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Kieran reached for me, taking my upper arm gently and leading me forward toward the entrance of the pub. I opened my mouth, but then closed it. His grip on me was firm. It didn’t hurt, but it left no question in my mind that I was going with him whether I liked it or not. The bar was still noisy, but a hush came over the crowd as Kieran walked through them. Every man stepped to the side. I noticed that several of them dipped their heads in respect.
Kieran Murphy’s name meant something here in South Boston.
As soon as the doors closed behind us, it was silent. The thick old doors cut most of the sound inside, which made it especially nice in the early morning hours when the party got particularly wild.
I took a deep breath and looked up at Kieran. For some unknown reason, I felt safe with him when I should feel scared.
“Which way, Leah?” he asked, his voice a decadent purr that caused a cascade of shivers to race down my spine. Now that I was alone with him, I could no longer ignore the heat between us. I pushed it aside as best as I could, but it was still there, simmering and threatening to turn into a blazing bonfire if I only let it grow.
I pointed to the right.
“I live above the Roasted Bean,” I offered.
“That’s a really good café. Irma runs a tight ship,” he replied.
“You know Irma?”
“I do. She’s a business associate of mine and a close friend,” he offered.
I was quiet for a moment as I tried to dissect what that might mean. I didn’t want to pry too much, but I wanted to know more. His arm threaded through mine, keeping me close against his side as we walked down the block together.
“When did you arrive in Boston?” he asked.
“Is it that obvious?” I whispered, feeling my cheeks blush in response to his far too accurate assessment.
“I haven’t seen you around before.”
Even in the darkness of night, his eyes glowed with kindness, but beneath all that was a sprinkling of danger.
“I arrived about six months ago. I’ve only been working at Sean’s for about a month or so,” I explained.
“Has he taken good care of you?” he pressed lightly.
“He’s the one that connected me with Irma. That’s how I got the apartment,” I stated.
I don’t know why I was telling this man these things. Already, he knew my name and where I lived, as well as who I worked for. His arm tightened, and I glanced at him. There was a slight look of concern on his face.
“Sean is a good man. Irritable sometimes, but at heart, he takes care of his employees. The more he gets to know you, the more he’ll open up,” he murmured. We walked for a short while in silence.
“Tell me about your daughter,” he insisted.
“Her name is Emma,” I replied softly.
“She’s sick, isn’t she?”
I nodded. I could see the coffee shop not far ahead of us. It was dark and none of the warm lights were lit outside, but the streetlamps made it bright enough to where I could see where I was going.
“She’s been running a fever for a few days. I thought she was getting better, but she’s having a hard time tonight,” I answered.
There was a rowdy group of men not far off and I tripped over my feet. I tried to move over, but Kieran held me firmly in place next to him. Having Kieran at my side helped me feel safer. With every step, he radiated power, like he could bring the entire city to its knees with a single word.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” one of the men catcalled. The one next to him whistled and I suddenly felt self-conscious of the fact that my shirt dipped down just enough to show some cleavage. I shrugged my jacket closed with my free hand, wanting to cover up what they were clearly gawking at.
Kieran pulled me closer, and his body heat surrounded me like a comforting cloud. He raised his chin and cleared his throat.
“I suggest you take yourselves elsewhere, boys,” he rumbled. The perilous undertone to his words made my heart quiver.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was you, Mr. Murphy,” the man who spoke quickly corrected himself. He bowed his head and stepped aside as the rest of the group followed. One of them reeked of booze and the others grabbed him before he could stumble into our path. I couldn’t help but notice the look of fear in their eyes as Kieran walked by them.
