Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Our good time was interrupted by a woman’s raised voice. “I said no. Get off on yerself!”
We looked over, and I saw the same man who had pestered me leaning too close to a woman. Roisin rolled her eyes. “Talking about eejits.”
“Who is that?”
“His name is Kevin.” She lowered her voice. “One of O’Leary’s boys.”
Sully pursed his lips as Roisin stood. “I’ll be getting more drinks soon. Dance with yer girl, Sully.”
He rose, offering me his hand. He pulled me to him on the dance floor, leading me in a fast sort of jig. It made me laugh, but he was sexy as hell to watch. Then the band played a slower number, and he held me tight, his hand in my hair.
“Told you she’d love you,” he murmured in my ear.
“I see why you adore her.”
He nodded, pressing a kiss to my skull. I felt him tense as someone walked past. “Keep yer eyes off her if you know what’s good for you,” he snarled.
I didn’t have to look to know the eejit was close. I heard his drunk laugh as he walked away. “Fecking prick,” he muttered.
Sully tensed, but I gripped him, not wanting to cause a scene.
We kept dancing, then I heard Roisin’s voice over the music. “Stop that! I saw what you did.”
Sully was moving away before I could blink. He rushed over to where Roisin stood, protecting someone at the bar and berating Kevin and two other men I had spotted earlier with him. I hurried to follow him. Sully stepped between them, putting his big hand on Kevin’s chest. His voice was low and cold. It was a tone I had never heard from him before. “I suggest you back up. Right the feck now.”
He glanced at Roisin. “What happened?”
“He was bothering Kerri here. And threatening Tommy.”
“They’re harassing all my customers,” Tommy offered. “Spilling drinks on purpose so I have to come from behind the bar and get them cleaned up. Trying to grab bottles. Get his hand in the till. I told them to leave already.”
“Not harassing anyone,” Kevin sneered at him.
“You harassed me in the hall. Grabbed my arm and refused to let me go by,” I stated.
Sully’s expression turned murderous. “Your night is over. Get out.”
“And who the feck do you think you are to order me around?”
Sully smiled. It wasn’t pleasant or warm. It was cold. Furious. It made me shiver.
“My name,” he announced in a dark tone, “is Sullivan Black.”
The change in the man he was in front of was so drastic, it made my head spin. He paled, stepping back, as did his friends. He held up his hands. “We’ll leave.”
“Don’t come back.”
“No, sir.”
They turned and almost ran from the bar. Sully frowned and looked at Roisin. “Take Autumn to the table. I’m going to make sure they leave.”
I was so shocked by what I had witnessed, I didn’t protest. I sat down, and Roisin pushed a drink my way. I took a sip, sputtering at the whiskey I swallowed. She shook her head. “You needed that, lass. You were white as snow.”
“What just happened?”
Connie cackled. “Sully did. Brilliant.”
I shook my head. “Why did they suddenly all look so frightened?”
Roisin smiled, although it looked forced. “Local legend.”
I looked to the door. “Where is he?”
“He’s fine.”
I slid off my stool. “No, I’m going to check on him. What if they jumped him or something?”
Roisin looked as if she was going to argue, but she let me go. I pushed open the door, wrapping my arms around myself as the cold wind hit me. The parking lot was empty, and I grew even more nervous, suddenly scared Sully was lying around the corner, beaten. I raced to one side, then the other, stopping as I found him. His back was to me, and he was on the phone.
“One of your lads.” He listened. “Hassling the barkeep and customers. Including my woman. Back-talked my aunt. You allow this shite, O’Leary?”
I could hear a voice but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“He put his hands on her. I wanted to kill him. But I held back.”
I stepped back in shock, my hand covering my mouth.
He was kidding, right?
I must have made a noise because Sully turned around and saw me there. He regarded me for a brief moment. “Clean up your crew,” he hissed, then hung up.
We stared at each other, and he strode forward, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “Autumn, you’re freezing. Let’s go inside.”
I looked down and saw red on his knuckles and grabbed his hand. “What happened?”
“Eejit took a swing. I swung back.”
“Who were you talking to?” I demanded.
“His foreman. He needs to know what disrespectful arses are working for him.”
“Were you serious?”
He sighed. “I was angry. He might have a black eye, but he is very much alive.”