Page 29 of Stay, Swear.

“I don’t know about that. If you really want to I’ll figure it out, but you’d have to swear to stay glued to either mine or Ryan’s side the entire time.”

Holy shit, he’s going to let me go. “I promise. I just want tosee that you’re okay.”

He nods before changing the subject. “So what about you? What’s your thing no one else knows?”

My heart plummets, does he know? No, there’s no way he does. Can I trust him enough to let him in? I’m not sure, so I decide to give him just part of my truth.

“My dad just got out of jail, yesterday actually.”

His hands stop rubbing my legs, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

I roll my eyes at him, “You heard me, Kieran.”

He smiles at me, “Kie, you call me Kie now. Are you okay? Have you talked to him?”

It’s all I can do to just shake my head and keep the tears at bay, “No, um he’s not a good guy. He’ll stay on the other side of the country, and I’ll stay here. I haven’t even told Clara that. I just needed to say it out loud.” Leaning my head onto his shoulder the first tear escapes.

We sit in silence as he leans his head on mine and plays with my hair. He’s letting me work through it by myself, but also making sure I know I’m not alone if I want to talk about it. After a while I must nod off on him because the next thing I know, I’m being lifted into his arms and carried. I start to stir when he lays me down. I’m barely able to process his words when he tells me, “Shh, Brave Girl. We’re just getting in bed. Go back to sleep.” The last thing I feel is his warm chest under my cheek and his strong arm wrapped around me.

15

Chapter Fifteen

Kieran

Today has been a day from hell. Declan called me at four thirty this morning telling me to meet him at the house. He needed me to accompany him and Roe to their many meetings today. It’s been awkward at best all day. I’ve refused to talk about anything but work. Although they’ve tried to talk about last night. We’ve checked out warehouses, met with the heads of four different organizations, hit the gym to train for a little bit and paid my little friend with the missing finger a visit.

Wouldn’t you know it? He suddenly had our money plus interest. Who would have thought? I’ve exchanged a few texts with Britt today. Enough to know she spent the day with Clara, and for her to know I had to leave extremely early. Was it a douche move to leave her in my bed to go to work? Probably, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I made sureto send flowers to her apartment earlier, but haven’t heard back from her since.

Our last task had us stumbling upon an auction, for women, completely by accident. Women beaten, starved, and kept in cages. Now we’re trying to figure out who those women used to belong to, and deal with that. My family does some less than law abiding things, but we will never and have never hurt or sold women and children. We don’t stand for that shit.

After getting all the women to an organization we work with that helps trafficked women and kids find refuge, I had to get to Brittany. I needed to see her, hold her, check her over and make sure she’s okay. My hands needed to touch her. My eyes need to roam every inch of her to remind myself she is not and will never be one of those women. Standing in front of her door I obnoxiously knock until I hear her moving around.

As soon as she opens that door and my eyes latch onto her perfect gray ones my need to kiss her overtakes every other sense in my body. Pressing her against the now closed door and deepening our kiss my tongue takes survey of her mouth. We fight for dominance of the kiss, but when I grab her thigh and hook her leg around my hip she gasps and lets me take control. Eventually I pull away to catch my breath and let my forehead rests on hers.

“God, I’ve missed you today.” My lips travel down her jaw and then her neck, nibbling, licking, and kissing every inch of skin that I can reach. Her fingers tangle in my hair holding my lips to her skin.

“Kie, what, what is this? What are we doing?” Her body shivers against me, and she lets out a whimper.

Talking against her skin because I need to touch, and Ihaven’t had enough. “I just need you. I needed to see you, to touch you, and know without a shadow of a doubt that you’re okay. You’re here, safe and sound. I saw some rough shit today. Just needed a reminder that you’re here.” Gripping my hair in her hands she pulls my head back. Letting out a low growl because she interrupted me, my eyes flare in annoyance.

“Are you okay?” The annoyance melts away as her concerned tone almost brings me to my knees.

Cupping her face gently in my hands, my eyes lock on hers, “Yeah, baby. I’m fine. Sometimes I see some dark shit. When that happens I just need to be around some light. You are nothing if not pure light, Brittany.”

Her cheeks heat and she looks away, “Don’t inflate my ego, Kieran. I don’t appreciate having smoke blown up my ass. If you want a booty call just say that. I can assure you I’m ready and willing. Even without the flattery.”

What the fuck? I mean don’t get me wrong, I think I could fuck her every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. She’s addicting, but to assume that’s all I want from her? That’s insulting to say the least, for both of us. After what we shared last night?

Last night was such a good date. I opened up to her in a way that I never have to anyone else, and I thought she felt the same. Especially after she let me hold her while she purged all those emotions. I didn’t want to walk away from her, I couldn’t. It was like a visceral need to be there for her while she fell apart. I’ve never felt that before, like I didn’t have a choice in the matter. We didn’t even fuck last night. I didn’t even think about it because that’s not what she needed from me in that moment. Well, that’s a lie. I did think about it but I didn’t act on it. Again this evening, it was like a subconsciousthing, like a pull to her. I can’t make sense of it. My head’s all tangled up. All I know is that this feels right, it feels like this is where I’m supposed to be.

“I didn’t come here to fuck, and do not call yourself that ever again. I’m just here to see you. If you’re not interested in that. I can make you come before I leave. Or I can just leave. You know what, I’ll just go. I just needed to see that you were okay, and you are. So uh- I’ll just head out now.” Giving her one last deep kiss before turning on my heels, I’m out the door before her brain can even catch up.

Deciding to take the steps I’m halfway down before I’m dialing Ryan. He answers on the third ring, “Hey, you want to go to the club.”

Ryan chuckles, “The club, orthe club.”

I swear my eyes roll all the way back in my head, “You know damn well what club.”

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