Page 68 of King of the Cage

“You made it.I was so worried,” Sol said, squeezing my hands.

“Hey, I’m the one who was worried. Don’t worry about me, just worry about yourself. Are they treating you all right here?” I stared around at the jovial chaos.

“Yeah, well, after Bran’s lunatic friend hauled me over his shoulder and shoved me in a car to force me to leave, yeah.” Sheshot a dark glare in Declan’s direction. “The cook is a woman called Aoife, and she’s been really nice. I’ve been sitting with her at the back. She gave me dinner and let me wash up here.” Sol glanced around. “My father will kill me if he knows I was here. This has to be like… O’Connor territory, right?”

“Guaranteed. Don’t worry about your dad, we’ll have you home before he realizes. You want to introduce me to the cook? I could do with something to eat, too,” I admitted. I was starving and exhausted and wanted nothing more than to comfort myself with a full belly after crying my heart out.

Sol took me through the pub, which was a lot bigger than it appeared from outside. There was a table near the back where an older lady sat. She patted the seat when Sol appeared.

“There you are. Sit yourself down and stop fussing. Is this the other lass? The one with Brandon?”

I stood awkwardly in front of Aoife as she looked me up and down. She narrowed her eyes.

“I bet you’re a handful,” she remarked.

“Thank you,” I said, as sweetly as I could manage.

She snorted. “Can you keep him in line, that’s the question. The boy’s a handful himself. Sit, and tell me about yourself, and what the hell happened tonight. You want food?”

“That would be great.” The words had barely left my mouth before Aoife shouted toward the kitchen.

“Bring the girl something to eat!” She turned to Sol. “You want anything else?”

Sol shook her head, sitting close to the strong, maternal warmth of Aoife. She seemed like a no-nonsense sort of woman. Trustworthy and strong as hell. I even felt comforted being cared for by her. Man, tonight had done a number on me.

Aoife patted my hand. “You’re all right now, lass. You’re safe here, with the O’Connor family all about you. We take care of our own.”

“I’m…” What was I going to say right now? That I was a De Sanctis family member so they could kick me out?

“I know exactly who you are, lass, and that’s why I’m saying it.” Aoife smiled at me.

I stopped fighting her good intentions. It didn’t matter if she thought I was with Bran, just for tonight. I would take the comfort where I could find it for now.

Food appeared. Rich stew over mashed potatoes. Steam curled from the plate, and the smell instantly made my mouth water.

“Dig in. Brandon, bring your woman a drink,” she called over my shoulder.

I glanced back to find Bran lounging at the bar with Declan, behind our table.

His gaze was already on me. A shot of heat even warmer than the stew flashed through my body.

Bran didn’t correct Aoife. He didn’t speak at all. He straightened up to his impressive height and ambled behind the bar.

“Now, tell me what happened to you two tonight, and start from the beginning,” Aoife directed in a tone that didn’t allow for refusal.

So, I did.

19

GIADA

Later, Declan showed up and took Sol home. Aoife made to leave, and generally the entire pub got quieter. It was getting late, and the longest day of my life was nearly at an end. I needed to go home, too, but felt strangely reluctant to be alone after tonight. The Selkie’s Rest was comfortingly bustling compared to the quiet of my apartment.

There was a giant of man with a ruddy red beard, working the bar. The family resemblance to Aoife was undeniable.

“That’s Fergus, my son,” Aoife seemed to read my thoughts. “I could tell you the life stories of every person in here, and their parents, and their parents before them.”

“Sounds suffocating,” I remarked.

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