His dark chocolate brown eyes hold mine for a beat before taking a step back to allow me past him. “I’ll see you around, Kaia.”
I hate how good my names sounds coming from him, but I ignore it and push past him, heading for the exit.
7
The thin layer of sweat coating my skin from sitting inside the stuffy bar is replaced with a refreshing chill as I step outside. The heavy door slamming shut behind me, sealingthatworld away from me. A world I’m not returning to in a hurry.
I inhale deeply, doing my best to calm the pounding in my chest. It’s not the cold making me shake, it’s the adrenaline coursing through me. I don’t know what came over me in there. I hate confrontation and I’ve always done my best to avoid it, but he drew something out of me I never thought I had.
The strength to stand up for myself.
And it felt good.
It was probably a bad move on my part to talk to Killian the way I did, given hecoulddo a Ted Bundy on me after all and make me disappear. The thought sends a shudder wracking through me.
I wrap my jacket around me tighter and start walking across the parking lot. There’s a few guys lingering outside the bar enjoying a smoke, a couple of wolf-whistles and cat-calls emanating from their direction that I ignore.
Fuck, why did I agree to wear this stupid dress?
The door behind me swings open on its hinges with a squeak.
“Babe, where you going?” Fi calls after me.
“Home! Where I should have stayed all along,” I toss over my shoulder, the gravel crunching under my feet.
“You can’t go yet, it’s still early,” she protests.
I spin on my heel. “Why did you even bring me here, Fi?”
“Mac wanted to meet you and I thought you’d wanna get out of the house for a while.”
“Why would you think I’d enjoy watching a guy beat someone to a pulp? Is it supposed to be fun? I clearly missed the memo because as far as I’m concerned, violence isn’t a form of entertainment.” I release a shuddering breath.
Her face falls. “I’m sorry. I guess I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend.”
“By what? Leaving me sat at the bar next to a convicted criminal while you play tonsil tennis with your boyfriend?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it? I only agreed to come tonight to spend time with you, because I saw how excited you were for me to meet Mac and I didn’t wanna let you down. But this,” I motion towardsthe bar, “underground fighting? Associating with criminals? I get this is your world now, but it sure as hell isn’t mine.”
“Careful, you’re starting to sound like your dad,” she shoots back.
Her words take me aback and it’s as jarring as if she slapped me across the face herself. “Wow, that’s a low blow even for you.”
“Okay, maybe I took that too far. All I’m saying is, Killian can be an ass sometimes, we all know that, but he’s really not that bad when you get to know him.”
“Well, I’ll have to take your word for it because from what I’ve seen, he’s an arrogant asshole with a God complex who thinks with his dick and is in need of aseriousego check.”
“Look, I get you’re angry right now, so I’m gonna go back inside before we both say anything else we might regret.”
“That’s probably for the best.”
She sighs. “Kai, just… just text me when you get home, okay?”
Tears sting the backs of my eyes. Despite everything we’ve just said, she still worries for my safety.
I give her a stiff nod before turning my back and marching across the lot without another word.
