The venom in her voice took the air out of my lungs, and I rubbed at the ache in my chest.
Jesus, I felt like I was gonna puke.
Aislynn straightened her clothes, fluffed her hair out, and reached into her purse, pulling out a lipstick and a small compact mirror. After slicking some across her lips, she dropped everything back inside and closed the clasp.
“Baby,” I said huskily as she turned for the door. “It’s not over.”
She didn’t even look at me as she reached for the door handle and murmured, “Itisover. You made it that way when you stuck your cock in skanky Saskia’s mouth.”
“It wasn’t what you think it was,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
“I may be a virgin, Pagan,” Ash said sarcastically, “but I still know a blowie when I see one.” She tugged the door open and disappeared through it.
My feet moved of their own accord, and I followed her down the hallway, staying a few meters back. I knew I looked like a lost puppy, and it wasn’t like I even knew what I was trying to achieve by following her. I just didn’t want to let her go again. I didn’t want her to run.
My eyes tracked her as she approached the door leading back into the club, which suddenly opened. I gnashed my molars together as Bootneck sauntered through with Candy under his arm.
His eyes went straight to Ash, and he smiled sheepishly as he held the door open for her. She thanked him and disappearedback into the main club, then his stare slid to me, his grin slowly fading.
He let the door go and approached me nervously with Candy hanging off his arm. He didn’t even seem to notice she was there as we approached each other. Then, as I went to walk past him, he asked, “Everythin’ okay, brother?”
I balled my fist and swung it at him, catching him across the cheek, already covered in the bruises I’d been putting there for the last six weeks.
Boot’s head flew back, and Candy let out a little cry, but I ignored her and continued on toward the door Aislynn had just walked through, my mind already on my next step.
Ash may have said it was over with us; she may have even believed it, but unless I deemed it so, it wasn’t true.
Aislynn would be mine, and soon she’d wear my ring.
I just needed to think of a way to make it happen.
CHAPTER 20
AISLYNN
The strains of Dermot Kennedy’s song “Lucky” filled the room as I waited behind Maeve at the end of the aisle. Tristan and Maeve’s friend Emily had already walked down and were waiting for us.
The wedding venue was packed to the rafters as the happy couple’s wedding guests craned their necks, waiting for the bride to appear with our uncle Patrick, who also happened to be Maeve’s adoptive father.
A gasp went up from the crowd as she moved into view in her white dress with tiny sage green flowers embroidered into the lower part of the skirt. She looked like an Irish fairy princess with her porcelain skin, beautiful red curls, and gorgeous curvy figure, which was set off beautifully by the fitted, layered see-through gossamer of her gown.
God, she looked incredible.
We began to walk down the aisle, and I ensured I stayed a few paces behind her. Maeve was the star of the show today, and I wanted her to make the impact she should have on her first wedding, before her bitch of an adoptive mother and sisters ruined it for her.
Maeve let out a sudden little squeak and came to a halt.
I peered around her to see my brother Callum stalk up the aisle toward his bride, and I let out a soft laugh.
His face was full of love and longing for his wife, and tears filled my eyes as I watched his eyes, the same color as mine and Mam’s, also well up with emotion.
I knew Cal would be missing our da today, the same way I knew he’d be feeling bittersweet, the same way I was. Out of all of us, it was Callum and I who had the best relationship with Da, even though our auld fella had his faults.
Uncle Paddy leaned down to Maeve and whispered, “Are you sure about this? He’s fuckin’ loo-lah,” but Maeve just stared up at Callum as he approached, as if he were the only person who existed for her.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Ma said from the front row of the seats, doing the sign of the Holy Cross over her chest.
Callum’s friend Atlas’s deep, booming voice demanded, “What’s he doin’?”
