Page 22 of Faithless Vows

My da huffs out a laugh, and I sit back in my chair, drinking my coffee while the two of them start in on each other again.

Someone clears his throat behind me. I turn and find a few of the men standing there. They let me know they’re heading out, and I set my cup down and get to my feet. They’ve got an early morning with a load coming up from New York, so I’m not surprised they aren’t staying late. I thank them for coming and shake their hands before they go.

Once the first few leave, the rest start doing the same, finishing their coffee or the last of their drinks before making their way out. Before long, it’s only Seamus, my da, and me left in the room, the two old bastards still poking at each other when the door slams open.

Danny storms in looking pissed, with Mick hot on his heels. One look at that stupid fucking smile on Mick’s face, and I know he’s been winding Danny up on purpose.

My da looks between the two of them, then sets his coffee down and gets to his feet. “We’ll head out and let you lads get on with your night.”

Seamus stands too. “Enjoy yourself, lad,” he says, clapping me on the back as he passes. He stops beside Mick and says something too low for me to catch. Whatever it is wipes the smile off his face before he follows my da out of the room without looking back, leaving me with Danny still looking ready to swing and Mick already back to grinning like an arsehole.

Mick hooks an arm around my neck and leans in close enough that I can smell the whiskey on his breath. “Come on, then. Let’s get the fuck out of here and have ourselves some fun. This place is dead.”

I look at Danny. He gives me a short nod, still glaring past me at Mick. “Yeah. Let’s go,” I mutter.

If Mick hears the annoyance in my voice, he doesn’t show it. He drops his arm from my neck and heads for the door, whistling like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Danny and I follow him through the restaurant and out front, where a few more of my guys are already waiting by their cars. As soon as they see us, they start hooting and hollering, ready to get the night started. We don’t stand around long before everyone piles into their cars and we pull out of the Bayside lot together.

Triple O’s is only a short drive away. I turn into the lot beside the building and pull into a space near the others. Danny waits by my car while I get out, and we start for the door together. Ahead of us, Mick has the rest of the guys halfway there, laughing and talking over one another.

Inside the bar, the jukebox is blaring, and my guys have already taken over the corner by the pool tables. Some are sitting with drinks, others are on their feet holding cues, and the shouting starts the second they see me, my name mixed in with a mess of congratulations as drinks go up. Before I can get any farther, Mick appears beside me with two beers and pushes one into my hand.

That was fast.

“Here you go, boss,” he says, one corner of his mouth curled, before he taps his bottle against mine.

The way he says it makes my eyes narrow, but I only give him a nod. I lift the beer toward the tables. “Cheers,” I call, then take a drink. Mick watches me like he expects me to ask what the fuck he’s playing at. I don’t give him the satisfaction. He scoffs under his breath and heads back to the bar, already calling to one of the lads.

I leave him to whatever problem he’s got with me and walk over to the pool tables, where Danny is already racking the balls. Someone hands me a cue, and I take the first game, which gets two of the boys arguing over who’s got the next one. I’m just finishing the beer Mick gave me when Danny comes back from the bar with another and passes it over.

We play a few more games, not that anyone’s keeping score by then. Drinks keep finding their way into my hands. Itold myself I’d stop after the first few, but another one always shows up, passed over with a handshake, another congratulations, or a clap on the back. They go down too easy.

Everything’s louder. Everything’s funny.

When I check my watch, the numbers don’t make sense at first. My head’s thick, and when I move, the room tilts a little.

I’m done. All I want is my bed.

I look around for Danny. I wasn’t planning on drinking this much, but if I did, he was supposed to be the one with enough sense to call me a cab and get me home. Instead, I find him in the corner with a woman backed up against the wall and his mouth on hers.

That plan’s fucked.

I need air.I set my glass down and head outside. The noise follows me, then cuts off when the door swings shut behind me. I take a breath and look up and down the street, hoping to catch a cab, but there isn’t one in sight. I drag a hand down my face and turn back toward the bar, figuring I’ll have to go back in and ask the bartender to call me one.

Then I see Kitty leaning against my car.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, the words coming out slower than I mean them to.

She shrugs. “My dad mentioned where you were headed when I saw him earlier. Figured I’d stop by and see if you were having a good stag night.” She smiles. “Make sure you get a proper send-off.”

I stare at her, trying to make sense of what she just said.

A snort sounds behind me, close enough that I flinch, and Mick comes up at my shoulder. “You’ve got yourself a car, girlie?”

“I’ve got my dad’s,” Kitty says, holding up the keys and giving them a little shake.

Mick looks me over and grins. “You’re not driving anywhere, not by the looks of you.” He nudges me toward Kitty. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a ride.”

I stumble a step and catch myself against my car. Kitty moves closer. I expect her to take my arm and steer me toward her car. Instead, she slips her arms around my neck and presses herself against me.