Page 32 of Dublin Brute

I bite back my squeal and step outside before I embarrass myself. The crisp air hits me like a slap to the face, itssting threatening inhospitable temperatures to come. The sky is speaking the same language, wearing a mix of gray and blue.

The honk of a car horn draws my attention away from my path to the bus stop. Kate’s car is pulling out of one of the parking spots out front. She slows to a stop beside me and rolls down her window. “Get in. It’s colder than a witch’s tit out there.”

True enough. I’m not about to say no to a ride home. Sliding inside her little hatchback, I set my purse between my feet and grab my buckle. “Not that I’m complaining, but…we didn’t have plans I forgot about, did we?”

“Oh, we have plans. Big plans! Guess who just got hired at Legend!” She drums her palms against the steering wheel. “We did. Yes, we did!”

“Seriously? Both of us?”

“Yup! We train Wednesday night.”

“Ohmygoodness, it’s happening!”

She waves her arms dramatically. “And to celebrate, we are dressing up and going out for a night on the town.”

“We are?” I fight not to groan. Being boring all day is exhausting. I was looking forward to grabbing some Thai takeout, reading a few more chapters of my vampire romance, and trying out my new battery-operated companion—the Lioness.

“Yes, we are.” She grins, flipping into full-on hype mode. “We’re going to a local charity event. Very popular. Very fancy.”

I stop short. “I have nothing to contribute to a charity event and nothing to wear that would work for something fancy.”

Kate waves away my concern. “There will be two-hundred other people there with padded wallets. They’ll do fine without us. And as for having nothing to wear, I’ve got you covered. I have an entire closet full of dresses Jordan the Warden wouldn’t approve of.”

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it.

“Please, chickie. I promise we’ll have fun.” Kate flashes me her very best puppy dog eyes and all thoughts of wearing down the new batteries I bought dissolve.

“Fine, we’ll go out, but we better not go back to my place because my father won’t let me out of the house in anything remotely scandalous.”

Kate shrugs with mock seriousness. “It’s not scandalous if you look hot.”

When Kate said the charity event would be ‘fancy’, she undersold it—by a lot. As we pull up to the building in a late-model hatchback with a missing hubcap, I realize it’s nothing short of a full-on black-tie event. My stomach twists, but it’s too late to back out. A young guy in a red jacket has already jogged over to give Kate a claim ticket. “Enjoy your evening, lovelies.”

“Oh, we intend to.” Kate flashes the valet a smile as she gets out and then rounds the car to slide her arm into mine. “Don’t we, chickie?”

“Yes, we do.”

This place is lit up like an opening night in Hollywood, big spotlights dancing across the façade of a massive brick building, illuminating every polished brick and shimmering glass panel. Our heels clack against the pavement until we arrive at the red carpet and my breath hitches.

“Geez, Kate. There is aliteral‘red carpet’.”

“Don’t panic. We’ll be fine.” Kate squeezes my arm tighter. “Many of the one-percenters come to donate, but there will be normal people, too.”

I glance around at the ushers in sharp suits holding velvet ropes open for women in elegant dresses, and my breath hitches. They’re collecting event invitations, greeting the guests, and then escorting the ladies up the steps and into the massive brick warehouse.

I spot a row of Harleys parked along the curb, the collection shiny and menacing at the same time. Butterflies flutter in my stomach at the thought of Brendan.

He said he had a family thing.

He also said his family were big investors in the community.

Is Brendan here? Wouldn’t that be a kick if he’s inside? A wild flurry of excitement overwhelms and now, instead of trepidation, I’m dying to get inside.

Kate gave me one hell of a makeover, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so sexy. The dress she picked for me is a rich wine red with a corseted top that pushes my boobs up and makes ample use of my curves. The skirt is layered and flares out over my hips, dropping lower in the back than in the front. And paired with gold, strappy heels, I feel like a goddess.

Brendan won’t even recognize me.

If he’s here, I mean…geez, I’m totally getting ahead of myself.

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