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Sammy lets out a carnal scream, her hand slapping me across the face. “Get out!” she screams. “Get out, get out,get out.”
All I can do is laugh while tiny fists slam into my chest. “What’s the matter, Samira? Were you such a horrible wife that he couldn’t take it anymore? He decided death was better than you?”
The screams she lets out are blood-curdling and nauseating. I can sense her pain as she weeps. I’m not sure if she’s even in control of her body while she struggles to get her hands free from my grip. Tears and spit fly as she coughs and tries to control her breathing, but it’s no use. The sobs leave her so hard and uncontrollable that I wouldn’t be surprised if she can’t see in front of her.
“Ian!” His name escapes through a scream.
Her knees give out, and I settle her into my lap on the ground. My chest hurts for her, but I continue to hold her until she can control her breath. There’s so much raw pain there that it's clear she hasn’t dealt with whatever happened.
The sniffles stop eventually, and all that’s left is the sound of our breaths until she breaks it with a harsh sentence. “You need to leave.”
“No,” I say, firmly. “No.” We’ve only started to break through this pain she has, and I’m not leaving until she gets it all out.
“Bruce.”
The dog is back at her side again, his teeth showing as he growls at me. There’s no fucking way that dog will let me near her.
“Going to hide behind the dog, huh?” I ask, standing up. “Fine, Samira. I don’t need you and your crazy bullshit.” I grab the cake and toss it in the trash can. “Have a nice fucking life.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“You’recutoff,Dec.”
I shoot a glare at Jimmy from my spot at the bar. The back of his bald head shines and taunts me as he pours a drink for another customer.
“The fuck did you just say?” I call out to him.
“I said you’re fucking cut off.”
“The fuck I am. I own this shithole.”
Jimmy snorts. “Callum owns it, buddy. And you’ve had too much to drink.”
I stumble out of my seat, grab the pack of cigarettes beside me, and force myself to stand upright. The world spins, and the urge to upchuck is intense. “When I come back from my smoke, there better be a fucking drink in my spot. Or I’ll make sure you never work again.”
He places two fingers on his temple in salute, his eyes rolling with annoyance. And my drunk ass manages to get outside for a hit of nicotine. The summer heat hits me the second the door to the bar opens. I lean against the wall to help my balance and light up a smoke. My eyes grow heavy with the first hit, and I close them.
Sammy’s smile flashes in my head. Pretty pink lips, bright brown eyes. Soft hands brushing through my hair and beard. Yearning settles in my blood for a brief second before it’s filled with rage. She lied. She turned me away.
My eyes snap open and I reach into the pocket of my trousers to grab my phone, but it isn’t there. “Fuck.” I must have left it inside. I need to go home, but not as much as I need another drink. I grip the doorknob and shove inside, plopping back into my seat. My phone is right there on the tabletop.
I raise the empty glass in front of me. “Why the fuck is this still empty, Jimmy?”
“Go home, Declan,” Jimmy says.
And I’m just not in the mood to listen. Any other time he leaves me to my drinks, lets me do what I want. He’s picked the wrong fucking day to decide he’s going to be the hero in my story. I don’t need saving. I need the bottom of a bottle and the barrel of a pistol inside of my mouth.
“Hey, man.”
I turn around, grinning at my future brother-in-law. “Scotty. What’s up, brother?”
He lets out a sigh and rests his elbow on the bar top. “Hey, man. Bar’s closing. Let’s get you home, okay?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m not ready to go home. Another,” I say, waving my empty glass in the air.
“You’re cut off,” Scotty says, his hand wrapping around mine to take the glass. “Jimmy’s worried about you. So, he called me.”
I press my fists to the bar top and stumble when I try to stand. The whole world goes upside down. And I know everyone is right. I don’t need anything else to drink. I’m rightly fucking smashed. Still. It’s not enough when I can feel this pain deep inside of my bones. Scotty reaches out and catches me.
