What do you mean?
I can almost hear him quaking through the text.
Did he let my fiancée go into a dangerous situation?
Another text comes through immediately.
They went to D’Agostino’s for dinner, sir. And then after that, they decided they wanted a drink. Someone let them in. Someone let them know that it was the entrance to The Craic.
“I’ll hang him for this,” I tell Declan before I slam my phone down on the desk.
“What happened?”
“Seems my betrothed and her sister got some wild idea, decided to go to The Craic.”
“Are you takin’ the piss?” Declan says. It’s not often he shows surprise, but he looks fairly gobsmacked right now. “Well then, looks like I know where we need to go next.”
“You’re not going anywhere with that arm,” I tell him. “We need to get some antibiotics, and you need to rest. Last thing you need is aninfection.” I don’t wantanyonecatching a look at Erin at The Craic. “I’ve got to handle this on my own.”
“Jesus, Cavin, you’re as bad as your da,” Declan says. “Look at me. I’m perfectly fine. I’m fit as a fiddle. You shouldn’t be going alone. Plus, it seems like you’re going to have to handle Erin. Who’s going to handle hersisterwhen you do?”
I grab him by the scruff of the shirt and pull him straight off the chair. “If you think this is a gateway to a free ride, think again, you son of a bitch.”
“Ogre,” Declan says, and he goes to kick me in the bollocks, but I drop him hard before he can connect.
“Cavin,you aren’t supposed to upset his stitches,” Doc says mildly from behind him.
“Right. My bad.” I grunt. “Fine, you’ll come with me, but you’ll behave. I don’t want you anywherenearher sister. Understood? All I fucking need is you and your shenanigans.”
“Right,” he says, nodding. “I understand.”
“Good.”
“Coming, Ash?”
“Not tonight. You lads go, keep each other out of mischief.”
Declan snorts and I blow out a breath. I need to get changed.
I text her guard again and again, but no word.
I glare at the phone in front of me, and a part of me hopes he doesn’t respond. I don’t want him laying his eyes on my betrothed.
“You know,” Declan says thoughtfully as we drive toward the club, “I know that you and Erin are trying to let bygones be bygones and all that.” He pauses. “But this woman’s going to be your wife, Cavin. Makes sense to me that you take good care of her. She hasn’t had much of that in her life, has she? I mean, look at her father. She doesn’t have any brothers. And her father’s getting up there in age, isn’t he?”
I growl under my breath and take a right turn, heading down the road toward the private entrance to The Craic.
“I’m just saying it doesn’t have to be love, you know. It doesn’t even have to be anything physical between you. Maybe it would be best if you could, you know, appreciate what’s actually happening between the two of you.”
“And what’s actually happening between the two of us?” I ask him, narrowing my eyes. “What are you saying, Declan?”
He shrugs. “I’m saying you have an opportunity to make good on the bullshit that you did in the past, you know.”
“I don’t need a lecture from my cousin.” I give him a glaring look.
“No, but you’ve been moaning and bitching since you became engaged to her. This is an opportunity, Cavin.”
“Is it?” I ask. “Why don’t you tell me, Mr. High and Mighty, what the opportunity is that I have here?”
