Declan stared the man down, eyes wild like an animal. “Aye, that’d be me.”
“We’d like to talk to you about your whereabouts last night.”
Declan forced a laugh. “Don’t mind tellin’ ya I’d been buried in me girl all night, like.”
“Is she willing to corroborate that story?” The police officer turned and whether he realised it or not, seemed to square up to Declan. I sucked a breath in through my teeth. He was playing with fire.
“Aye, she could but ya not gettin’ anywhere near her, y’hear?” Declan growled, stepping closer to the fence. “Y’not welcome here, feckin’ pig.”
Someone a few rows back lobbed a bottle, and it smashed loudly against the fence, glass flying everywhere. The police officer stepped back with alarm and Declan simply laughed, mocking him, goading a response.
It was like that bottle had represented the camp’s shared restraint. As it shattered, chaos exploded and soon folks were all over, shouting and screaming at the police through the fence. The officers prepared themselves, holding up large plastic shields as more and more glass and debris were thrown at them.
I wasn’t sure what made me glance across through the fray, but my eyes landed on a familiar face and fear shot through me in an instant. Tess. What the fuck was a wee girl, and a buffer no less, doing out here? Declan would go absolutely fucking crazy if he knew.
I wrestled my way to her side, reaching out and grabbing hold of her shoulder. She flinched, head whipping around and eyes wide with fear, though she seemed relieved to see me.
“The fuck a’ya doin’ out here?” I snapped.
“Holy shit, you scared me!” Tess gasped, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m looking for Declan. I thought maybe I could help—”
I didn’t have time for this. I grabbed hold of Tess’s arm. “Y’need t’ get outta here. This is no place f’ wee buffer like yourself.”
“But—”
“Declan can take care o’ himself. He wasn’t wi’ us when we hit ya man’s pub, now. The pigs got nothin’ on him.”
Tess froze, staring up at me, her face almost seeming to pale before my eyes. “You… You trashed Garrett’s pub?”
He shrugged, a smirk pulling at the corners of my mouth. “Aye. Declan didn’t tell ya?”
Tess didn’t reply, just shook her head.
“Ya man was lucky Declan was wi’ yourself that night, is all I’m sayin’. Wouldn’t o’ been just the pub we’d wrecked, now.”
“Declan sent you?” Tess whispered.
Just as I’d expected – she didn’t understand. The look of horror upon her face, like I was some sort of monster, immediately put me on the defensive.
“Y’don’t refuse us service, call one o’ us a pikey an’ get away with it, Tess. Ya man will think twice next time, eh?”
“I… I think I should go home.”
Tess looked as though she was about to throw up. She probably should have gone home, but it was far too late for that now. She was Declan’s girl. She was to do as he said, and I knew without a doubt that he’d want her to return to where he could keep her safe.
“Y’goin’ nowhere f’the time bein’, now,” I instructed. “Get y’hole back t’ Declan’s place an’ wait f’him there. He’ll be along once all this is over, aye.”
When Tess nodded, I relaxed my hold on her and shoved her away through the crowds.
“G’on.Get,” I muttered. “This might get messy.”
All hell broke loose. The crowd’s yelling and jostling erupted into a violent fist fight between two fellas. It always seemed to go this way whenever tempers flared. This wasn’t a place for a wee buffer. Declan needed my support, but I was fucking certain he’d rather I dragged Tess back to his place first. I glanced around, surprised not to see Tess still standing beside me. My eyes scanned the chaos. Where the fuck could she have disappeared to? She’d been right–
At last, I spotted Tess and yet my stomach dropped. She was beside Darragh, and the stupid fucking idiot had his hands all over her, pawing at her. I moved, desperate to get to him and put him right, but as a ripple of energy seemed to burst through the crowd, I knew I was already too late.
I watched a short distance away, helpless as Declan snatched Tess away from Darragh and landed a brutal punch against his jaw. Darragh went down like a sack of shite and panic overcame me as Declan lost himself to his fury.
“Shite! Get Declan offa him! He’ll kill him!” I roared, glad to see some of the other men leaping into action.
