Page 8 of Dublin Brute

And now, people are getting hurt.

I pull out my phone and call up Tag’s secure line. The last thing I want to do is interrupt his night off with Laine, but there’s no help for it.

Shit like this needs to be addressed quickly.

Meeting Kieran’s gaze, I let out a sigh. “Stay with Petey and if, by some miracle, the kid wakes up, find out what was so fucking important that someone shot up our streets to keep him from telling us. But stick close. I don’t want Gravely taking another run at him.”

“Aye, I won’t leave his side until we know what prompted this avalanche of shite.”

The paramedics have Petey loaded onto the stretcher, ready for transport. One of them lifts his chin and sizes us up. “Are either of you family? We can only allow relatives to travel with the patient.”

Kieran doesn’t miss a beat. “Aye, I’m Pete’s cousin. I’ll be going with you.”

As they wheel Petey towards the ambulance, I catch Kieran’s eye and give him a nod. He knows what needs to be done and will find out what he can before it spirals any further out of control.

I curse the entire situation and tap my finger against Tag’s contact listing on the screen of my cell. It rings twice and then I let out a long breath when he picks up. “Sorry to ruin your evening, brother, but we’ve got a situation.”

After filling my brother in on the shit versus fan situation, I pocket my phone and scan the crowd. The blonde is still with Dani, wrapping up her statement from the looks of it. The flashing lights from the squad cars paint her pale skin in a wash of blue, making her look otherworldly against the dark street.

Dani catches my eye as I approach, her badge glinting where it hangs around her neck. “We’re finished here. Miss Kelly is free to go.” She cocks her head, giving me a look I know all too well. “I don’t suppose you care to share what happened here tonight?”

“I have no clue, but when I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.” I flash her my most winning smile. It doesn’t work on her anymore, but old habits die hard.

She rolls her eyes and moves off to speak with the other witnesses, her notebook already in hand.

I turn back to Nora and let my broad frame block out the chaos of the night. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m tired.” She rubs her arms, and then winces and closes her eyes when her fingers find her friend’s blood. “I need tomake some calls…but my phone got trampled in the chaos. I can’t even call an Uber.”

As if I’d let her go home in an Uber after the night she’s had. No. I won’t sleep tonight unless I know she’s gotten safely home. “Not a problem. I’ll take you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’thaveto, no. Iwantto. You’ve been through enough tonight. You don’t need to be alone in a stranger’s car with the horrors of the night replaying in your mind.”

The memory of how she trembled beneath me as I shielded her from the chaos is forever etched in my mind.

Despite everything, a weak chuckle escapes her full lips. “Even if youdrive me, I’llstillbe alone in a stranger’s car.”

I waggle my finger, enjoying how her eyes track the movement. “Wrong on two counts. One, I’m not a stranger. I’m Brendan and I’ve held you in my arms and lain over you, so we are definitely acquainted. And two, you won’t be alone in my car because I’m not driving my car tonight—I have my motorcycle.”

Her eyes widen with wariness, but something else flickers there too—intrigue, maybe. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the spark of unbridled curiosity from a woman who has never wrapped her thighs around a powerful machine.

Good. Because I’m not taking no for an answer.

I grasp her elbow gently and guide her away from the bloody nightmare outside the Confession Box pub. My Harley is parked down the street and as we get closer, the chrome gleams under the streetlights like it’s showing off.

I grab my helmet from where it sits on my seat. “Come here to me, Nora. I swear, I’ll get you home safe.”

CHAPTER THREE

Nora

The night air whips around me, pulling at my clothes as we tilt and sway, weaving through Dublin’s streets. My arms are wrapped tight around Brendan’s solid waist, his broad frame blocking me from the autumn bite. Every turn on the Harley makes my heart race faster with a mix of fear and exhilaration I’ve never felt before.

The city lights blur past in streaks of neon and gold and—as horrible as it sounds and guilty as I feel—I am more alive and present in this moment than ever before. My cells are practically vibrating and as much as I’d love to blame it on the power of the motorcycle rumbling between my legs, or having my arms wrapped around this mountain of rugged man, I can’t.

I nearly died before I’ve even lived. Tanya is gone and it could’ve been me. If my life ended, what would I have to show for it? What impression have I made upon the world?

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