starting to feel like this was a ship that was about to sink from the weight of them.
When we made it back to Manhattan, I broke the silence to ask, “What do you want to eat?”
I half expected her to dither or to ask me what I wanted first, but she surprised me by immediately answering, “Sushi.”
Though I didn’t feel like eating out, she was all dressed up, and even though she’d rushed through her make-up thanks to our fuck before leaving, she looked like a million dollars. I was prick enough to want to show her off.
Though respectable, with the skirt running at mid-length, it clung to her ass and thighs in a way that should be illegal.
The blouse she wore had a deep V-neck and she’d placed some kind of bandeau there to make it less racy. It revealed toned arms, strong and lean, and shoulders that were made to be marked by my bites.
The thought had me grunting under my breath as I directed us through Midtown toward my favorite sushi place.
It was packed, like always, but when I gave the valet my car keys, I saw the guy manning the valet stand pick up his radio to warn the owners I was here.
“Wait here,” I ordered her as I jumped out and rounded the fender to open the door for her.
Helping her out, I tucked her arm in mine, and together we walked down the carpeted sidewalk toward the entrance.
The maître d’ opened the door for us, all beaming smiles and ass-licking words of greeting as we were guided to my regular table.
A couple shot me a glower, which told me they’d been the unlucky ones to get moved so I could eat here, but I ignored them, knowing they’d get a free meal from the tab that I’d be picking up later. Akemi, the maître d’, knew how I rolled.
When he took Camille’s coat, I arched a brow when I saw the skirt had magically drifted up a few inches, and the bandeau that made her tits look respectable had disappeared too.
My jaw cracked as I pulled back the seat for her. When she slipped into it, I leaned over and, in her ear, rasped, “Feel like playing with fire tonight, do you, Camille?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she whispered, tilting her head to look up at me.
Her eyelashes weren’t false, they were just fucking long, and I felt the brush of them against my cheek.
The slight tickle shouldn’t have turned me on even more, but it did. I straightened up, shoved my coat at Akemi, then grabbed my chair and rather than sitting opposite her, moved it to her side so we were sitting at 12 o’clock and quarter past.
Taking my place, I rocked back as a server appeared to whisk our coats away from Akemi, who beamed a smile at me, acting as if I hadn’t just fucked up his service for the night.
“I’ll have my usual,” I told him gruffly, planting my hand on Camille’s thigh and glowering around me as I saw a couple of the guys in our perimeter staring at her tits.
Akemi bowed, before he gave his attention to Camille, handing her the menu and asking her what she’d like to drink.
