AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why?” I croak, “What’s going on?”
But Donnacha is stealth-like and silent as he pulls me through the crowd so fast that I’m skating on my stilettos. When I glance up at him, his eyes are trained straight ahead, a vein I’ve never noticed before bulging from his temple.
We turn down one of the cobbled paths and spill out of a door different from the one we arrived through. It’s quiet out here and cold. The rain falls heavy, every icy slosh on my bare skin reminding me the tropical paradise of the garden was only an illusion.
Donnacha’s grip is vise-like until a car comes to a skidding halt in front of us, its tires kicking up mud and dust. The back door flies open, and he bundles me inside like he’s tossing sweaty gym clothes in a laundry hamper.
“What’s happening?” I shriek, “What’s going on?”
“I’ll see you at home.”
Home.
That’s not a good enough answer for me. As he goes to slam the door, I kick out, wedging my foot between the gap. He pauses, an animalistic growl vibrating somewhere deep in his chest, then sticks his head in the car.
His hands grab my shoulders and pin me to the seat. The rage contorting the hard lines of his face makes my heart stutter. “There’s somebody here who shouldn’t be, and I don’t want you around them,” he growls.
As he releases me, I grip onto the lapel of his shirt, dragging him back into the car. “Get in the car, Donnacha,” I whimper. “Get in the car with me.”
Confusion flashes across his brows, and he jerks his chin to the seat next to me. I turn. I hadn’t realized Ronan was in the car, his black tux melting into the dark leather seats. “Ro will get you home safely, don’t worry.”
I tighten my grip.
“Romy, what’s gotten into you—?”
“Please, Donnacha. It’s not safe. Get in the car with me, I’m begging you—”
He silences me with his lips, crushing them against mine with the force and speed of a bullet. His hand winds into my hair, fusing us together. He tastes bittersweet, liquor mixed with lemonade. After a beat, I kiss him back, hungrily and desperately.
It’s not enough for him to change his mind.
“I’ll be fine, Romy,” he rasps as he eventually pulls away, raking his fingers through his hair, sending raindrops flying into my lap. “I’ll be home tonight. Okay?” Cupping my face, he flicks his eyes around my features as though he’s trying to make sense of my sudden outburst. “I promise. Now, go.”
He slips from my grasp and slams the door shut. A sudden click-click tells me the driver’s locked me in, too. Donnacha thumps on the roof, and the car peels off into the rain, leaving the glow of the garden behind us. I twist in my seat, watching Donnacha through the rearview mirror until he becomes a pinprick in the distance.
As I turn around, panting and shaking, I catch Ronan’s eye. He’s glaring at me suspiciously, unspoken words hardening his lips.
“What?” I snap, trying to keep my voice steady.
He drags his eyes from me, turning to the dark road ahead.
“I don’t know, Romy,” he spits out my name like it’s a dirty word, “it just seems like you know something we don’t.”
I bite back my retort, instead choosing to melt into the seat and rest my head against the cold window.
I do know something they don’t. I know what Belsky is truly capable of.
What I don’t know is why I fucking care.
