Page 59 of Dublin Brute

We follow him back toward the bar. “First things first—I need to take a photocopy of your licenses for your employee files.”

The two of us dig into our bags until we pull out our IDs.

Jay grabs a couple of black glossy folders and a clipboard from behind the bar. He slides our licenses under the metal clip of his clipboard and hands us each a folder. “While I get your ID copied, grab a seat and check out the orientation package. It’s basic admin stuff, the form to fill out with your banking info to set you up on payroll, shift changes, what to expect on your first night here, how to handle any safety concerns, stuff like that. My card is in there, if you need something and can’t get through to Alexis.”

When Jay strides off to copy our IDs, Kate and I grab a seat at one of the tables and flip our folders open. “He’snice.” Kate grins, running a finger over his business card stapled to the inside corner of our folders. “And he gave us his number.”

I chuckle. “To call if we need him for work stuff.”

Kate waves my words away. “Stop being so sensible. Let a girl daydream.”

“My bad.” I’ll leave the daydreaming to her because while Jay is hot and seems super nice, my broken heart belongs to another. I can’t imagine anyone ever making me feel that level of passion and exhilaration again.

Brendan ruined me.

Pushing that thought out of my mind, I flip through the paperwork—and there is a wad of it to go through: banking, uniforms, locker protocols, shift expectations…

“All right, ladies! Follow me.” Jay hands us back our licenses as he leads us past the bar and through a black door marked ‘Staff Only’.

“This is the ten-cent tour, so keep up.” Jay strides down the corridor in front of us and Kate checks out his ass and waggles her brows at me. “On the left we have the staff washrooms, the lockers where you put your stuff, the break room, and then the offices. My office is the first one you’ll come to and our owner, Tanner Fraser, has the office at the end of the hall.”

He stops when we get to the end and turns around. “On the opposite side of the hall going back to the club floor, we have the door to the loading dock and dumpster, the mechanical room, the upstairs dry storage, the main walk-in fridge, the freight elevator to the basement where we hook up the lines for the kegs and drink tanks to the three different bars, and then the server station.”

Kate and I shuffle behind him at full speed through the whirlwind tour.

“Now it’s time for the two of you to meet your boss.” Jay takes us back out to the main bar area and points to a tall woman with striking red hair giving instruction to the polishing girl with the purple jumpsuit. “Alexis, I’ve got some fresh blood here for you, girlfriend.”

The woman strides over to greet us, extending her hand to each of us in turn. “Hey, ladies. I’m Alexis, the manager of the serving staff. Welcome aboard!”

“It’s nice to meet you!” Kate says.

I shake her hand while keeping my smile steady despite my racing heart. “We’re excited to be here.”

Alexis looks us up and down and then smiles at Jay. “I can work with this.”

Jay laughs. “And when she says that, she means you’ll fit in just fine.”

“That’s what I said.” Alexis winks and motions for us to follow her. “Come on. Let’s get you ladies fitted for your uniforms.”

I glance at Kate and can’t help but grin back at her excitement. It’s happening. Nothing can stop us now.

Brendan

I need to hit someone. I need to pound someone to pulp and yet I’m stuck sitting in the sunken living room, staring at my computer screen. Finn and I have been tasked with gathering intel on Jordan Kelly and his task force.

With my focus scattered, I’ve been little help. My mind keeps drifting back to Nora, her sparkling blue eyes, and the way she felt in my arms.

The helplessness gnawing at me is brutal.

I understand I can’t be with Nora because of her father—for now, at least—but I won’t accept that in the long term. Nora is my one. I feel it to the marrow of my bones—like Tag did with Laine, like Sean did with Piper, and like Bryan did with Yasmine years ago.

It’s the way Quinns love—deep and devoted.

Sure, we play the field often enough, but once our hearts weigh in, we’re all-in.

It sucks balls that Nora and I are on opposite sides, but I won’t let that keep us apart indefinitely. I pull out my phone and scroll through my photo gallery. I snapped a couple of candid photos of her last week and brush my finger over her smiling face on the screen.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you’re missing her, B. I only talked to her for a few minutes at the bar, but she seemed special.”

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