Page 10 of Safe and Sound

Although I knew she wanted to argue with him, she dutifully bobbed her head. “Take care of yourself, Dare,” she said.

Flashing her my signature smirk, I replied, “Aye, I’ll be grand as always.”

Once we were alone, Quinn said, “If I was a betting man, I’d wager that the altercation was about a woman.” When I didn’t reply, his expression grew somber. “Considering what time of year it is, I would imagine it was about Shannon.”

“And what if it was?” I countered.

“Knowing the two of you the way that I do, I know he was only trying to help.”

“I don’t need help.”

He gave me a sad smile. “Aye, that’s what I always said after the bombing.”

Three years ago, a car bomb meant for our father scarred Quinn’s left side while killing our cousin, Rian. Jerking my chin at him, I replied, “You also would bite back anytime we tried to talk to you about it.”

“I did. But now I know how wrong it was not to deal with my trauma.”

Sneering, I replied, “Not you, too.”

“Truth hurts.”

“You can take your truth and shove it,” I muttered before I walked out.

Fuck. Me. I needed a strong drink after all that bullshit. Striding down the employee hallway, I tried shutting out the voices in my head. Mainly the one that said I was an epic wanker for going off on Kellan and then treating Quinn like a dick.

After nodding at one of the bouncers guarding the hall, I then entered the main floor of the club. Decadent was one word that could describeBandia. Otherworldly was another. The architectural design had come from the Irish mythology my brothers and I had grown up with.

Stopping at the bar, I waved over a bartender to give me a high end bottle of vodka. Tonight I felt like cheating on my Irish whiskey roots. Taking the bottle, I then went over to climb the stairs to the VIP section, which was divided into three separate rooms.

When I swept into the largest section that boasted a floor to ceiling glass enclosure that overlooked the club, I found Caterina lounging on Callum’s lap, her arms draped across his shoulders. While he was eying his phone, she was kissing up his neck.

“Get a room,” I joked as I poured myself a glass of vodka.

With his gaze still zeroed in on his screen Callum grunted in response while Caterina’s cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t expect to see the two of you here,” I remarked as I sat across from them.

Scowling at Callum, Caterina said, “We’resupposedto be on a date night, but he can’t stay off his phone checking on Julianna.”

“Come on, babe. It’s the first time we’ve left her completely alone with a sitter.”

With a roll of her dark eyes, Caterina protested, “She’s with yourmother, not some stranger off the streets.”

“I still want to make sure she’s okay.”

Chuckling, I replied, “I never, ever thought I would see the day my big, bad brother was completely owned by wee lass.”

With a wicked smile, Caterina replied, “It shouldn’t be so surprising considering how whipped I have him.”

Callum tore his gaze from his phone to stare up at his wife. “You think I’m whipped do you?”

“Oh, Iknowyou’re whipped,” she teased.

“So do I,” I mused.

“Piss off,” he grunted to me. After tossing his phone on the table, he jerked Caterina against him before nipping her neck with his teeth. The action elicited a pleasurable sigh from her.

Rising from my chair, I grabbed my glass of vodka. “At least give me a headstart before you two start fucking.”

At Caterina’s horrified squeal, Callum merely chuckled, his face buried in her cleavage. “Do me a favor on your way out and tint the windows.”

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