Page 17 of Monsters in the Dark

“Don’t I know it,” she chuckled softly.

“All I’m saying is that there are worst things in the world that having a man that wants forever with you,” I said. “I mean, with or without a ring, you keeping the baby is going to give Scott his forever anyway, don’t you think?”

Charlotte blinked at me, and then she suddenly started laughing. When she calmed down, she said, “God, I really am an idiot.”

I grinned. “We’ve all been there.”

She gave me a tender smile as she said, “Thank you, Keavy. I really needed a different perspective, and…and don’t be surprised when Scott comes in here to give you a big kiss.”

“I’m good as long as there’s no tongue,” I replied, tossing her a quick wink before her name was called by a patron needing a refill.

Three hours later, Charlotte was in better spirits, the place was packed, and I was feeling better about the cops not knowing anything. After all, for a double-murder, I couldn’t see them waiting for me to take my lunch break. That also got me to thinking about Kenneth’s friend request, and maybe it really had been from him, and he was just too terrified of the O’Briens to show his face in public. It was also quite possible that he was waiting until I got off work to approach me about last night.

As I started wiping down the area of a patron that had just left, another one immediately sat down, and my mouth nearly dropped open with how gorgeous he was. He reminded me of Dima Gornovskyi, though with rougher features. In fact, the combination of that dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and those masculine features on a face like that, and any woman would be lucky to ride it.

“What can I get you?” I asked when I finally found my voice.

“What’s your best Irish whiskey?” he asked, and my heart immediately sank to my stomach.

Don’t freak out.

Don’t freak out.

“Uhm…we have Jameson, Tullamore Dew, and on top, we have Redbreast Twelve Year,” I answered, my throat feeling dry like a paranoid fool.

“I’ll take three fingers of the Redbreast…?”

“Uh…oh,” I stammered. “Keavy. My name is Keavy.”

“Nice Irish name. I like it.”

It was?”

“Well, Keavy,” he continued. “Please, and thank you, lass.”

Doing my best not to give myself away, I asked, “And you are?”

He laughed, and the sound sent chills down my spine, and not the good kind. “In a place this crowded, I seriously doubt that you’re going to remember my name.” He shot me a wink, but it didn’t feel flirty at all. “How about that drink, lassie?”

Though it didn’t reach my eyes, I gave him a quick smile, then turned to get his drink, reminding myself that this wasn’t the first time that someone had ever asked for Irish whiskey. This also wasn’t the first time that someone had refused to give me their name. It wasn’t uncommon for someone that wasn’t supposed to be in here to keep to themselves.

By the grace of God, I was able to place the drink in front of him with a steady hand. Smiling again, I said, “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Oh, I will,” he said cryptically as he took the glass.

Just then, the guy from earlier called out to me, and though our flirtation had started out strong, he now had a pretty blonde sitting with him, and I was actually happy for him. After all, why should we both have a shitty freakin’ night?

Chapter 11

Declan~

At first, I hadn’t planned on sitting at the bar. For twenty minutes, I’d been content with standing in one of the dark corners, observing her from afar. Luckily, no one had recognized me, but in all fairness, most people lived with their faces glued to their phones nowadays, so it’d been easy to squeeze through the bar undetected. Besides, it was a Friday night, and everyone in here was too busy getting drunk, dancing, having a good time, or looking to get laid. No one was too interested in some random guy that was keeping to himself, pretending to check his phone like everyone else.

However, once the two girls from the bar had left to go sit with some guys that had snagged their attention, I’d taken the opportunity to get a look at the woman up close, and when her green eyes had looked up at me, I had nearly landed on my ass. To say that Keavy Collins was beautiful was an understatement, and I’d been right about her social media pictures not doing her justice.

She stood at about only five-foot-four, which was nothing compared to my six-foot-two. However, she was neither petite nor voluptuous, and I’d say that her figure was common, though no doubt extremely feminine. Dressed in a form-fitting t-shirt that matched the color of her green eyes, the size of her rack was easy to make out, and so was her slim waist. She was also wearing a pair of black jeans that showcased a very nice ass whenever she turned around to grab something from the shelves.

Now, while she had a nice figure, it was her face that was a sonofabitch. She had black hair that easily hung to the middle of her back if she let it down, and her green eyes were closer to a glittering emerald than jade color. Her black brows and eyelashes made them stand out like a neon light, and the remarkable thing about her doll-like face was that she wasn’t wearing any makeup, which was absolutely astounding to me. Natural beauty was rare, but Keavy Collins had it in spades.

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