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I look between the two, bewildered by their conversation. I’ve no idea who these people are. Then again, I don’t need to know. These are Beast’s friends, not mine. I take a sip of my lemonade and sit patiently whilst they chat for the next few minutes like a couple of housewives with nothing better to do. My phone buzzes and I take it out, clicking on the message.
Xeno: You home yet?
Me: Just went on a quick detour.
Xeno: Detour. WTF, Pen?
Dax: Err, what?
York: If that fucker tries anything on…
Zayn: We should’ve booked you a cab.
Me: STOP! I’m fine. I’m at The Noble Arms pub. Beast said that he’s heard some whispers about The Masks. He’s waiting to speak with someone named Arden…? He might know something apparently.
Xeno: The fuck! Arden?! I’m gonna kill Beast!
A moment later my phone rings. “Shit, Xeno’s calling,” I say, pulling a face.
Beast and Tom glance over at me. Tom pushes back from the counter, knocks back a finger of whiskey then heads towards the end of the bar. “Let me go fetch Arden for you. He’s downstairs with Carrick and Lorcan. I’m guessing you need to make this quick?”
“Grand,” Beast replies, slipping into an Irish accent that makes me almost choke on my lemonade before turning to me and snatching my phone from my hands. “I’ll deal with this.”
“Beast, I’m not sure…”
Too late.I pull a face as Beast scolds Xeno.
“Calm your tits, Xeno. Pen is safe. Arden and the O’Briens are friends. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’ll have her safely home in half an hour max.”
“Beast, give me the phone back,” I hiss, trying to snatch it from him, but he just winks at me and moves out of my reach.
“I’ll fill you in on what I find out. Just deal with your shit, and I’ll deal with mine. Alright? Here’s your girl,” he says, then hands me back the phone.
“Pen. Call me the second you’re out of the pub. Got it?!” Xeno snaps out in a rush.
“Got it. Jeez stop being dramatic,” I whisper-shout into the mouthpiece.
“I’m not. Arden isn’t someone you fuck with—”
“I wasn’t planning on fucking with anyone,” I retort, with probably a little too much sass given the delight in Beast’s eyes and the growl coming from Xeno.
“Just call me. I gotta go!”
“Fine. Bye.”
“I love you,” Xeno snaps out in a rush, then the line goes dead.
“He loves you, eh?” Beast says, raising an eyebrow.
“You heard that?” I ask, tucking the phone away.
“Hard not too when he practically roared it down the phone. Did no one teach him how to woo a woman the right way?”
“You’re such a plum,” I say, and he nudges me playfully with his rather large elbow, then focuses his attention on the guys playing Blackjack by studying them in the mirror behind the bar. The laughter dies in his eyes and he seems to tense up just a little.
“Ever heard of the O’Briens?” Beast asks me, his voice low.
“No? Should I have?”
