Clodagh
I have no idea what my plan is. Just get out of here and process it later.
I need to get away from Killian with his cold dead heart, Maria with her long pins, and Mayor Perv, who probably has the power to have me deported.
A sob emanates from my throat.
I’m never opening my legs for a man again.
I hear commotion upstairs, and my stomach lurches. Just get out of the house.
I scoop up my phone and my bag. I can barely see through the fat, angry tears streaming down my face. There’s no time to change out of this dress.
Underwear. Toothbrush. Reading pen. I can’t think straight.
I’ll get Sam to pack up the rest of my things.
I’m headed for Queens.
I’m not fast enough. Even his footsteps sound angry.
I brace myself as the studio door crashes open.
“What the hell was that, Clodagh?” He stands in the doorway staring at me, looking as bewildered as he is infuriated. It looks like he pissed red wine all over his trousers.
My stomach twists further, and I forget I was justifiably standing up for myself because his wrath is downright petrifying.
Tears blur my vision as I choke back a sob. “You-” I try to get out.
He moves closer to me and tips my chin up. “Clodagh?” he asks more calmly.
I jerk my head away from his touch. “You don’t own me!” I spit out. “You’re not better than me.”
He rakes a hand through his hair, bewildered. “I know you’re a much better person than I am. But that still doesn’t explain why you decided to dump a bottle of wine on me in the middle of dinner. Or why you’re so upset.”
“I’m not your property to pass around, Killian!”
“What?”
“Your sleazy buddy, the mayor?” I push away from him, letting out an unattractive snort. “You told him I was his Irish present.”
“His Irish present…” he murmurs, frowning as if not understanding.
Something changes in the air as recognition flashes across his face.
“His Irish present is a bottle of Irish whiskey,” he says in a rough voice, rearing back to stare at me. “Christ, Clodagh. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“Yeah?” I shove my toiletries into my bag with force. “Well, that’s not what Mayor Perv said.”
He stiffens, every muscle going rigid. He doesn’t speak. His jaw slams shut and hardens.
“Did he touch you?” he asks in an almost too calm voice.
I jerk my head in a no. “I didn’t let him. I ran off.”
He nods. “Stay here,” he says in a low voice, his eyes locking with mine. “Don’t leave your studio until I come back.”
“I’m going to Queens.”
“Please, Clodagh. Please.”
He says it with the same air of authority I’m used to hearing in his voice. But his eyes are different this time. I see something I haven’t seen before.
Maybe fear?
Anxiety?
Pain?
“Fine,” I say quietly with a sigh.
I watch as he turns his back on me and strides out of the studio, slamming the door.
I exhale heavily and collapse onto the sofa.
What the hell is going to happen?
I can’t keep the door closed. I have to know what’s going on.
With shaky legs, I walk through the studio door and up the stairs, hovering out of sight on the top stair.
They’re still in the lounge. Their voices are hard to distinguish in the burst of noise. A male tells someone to calm down.
“Get the fuck out of my house.” It’s Killian. His voice isn’t raised; it’s cold as ice. “If you ever so much as lay eyes on any of my female staff again, I’ll kill you.”
“This is absurd. Your deal is dead in the water, Quinn. You’ll regret this!” The mayor storms out of the lounge area into the hallway, face twisted in rage and breathing hard.
I almost have to laugh as he rummages through all the coats, searching for his own, muttering relentlessly. “You forget who I am, you arrogant fuck.”
I crouch down on the stairs so I don’t have to see the cretin.
The hallway is a flurry of activity as people hurriedly put on their jackets, almost tripping over each other to make their way out.
Why is everyone leaving?
Everyone, of course, except for Maria, who stands with Killian in the hallway.
For a moment, neither of them speaks, unaware of me hiding on the stairs. Killian stands with his hands on his hips, facing away from me and staring at the ground.
Maria places a hand on his forearm. “Are you sure this maid is telling the truth, Killian?”
My gut clenches. I can’t bear to listen to them talk about me, so I inch back down the stairs and melt into the shadows, my mind racing. She doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere anytime soon.
I can’t stay. I’m not staying here while Killian sleeps with her. He might not have offered me on a platter to the mayor, but if he sleeps with another woman when I’m in the house, it’ll destroy me. I’d prefer to spend the night on a Central Park bench.
I want him. That’s the shitty thing. How can one person feel something so one-sided?
I let myself become too attached, and now I’m vulnerable. The ache in my heart spills out through tears as I race into my studio and collapse onto the couch. I would rather feel nothing than be riddled with this pain.
The knock on the door makes me flinch.
“I’m fine,” I shout, trying to sound as upbeat as possible. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”
Right now, I don’t care if he fires me.
Silence.
Just when I think he’s left, his deep, husky voice drifts through the door. “Please.”
“Go away.”
“I’ll wait out here all night if I have to.”
I wait for what feels like an eternity to figure out it’s an idle threat.
When I hear him still leaning against the door, I wipe my tears with my hand and move toward the door to open it.
Killian stands rigid in the doorway, his blue eyes blazing into mine. The lighting throws shades on his jawline, making him look equally beautiful and predatory.
His expression twists into concern as he takes in my blotchy face.
Please go away.
“I’m sorry,” I force out, maintaining a steady tone as I stand awkwardly by the table. “I didn’t mean to make you lose your deal.”
His frown deepens, as if my words have wounded him. He takes a purposeful step closer. “I don’t care about the damn casino, Clodagh.”
“You’re not the one that should be sorry,” he continues quietly. “I should never have put you in that situation. I swear, Clodagh, if I thought that would happen, I would never have invited the fucker into my home.”
I try to swallow the massive lump in my throat. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fucking fine. I promised to keep you safe, and I didn’t. I’m so damn sorry, Clodagh.”
“Look, I just want to go to Queens, alright?”