Page 18 of Safe and Sound

“But she–” Niall started to protest

“Is hardly a threat,” I replied.

The woman huffed as Niall and Thomas released her. As her trembling hand smoothed back her long dark hair, she countered, “I beg to differ about being a threat. I took you down, didn’t I?”

I chuckled at her cheek. “Aye. But only because I was distracted by your rapturous beauty.”

Jerking her chin up, “If you keep letting your dick distract you, it’ll happen again. I hope for your sake your friends are close by.”

With a grin, I couldn’t help asking, “Are you Sicilian by any chance?”

Her brows creased in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Are you from Sicily?”

“What does that have to do with me being manhandled?”

“Your temper. It reminds me of my sister-in-law who is Sicilian.”

With a shake of her head, she replied, “I’m Greek.”

“I was close.”

“Hardly considering a vast sea separates them.”

“So what’s your name, my Grecian goddess?”

She had the unmitigated gall to roll her eyes at me. “Seriously, does that kinda line work on women?”

Flashing her a grin, I replied, “Always.”

“Looks like your odds are changing.”

When she started to walk off, I said, “Give me your name so both I and my men can probably apologize.”

She stared at me a moment before rolling her eyes. “Fine. It’s Ava.”

Tilting my head at her, I said, “Ava isn’t a Greek name.”

“Are you calling me a liar about my own name?”

“Just stating facts.”

“You’re right, Ace. It’s Hebrew for life. And before you ask, the last name is Carras.”

“Very Greek.”

“And since you sound like a leprechaun, I guess you’re an O’Malley or a McDonald?”

Niall and Thomas had the audacity to snicker behind their hands at me being called a wee man. With a wink, I said, “McDonald is Scottish.”

“Whatever.”

Extending my hand, I said, “I’m Dare Kavanaugh.”

“Please tell me that’s a nickname and not part of some Bond-like persona.”

I laughed. “It is. I’m Darragh, but since I was a pretty rowdy kid, everybody shortened it to Dare.”

---