Page 6 of Taking a King

“Okay.” Ronan’s voice is loud and cuts through the quiet, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He still looks pissed, but he seems more reasonable than before. Even if he is shooting daggers at me with his eyes. Quinn—who I still haven’t been properly introduced to—stands next to him, her arms wrapped around his waist. If things were different, I’d be congratulating my best friend and trying to embarrass him with wild stories from our younger days. But this isn’t the time. Ronan shoots me a dark look.

“Explain. Now.” It’s not a request.

Claire opens her mouth to speak, but Ronan holds up a hand to silence her. “Not you,” he says. “I want to hear it from him.” He crosses his arms over his chest and stares me down. I see the exact moment his eyes land on my hand holding Claire’s because his jaw clenches. I don’t release her hand though.

“It’s just like Claire said,” I say. “We started out as friends. She would write me and send me little care packages when I was deployed. After you got out, I didn’t really have anyone. You know how lonely it is over there, man.”

Ronan’s eyes narrow. “You used my sister because you were lonely?”

I shake my head. “No. It wasn’t like that. It’snotlike that. Damn it, Ronan. You know me. You know I’m not that guy.”

“I’m not so sure anymore,” he says.

“Ronan, stop it,” Claire snaps, stepping in front of me. “Garrett is a good man. We started out as friends. Pen pals. If anything, I pursued him. He was nothing but polite and kind. I flirted with him constantly.”

Ronan closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I do not need to hear this.”

“Well, too bad,” Claire says. “You’re the one who’s butting into my dating life, so you’re going to hear it. Unless you agree that you have no say in who I can date? I’m almost 30 years old, for crying out loud!”

Ronan sighs. “I know all that, Claire. I’m not trying to tell you who to date. I just didn’t think you’d be dating my best friend.”

“What’s so wrong with him?” Claire demands.

Ronan’s gaze goes from Claire to me and back again. I have to admit that it stings a little to know he doesn’t think I’m good enough for his sister. After everything we went through overseas, Ronan still doesn’t want his sister with the likes of me. Before Ronan can formulate an answer to Claire’s question, I come to a decision. I step around Claire and walk up to Ronan.

“Can you take this off now?” I gesture to the cuff on my wrist.

Ronan sighs, but reaches for the key. It takes him only a second to remove the handcuff.

“Thanks,” I say. “It was good seeing you again, but I think I’m going to go now. It’s clear this is a family discussion.”

I can hear Claire’s sharp intake of breath when she realizes what I said.

“What? No.”

I turn to look at her, taking in her shocked, hurt expression. But I don’t let it sway me. “You need to talk to your brothers. And I don’t think they want me here.”

Claire looks from me to Ronan. “Ronan, tell him he’s wrong. We can talk about this like adults.”

Ronan’s gaze is downcast when he speaks again. “Claire, maybe we should have a family discussion.”

She looks around at her brothers and the two other women standing there, clearly hoping for someone to interject. But no one does. I watch her eyes shift from hurt to anger.

“No,” Claire says, her voice cutting. “I don’t need to discuss my dating life with any of you. If Garrett’s leaving, so am I.”

“Claire, come on,” Ronan says, but she ignores him.

She stalks over to stand at my side. “Well,” she says, expectantly. “Are we going?”

I don’t dare look back at Ronan. Instead, I gesture toward the porch steps for Claire to precede me. Then I follow her out into the darkened parking lot

Once we’re in the parking lot, it becomes clear that Claire has no idea where to go from here. She slows until I’m walking next to her.

“Don’t look back,” she says. “They can smell fear.”

I can tell she’s hoping to make me laugh, but I’m still too tense from the encounter with her brothers to think anything is funny right now.

“Please tell me you have a car,” Claire says. “Or else we’re walking out of here. Ronan was supposed to be our DD tonight.”

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