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He’s angry, and I’m not sure if it’s at me, or the situation. Does he see me handling this Russian as punishment? Well, that’s fine because I see it as a badge of honor. Any threat to Saoirse I will gladly fucking handle. I maintain eye contact with him, unsure what’s about to happen, or why he’s approaching me.
I’ve been punished in the past for things, but I haven’t done anything wrong recently. The last time he saw fit to beat me, it was because Haley’s stalker had approached her doorstep and left flowers when I should have been watching her house. Except he’d been out with her and he never ordered me to stay at her house. So, I’m pretty sure the punches to my face were out of anger for his own mistakes and not mine.
I took them, and I’ll take these too, if that’s what’s about to happen.
Cal’s hand grabs the back of my neck and he pulls me into him. “Make him suffer.”
Chapter Twelve
Scottysitsonthecouch across from me, undoing his tie. I exhale a deep breath, twirling the tumbler of whiskey in my hands. He hasn’t spoken to me since we left Callum’s. Neither of us have spoken.
I know he’s trying to give me time to process this information, but the eerie silence of it is too much. I sat through dinner, waiting to be alone with him. Now, he’s waiting for me to start the conversation.
I rub the center of my forehead before taking a sip of my drink. It’s smooth going down, but the burn hits my throat quickly after the first swallow. The glass is empty almost immediately, and I screw my face up. Did I really finish the entire glass in one go?
Jesus. I’m more stressed than I thought.
The bottle is next to me, and I reach for it, pouring more into the tumbler. After another—legitimate this time—sip, I lift my head to make eye contact with him. “How bad is this?”
He gives me a pained look. It’s breathtaking because he’s so handsome, but devastating because I feel the control over my life slipping from me. My face goes numb.
“Tell me,” I say, my teeth clattering.
He sighs, scratching at his eyebrow. A weak laugh comes from him after an eternity of silence. It’s so fucking quiet in here I want to scream so that I can’t hear my thudding heartbeat.
“Saoirse,” he says. He leans forward to settle his elbows on both of his thighs. “I’m going to take care of it. You don’t have to worry.”
“How? How are you going to stop this, Jaime? Fucking Christ. I could have—“ Bile creeps up my throat. I push away the burning sensation behind my eyes. “They almost took me last night.”
Scotty’s hand rests on my bare knee. I sigh, taking comfort in his touch. This is the closest we’ve been since the shooting, and his warm skin against my cold helps settle the nerves. This feeling … this electricity that I want with Corbin … it stirs between Scotty and me. It has to be the universe’s way of fucking with me.
I’ve got the perfect man on paper willing to marry me, to pull me out of the Mob and the danger that comes with it. Yet, I’m drawn to a man who refuses to acknowledge there’s something going on between us, a man who is already married. He may not be committed to a woman, but he’s promised to the Mob. He walked away from me, made it clear he didn’t want me, and here I am, still pining for him. Giving up on someone when your heart won’t let you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. These last months proved that immensely.
“But they didn’t. You fought back, and they didn’t. I promise you, you will not be left alone again until this is sorted out,” Scotty says, his voice so close to me that I open my eyes to find him on the floor in front of me.
He’s on his knees, peering up at me with those striking earth colored eyes. I cock my head to the side, staring at him, silently urging him to continue. I hold his stare, waiting for him to speak, wanting him to touch me, and I know that makes me a horrible person.
It makes me the worst kind of person, to sit there and agree with Corbin that we’d make our relationship work. Meanwhile, Scotty is here in front of me, and I’m wanting him. I swallow, trying to push away those horrible thoughts. If I ignore them, maybe they’ll go away.
Scotty sniffles, tearing his eyes from mine. “I’ll take up the guest room. And Sean is doubling down on the firewalls for the security system.”
“No. You’re not staying here.”
“Yes. If someone comes back, I’ll be here to make sure you’re safe.”
I shake my head, then finish my second drink in one quick gulp. I don’t even bother pouring another glass, I just bring the bottle to my lips and swig. “No. I can stay with Corbin.”
The low growl Scotty releases doesn’t go unnoticed. How could it when it causes me to clench my thighs together? I take another swig of the liquor. Scotty lets out a huff and yanks the bottle from my hand.
“Hey,” I snap, reaching to take it from him.
His hand clutches my wrist, the heat fueling me to listen to my desires. I clamp my lips together, shaking my head. No, I can’t kiss him. It’s the alcohol causing me to be so weak. In the morning, we will both regret this.
“You’ve had enough,” he says.
I narrow my eyes. “No, I haven’t.”
Scotty brings the bottle to his mouth, his honey eyes locked on mine. I suck in a breath, my heart stuttering at the way my stomach flips when he looks at me. He’s so close I can practically taste the cinnamon gum he chews. The glint of mischief, the way he smiles with just that look, it all drives me wild.
