Page 113 of Colt

Loving someone and wanting to spend a life making them happy was a beautiful thing. Why should we let anyone influence us into passing up opportunities that made life worth living? I loved Freya and if I had to choose any woman to have my sons it would be her, ‘cause my genes may have been faulty, but her perfect ones would more than make up for it.

Throughout the drive I began to understand how lucky I was to have my girl. She loved me to the point where she’d put up with my shit and had proven she was in it for the long haul.

I was a very fortunate man and I needed to stop taking her love for granted, because although Freya had the biggest heart in the world, she was no idiot. There was only so much she’d take before she blew her top, like this morning.

“Why you grinnin’ like a loony?” Bowie asked, tugging me away from my thoughts,

“Just thinkin’,” I said defensively, watching as he pulled into a parking space just outside the Lucky Shamrock.

“Well, stop it,” he ordered. “Need your head in the game. Cal’s one’a my closest boys but he’s wily as fuck. If he wants a favor or he’s got some shit to say, we gotta be ready. He won’t blindside us, but he’s asked us here for a reason, probably a favor.”

We both exited the SUV and Bowie clicked the key fob to lock it before we turned and approached the bar.

As we got to the door, it opened. “Top’a the fuckin’ morning to ya, boys.” Callum O’Shea waved us through to the dimly lit bar where his brother Donovan already sat at a table with a beer bottle in front of him.

“Yo,” he called over, getting to his feet.

Bowie greeted him with a chin lift while fist bumping Callum. “Looking well, Donny O’Shea. The military agrees with ya.”

Donovan returned his chin lift and clapped me on the back. “Thanks for comin’ boys.”

Bowie glanced at me before turning back to Calum. “Why the fuck are we here? Not like you to go for all this cloak-and-dagger bullshit. If you’ve got something to ask the club, you know Dad will hear you out.”

My eyes narrowed as I watched Donny’s cheeks redden slightly, and a sinking sensation swept through my stomach. Something was about to go down that I wasn’t gonna like, one bit.

“It’s nothing important or even cloak-and-dagger,” Callum interjected, going to the bar to collect a coffee pot and some mugs. “We just wanna run somethin’ past ya and if possible, ask if you’ll put a word in.” He brought the cups of coffee over, gesturing for us to sit. “It’s nothin’ to do with business and everythin’ personal.”

Bowie sent me a slight nod and we took our seats around the table. “What do ya need, Cal?”

A wide smile spread across his face. “It’s not for me. Our Donovan here needs you to approach your pa and put in a good word in for him.”

“What for?” Bowie asked with a tone tight with confusion. He turned to Donny. “You wanna prospect, bro? You gotta see Dad, Cash, and Atlas. They deal with recruiting, not me.”

Donny cocked his head. “It’s nothin’ like that. Callum called you ‘ere ‘cause I need a good word puttin’ in with your da. Thing is, I wanna get to know your sister and Cal told me I gotta go through John first.”

All air whooshed from my lungs until I was almost winded by the irrational surge of jealousy coursing through me. He’d called Bowie here because he wanted to fuck his sister?

Mywoman?

Over my dead fucking body.

Stunned, I watched as Bowie regarded Donovan carefully. “How serious are you about her?”

“I met her in the coffee shop last night,” Don replied. “And I gotta say, she blew me away. Had a lotta women, Bo, but never a serious one. Didn’t wanna leave some poor cailín keepin’ the home fires burnin’ while I went and played soldier, didn’t think it was fair. But now I’m leaving the army and thinking about buying the gym, getting all new equipment, and growing the business. I’m in a good position to settle down.”

My lip curled.

“He’s also helping me run the bar,” Callum added. “He’s a fuckin’ eejit but he’s got some brains too and he’s loyal to a fault.”

My hand under the table clenched into fists and I used the movement to try and stop myself from picking up a damned chair and launching it at the glass wall of spirits lining the back of the bar.

Bowie nodded, deep in thought. “You serious about my sister?”

Donny glanced at Callum before nodding. “Only met her last night but I could see how special she was the second I laid eyes on her. Then we got talkin’ and I knew I was right. Brains, beauty, and she’s sweet as cherry pie, as well as funny and cute. I wouldn’t mind shootin’ my shot.”

I rubbed at the ache flaring through my chest.

The thought of Donny fucking O’Shea trying his luck withmywoman was akin to some fucker stabbing me in the heart, then twisting the knife for good measure. She must’ve ran into him on her way to Cara’s gallery. My molars ground together as I thought of my girl getting hit on by a manwhore O’Shea brother and me not being there to defend her honor.

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