CHAPTER NINE
Rory
Ilook athim, this confusing man. He’s not like anyone in my world, not really. Blond, messy hair spikey and sticking up in all directions. Pierced ears and septum, tattoos down one arm and on his hand. I don’t know why I’m so fascinated with this guy, why I’m entertaining him asking questions, but it’s fulfilling something inside me that’s been making me feel…offlately. Like something is missing.
I spent hours talking to Kat. The woman is dangerous because she’s an open fucking book and way too trusting, but it worked in my favor. She shared stories about Shai—fights he used to get into at school before he stopped going, how good of a pickpocket he is, scams they used to run together when he was young. Everything she told me just made me want to know more.
“Have you heard of the O’Sheas?”
He frowns but shakes his head.
“I’m part of their family. Cillian’s father is the boss, Tiernan is his second. They’re mine, and I’m theirs.”
“I have no clue who the hell Tiernan is, but are you talking about some kind of Mafia family?”
“Ding, ding, ding.You picked a hell of a person to jack. Do you see the predicament you’re in?”
He looks flabbergasted, like he’s not sure if he should believe me, but at the same time, as though all the gears are now clicking into place. “Jesus. Are you fucking kidding me? Ollie has what, basically married into a Mafia family? The nerdy kid who wants to be a lawyer?”
“Surprising, isn’t it? Yes, but I don’t like that he’s what you focused on. Don’t get any ideas when it comes to him. He belongs to Cillian. He’ll rip your fucking heart out if you make the wrong move with Ollie, and I’ll hold you down while he does it.”
Shai trembles but tries to hide it by shifting in his seat. “I already said I don’t want him like that. He’s not my type.”
“You’re queer. I’ve seen the way you look at me. Even when you had a gun in my face, you wanted me.”
“You’re the one who was hard,” he argues.
“I know. Threw me for a loop, to be honest. Violence and fucking have always been two of my favorite things, but something about you and that night did it for me. I’ve jerked off more than once thinking about it.” I shrug. “You should be glad. If that wasn’t the case, you’d already be dead.”
He blinks a few times, like he’s expecting to wake up. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.”
“I have that effect on people.” I stand up, take the few steps between us in his small space, not stopping until I’m standing right in front of him. “Tell me you don’t find me intriguing too. You want more, want to know more. It’s why you’re running around trying to recreate the high you got when you stole from me. The others, they don’t give it to you, do they? Not like I did. Not like tonight when I joined you and we fought them together. I’m under your skin already, and strangely, you’re under mine.”
I reach for him, just to cup his cheek, when he snaps his head to the side and bites my hand. It’s so unexpected, I don’tpull away in time, his teeth digging into the meaty part of my palm. He’s such a fucking surprise, and as much as I shouldn’t, I want to keep him. I joked about Ollie being my pet before he and Cillian fell in love, but as much as I adore Ollie, I’m seeing now that someone like Shai would be a much better pet for me.
“Well, now you’re just getting me hard again,” I tell him, quirking a brow, and he lets go of my hand. “Huh. I didn’t know I liked being bitten.”
“You’re insane.”
“And you like that about me. What does that say about you?”
“I never claimed to be anything other than what I am.”
“And you think I did?” I counter. I pull out my gun, turn it around, and hand it to him.
He balks. “What are you doing?”
“Take it.”
“You’re suicidal.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to die, but I’m not afraid of it. I’m testing something out. Take the fucking gun. Don’t be a bitch about it.”
Shai doesn’t have to be told twice. In a swift movement that someone with his head injury shouldn’t be able to make, he grabs the gun from my hand, shoves to his feet, and presses it beneath my chin. “Is this what you want me to do?”
“Yes.” I shrug.
“It gets you off to think about me threatening you.” He moves forward, and I willingly take a step back, then another and another, until I fall down to the bed. Shai goes with me, pushing me to my back and straddling my lap, still pressing the gun into me. The fire in him makes my own burn brighter. “You want me to tell you I’ll kill you? Or do you like it better when I have the gun but you’re the one threateningme? What is it that gets you off?” His eyes spark with…fuck…power, desire, fear, confusion, lust… All of the above.
