Page 23 of Claiming Genevieve

My head snaps to one side, and I let out a cry, nearly losing my balance as I grab the countertop tighter, the edge of it digging into my palm. For a moment, I’m too stunned to speak. No one has ever hit me before. The burn of it, stinging across my cheek, sends every other thought spinning out of my head—right up to the moment when I hear a curse in Rowan’s deep brogue next to me, and hear the hardthumpof a fist meeting flesh.

Dazed, I turn slowly to see Rowan standing next to me, breathing hard. He shakes his fist out, looking down at where Chris is lying on the floor, groaning. Rowan lunges forward, grabbing the front of Chris’s shirt as he delivers one more hard punch to Chris’s jaw, and Chris drops back as Rowan lets go of the shirt—out cold.

It takes me a second to realize that—that Rowan knocked him out. I’m not used to this kind of violence. I grip the edge of the counter, feeling my knees go weak, and Rowan looks up at me, taking two quick steps to where I’m standing. He reaches out, his eyes still burning with fury, and I flinch without meaning to as he goes to touch my chin.

“Easy, lass,” he says softly. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to see—” He sucks in a breath between his teeth, and I wince.

“How bad is it?” I whisper. My cheek is throbbing, the burn still uncomfortable, and Rowan looks at it for a moment longer before meeting my eyes.

“It might bruise,” he says, and every word is tight with anger. “I should fuckin’ kill him for laying a hand on you?—”

“That seems like an overreaction.” My voice is shaky, though, even as I say it, wobbling as I look back down at Chris. A low groan comes from his chest as he starts to stir, and I flinch again.

Rowan tenses, and I see him make a sudden, snap decision. Before I can say a word, he lifts me off my feet again, sweeping me into his arms the same way he did earlier as he starts to stride toward the front door.

“What are you doing!” I exclaim, twisting against his chest. He feels distractingly good, but I force myself to focus on the fact that he’staking me out of my apartment.Ortheapartment, I suppose—there’s nothing about it that’s mine.

“I’m getting you out of here before the asshole wakes up,” Rowan growls. “We’ll figure the rest out later?—”

“There is nowe!” I struggle against his grasp again, but I might as well be trying to wrestle a bear. While considerably smoother and leaner than the aforementioned animal, Rowan is much,muchstronger than I am. I don’t have a chance.

He carries me all the way to the elevator, holding me against his chest as he presses the button for the ground floor. “Are you fuckingkidnappingme?” I shriek, and Rowan looks down at me, amused.

“No,taibhseach. I’m getting you out of a situation that you clearly won’t help yourself out of.” His gaze flicks to my still-throbbing cheek, and his expression hardens. “I’m not about to let that excuse for a man take his anger out on you.”

With his free hand, he pulls out his phone, tapping the screen. “Rory? Bring the car around. Quickly. Aye, right now. Thanks.”

“Where are we going?” I twist against him, trying to get down—even though I have no idea how I’d stand or go anywhere on my own without him helping me, which only infuriates me more, but Rowan keeps me effortlessly held against his chest with only the one arm. “Rowan!”

“Somewhere safe. We’ll talk then.” His mouth thins as he carries me out of the elevator when we reach the ground floor, and I stare at him, unable to believe how utterly high-handed he’s being about all of this.

“Rowan, I can?—”

“You can what?” He glances down at me. “You need my help right now, Genevieve. Even if you don’t want to admit it.”

“I have friends!” I spit out, glaring up at him. “I could call them?—”

He raises an eyebrow as he steps out of the building, toward a waiting town car. “Are you going to call them? The truth,taibhseach.”

I press my lips together, still glaring daggers at him. He barely knows me, but he seems to have me pegged when it comes to that, at least.

Gently, Rowan deposits me into the car, following me in. The locks engage before I can get out, and I stare at him in horror.

“Thisiskidnapping, now.”

“No, lass, I believe it might be called an intervention.” His mouth quirks at one corner in a half-smile, and how handsome he looks only serves to stoke my anger further.

“Interventions are somethingfriendsdo,” I spit. “We’re not friends, Rowan.”

“Aye, but we could be.” He grins. “Save your ire, Genevieve. We’ll talk when we get to my place.”

“Where are we going?” It sounds like an accusation, the way I say it, but I’m also curious. I know as little about this man as he does about me, for all that he’s inserted himself into my life, and I can’t help but wonder what kind of place he’d choose to live in.

“I’ve rented a place of my own. My father wants to keep me close, since I’ve come back, and I’ve mostly been abiding by his wishes. But I need a bit of space now and again, so I had Rory go out and scout me a place.” He gestures toward the driver, a man who doesn’t look much older than Rowan, with dark hair and an easy smile on his face.

“And that’s where we’re going?”

Rowan nods, his gaze flicking to my cheek again. “Is that the first time this has happened,milseán?” he asks quietly, and I bite my lip, nodding.

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