Page 5 of Dublin Brute

Holy fuck.

The hum of the world stops as the blonde tilts her head back and laughs at something her purple-haired friend says. She’s cute—like really fucking cute.

Women rarely strike me stupid—mostly because they either want the thrill of being with a Quinn bad boy or think my bank account will somehow fund the future they’ve always dreamed of—but one look at this one and my cock is filling out behind my fly.

I haven’t even got my mental hamster back in his wheel before the night erupts into chaos. Gunshots split the air, sharp and sudden.

Violence slices through the crowd.

The ladies scream.

The kid standing with Kieran is hit and spun by the impact.

My instincts kick in and I go for the beauties. The one with purple hair is already going down hard. I wrap my body around the blonde and tackle her to the ground, rolling to shield her from the spray of bullets.

We hit the pavement hard, my hip cracking as my arms tighten around her, protecting her from the brunt of the collision. I roll us behind a stone planter, adrenaline firing inmy cells. I cover her, my hips settling over hers. Adrenaline fires within me, making my blood pound and my cock pulse behind the denim of my jeans.

“I’ve got you, beautiful. Stay still.” I pop my head up to scan the sightlines for the shooter, but can’t see a fucking thing. Between the scramble of people and the shadows of the night, the shooter could be anywhere.

The woman under me is trembling, her breaths coming in sharp gasps. I look her over, intending to be clinical to assess if she’s hurt, but my attention is sucked in the moment I meet her gaze.

She’s a fucking angel.

Her golden hair is fanned out around her head like a halo, her sparkling blue eyes filled with sweet innocence, and the soft roundness of her features is absolutely cherubim. She’s an angel on earth and her heartbeat is racing against my chest.

I bring my head down slowly, so I don’t startle her, and breathe her into the depths of my lungs. She smells fucking amazing—like warm vanilla or some kind of baking decadence.

Unbidden, I wonder what she would taste like.

Oi! Not the time for this, asshole.

I give myself an inward shake and focus on thinking with my head and not my cock. “Stay still. We’re safe down here. Everything is going to be fine.”

“Where’s Tanya? We need to help Tanya!”

Her friend is down and by the amount of bloody carnage on the sidewalk around her, she’s down hard. “I’m sorry, luv. There’s nothing I can do for your friend.”

She looks up at me and my mind stalls out. I’ve seen more than my fair share of stunners in my life, but she puts them all to shame. Pulling her a little closer, I run a comforting hand over the sleeve of her cashmere jacket. “What’s your name?”

She blinks up at me, her cornflower blue eyes filled with tears. “Nora.”

Nora.That was my grandmother’s name, and I know its meaning.

Shining one…a woman of honor.

I swallow, a rush of tingles washing over every inch of my flesh. “It’s good to meet you, Nora. I’m Brendan. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve got you.”

CHAPTER TWO

Nora

The sounds of the world at war are warbled as they swirl around in my head. People are screaming. My heart is thundering in my ears. Darkness is closing in on my vision.

I can’t breathe. I’m trapped.

The weight pressing on my chest is incredible and I can’t move.

“Look at me, angel. I’ve got you. Deep breaths.”

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