Page 37 of Ciaran

Ciaran

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

I slam my fist into the bench, and a mother passing by with her young son glares at me. I murmur an apology, but her lips thin and she hurries off, muttering under her breath.

Energy—the bad kind—buzzes through me, so I set off running. I need to burn off this frustration before it drives me crazy…or I chase after Tanner and take out ten years of resentment on his self-satisfied face.

I don’t acknowledge how long I run for, but I find myself outside the hotel, dripping in sweat, with my jeans and shirt clinging to me, and my hair plastered to my forehead. I head to the back of the property and enter our living quarters that way rather than drag my sorry ass through the hotel. Then I grab a beer from the fridge, not caring that it isn’t yet eleven. I don’t give a shit if I have a shift at seven tonight.

“What the hell happened to you?” Callum asks, turning the TV off. “Running after a perp?”

I twist the cap off the bottle and flick it toward the trash can. I miss.

“You don’t want to know.”

He rises from the couch and slides onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “I think I do. You’re drinking before twelve. I’ve never seen you do that. Your eyes are flashing all kinds of shit, which is never good.” He leans across the counter and sniffs. “And you need a fucking shower, bro.”

“Screw you.” I take a long pull on my beer, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Callum snatches the bottle from me and helps himself to a drink.

I snatch it back. “Get your own.”

He shrugs, jumping down from his seat. “As it’s Saturday, I think I will. Then you can tell me what the hell is going on.”

Ignoring him, I leave my beer on the counter and head toward my bedroom.

“Where the fuck you going?” Callum calls out.

“Shower,” I throw back.

“You can run, but you can’t hide!” he hollers.

I slam the door to my bedroom, strip off my clothes, and jump into the shower, making sure to set it to freezing. Ten minutes later, shivering but a lot calmer, I dry off and dress. Callum is still sitting at the breakfast bar where I left him when I return to the living quarters. He’s gotten me a fresh beer and is sipping one of his own.

“Sit your ass down.” He jabs a finger at the chair next to his.

I do as he says.

He hands me the beer. “Why don’t you start from the top.”

I huff out a breath and peel away the label on the bottle. “I took Millie for breakfast to ask her why she kissed me and?—”

“Whoa, she kissed you? When did this happen? Why am I only hearing about this now.”

“Can you let me finish?” I snap. “And I don’t have to tell you every damn thing that goes on in my life.”

“Fair enough. My bad.” He gestures. “Go ahead.”

I roll my eyes. “Like I said, I asked her why she did it, and what it might mean, and just when I thought I was getting somewhere, fucking Tanner showed up.”

Callum’s eyebrows shoot up. “Jesus. He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”

“Yep.”

“No way was that coincidental.”

“Agreed,” I say. “I don’t believe in coincidence. I think he’s been following her for some time.”

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