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That startles me, making me uneasy, until he explains, “You have an accent as well.”
“Oh. Yes. Are you here in the States on business or pleasure?”
“You could say that.”
“So, both?” I give a small smile as he whirls me around.
“This business I need to tend to will be rewarding once I succeed at securing my acquisition. So, it will be pleasurable in the end.”
A commotion by the tunnel entrance draws his attention. I glance at where he is looking and watch the crowd part for whoever is making their way through. He holds me in his grip, but he is no longer moving us around the floor.
“I must go.”
I turn back to him. “But…” I linger not sure why I don’t want him to leave.
He backs away. His eyes still on me. “Wait! You didn’t tell me your name.”
“Nick,” is all he says before turning and vanishing into the thick of the crowd.
I stand there a few moments before turning to look for Ciarán. I jump on a random large wooden crate, shoving a guy back so I can stand and search the sea of people. Foam shoots out of the cannons once again, drenching me in suds. Ciarán is not far from where I stand above everyone else. He’s with some girl, leaning against the wall, talking while sharing a joint. I yell for him, more like scream, and wave my hands to get his attention. He notices me almost immediately and leaves his smoking companion. A song comes through the speakers and my body automatically starts moving on top of the crate. I’m taller than everyone else and it feels fantastic to be able to see the whole crowd from a different view. Ciarán hands me the joint and what’s left of the bottle. He hops up on the crate with me and some girl follows him, knocking the two others off. The three of us dance to the song blaring throughout the space. Me on my own little corner while my cousin makes his moves on her on the other side. Sirens start blaring and strobe lights start flashing. The crowd to my right starts shifting and separates. I turn to look but it’s hard to see because of the blinding lights, but the energy coming from that direction is strong. It takes a second, but within that second, I see him. Demetri. A man amongst little boys. Behind his eyes is a darkness lurking. He swaggers towards me with nothing but confident arrogance. He is lethal, deadly in his endeavor to reach me. He moves bodies without a word or gesture. The crowd just splits in two, giving him the authoritative wide berth he silently demands.
He stands directly in front of me when I fully turn to face him. He angles his head to the right and stares at me. His facial features are stone. His hands are at his sides, but he is not relaxed. The look in his eyes; it’s feral. I take in a deep breath and seductively smile. The next thing I know, I’m being manhandled and ripped off the top of the crate. Ciarán shouts a slew of profanity. I hear his booted feet hit the concrete floor next to me. I’m dizzy from the alcohol and floating high from the hits off the joint. My focus zooms in on my assailant. Ciarán stands there, watching our one-sided exchange. Words are spoken but I can’t hear them because there is a ringing in my ears. I go to give him a proper Irish lashing when his smell hits me.
“You…” I murmur while taking all of him in. He’s in dark wash jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt and boots. His jet-black hair and beard are perfectly in place and his eyes, the heat radiating in his unique dual-colored eyes is menacing. Chills run up my arms. I can’t help the flush of arousal that hits my core by how devastating he looks. His leer is provoking. A temptation the starry-eyed little girl in me knows I should steer clear of. But the woman in me, she is screaming at me to take the bait. The twist of his lips when he notices me surveying him is alarming. It’s menacing, a promise of retribution, and I feel myself involuntarily trying to take a step back.
“Not so fast.” His grip becomes firmer around my waist, stopping me from pulling further away.
“How did you find me?”
“Young pup, you have a lot to learn about me.” He turns to my cousin. “This your doing?”
“Fuck, man.” Ciarán runs his hand through his hair. “She needs to experience life before she is strapped down.”
Strapped down?
“Oh, trust me, she’s going to get strapped down,” Demetri rumbles next to my ear. “You high on X, young pup?”
“And if I was?” I sneer.
“Then I would use it to my advantage.”
“What does that mean?”
“What did you take?”
“Just smoked and drank. That’s all, man. She’s fine. She was having a great time, as you could see,” my cousin answers for me.
“Here’s one thing you need to remember about me, Ciarán. I am not careless with the things I own. Therefore, if someone is careless with my possessions, they could potentially find themselves in a situation not conducive to living a healthy, active lifestyle.”
“Did you just threaten him?” I twist in his arms, wiggling to get free, but he doesn’t release me.
“You know how lucky you are?” My cousin shouts at Demetri, confusing me.
“Luck has nothing to do with business,” Demetri tells Ciarán.
“What are you two talking about?” I yell, now holding my head. “Feck, my head is starting to hurt.”
“Joseph, go get the car,” he orders a younger guy standing next to him. That’s when I notice another guy standing at his back. His eyes are scanning the scene around us. “I’m good, G. I’ll handle it from here. Go home to Izzy.”
