One King's Way (On Dublin Street #6.5)(32)

I gave her the subject change without pushing any further, knowing she needed it, but inwardly my blood was hot and my throat was parched—my thirst for revenge on my sister’s behalf was back.





Rain



As it turned out, Craig made it easy for me to put my Angus plan into motion.

That Friday, at Craig’s behest, I arrived at Club 39 for the first time since we’d started officially seeing each other to hang out with him while he worked. When I arrived his colleague Joss came around the bar to greet me. I’d spoken to Joss weeks ago, way back before Craig and I were a “thing.” She was quick-witted and down-to-earth and I’d immediately liked her.

“Rain, hey,” Joss said with a grin. “Craig told me he asked you to hang out tonight. You know we’re pretty busy Fridays so I thought you might want to sit with my boyfriend and friends. They’re good people, I promise.”

“Where’s Craig?” I said as I followed Joss up the steps surrounding the bar and onto the main floor.

“Getting stock.” She strode over to the low leather seats that surrounded a table. It was a prime spot in the club—close to the bar but not too close, and far enough away from the dance area that you could still hear what people were saying. Sitting at the table were three people. Two guys and a young woman. All absurdly good-looking. “Hey.” Joss smiled as she leaned into one of the men, sliding her arm around his shoulders. He immediately wrapped his arm around her waist. Joss looked over at me. “Rain, this is my boyfriend, Braden.” She nodded to the tall, lithe blond woman. “His sister and my roommate, Ellie, and”—she gestured to the man Ellie was cozied up to—“her boyfriend, Adam. Guys, this is Craig’s girlfriend, Rain.”

“Hi, nice to meet you all.”

“You too.” Braden reached out with his free hand and I stepped forward to shake it. He had the most piercing blue eyes I’d ever seen. “Sit with us.”

Since I didn’t really want to sit alone again and it would be rude to say no, I nodded and sat down on his other side.

“So you managed to wrangle Craig,” Ellie said.

I noted she had the exact same pale blue eyes as Braden except where his were assessing, hers were surprisingly warm and friendly. “Somehow,” I laughed lightly. “I think.”

“Can I get you a drink?” Joss said.

“Already got it,” a familiar voice said over my shoulder.

I glanced up to find Craig rounding the table with a glass of wine in hand. He put it on the table in front of me and then leaned in for a sweet kiss. His eyes danced with humor, letting me know he’d heard the last part of the conversation. “And you have. Just to clarify.”

Understanding, I laughed. “Good to know.”

He and Joss left soon after and the bar started to fill up. I found myself simultaneously chatting with my three new companions while I watched Craig at work. The former was easy. Although Braden was a little intimidating at first, I quickly warmed up to him as he engaged me in conversation, seeming impressed with my success and genuinely interested. As for Ellie and Adam, they were easy to like—down-to-earth, funny, and clearly madly in love. It was easy to see from the way Braden’s gaze swept back to the bar as often as mine did that he was pretty gone for Joss too. She kept looking back at him and they shared these intimate looks I felt guilty for noticing, as though they were meant to be secrets just between them.

Along with the guilt, I found myself growing hurt, and that hurt began translating into anger.

My own glances toward the bar were rarely returned by Craig, who was rushed off his feet and far too busy engaging in flirting with his female customers.

The first time I saw him lean across the bar and tuck a piece of hair behind a girl’s ear I thought I was imagining it. But no. I’d seen him do it for real. And from there I watched as he grinned and winked and complimented and just absolutely flirted his fine, tight arse off.

Had nothing I said to him penetrated?

How could he be the way he was with me but still flirt with other women? So it helped with his tips . . . I did not give a flying f*ck if it helped with his tips! He was with me now and I was in the actual bloody room! Where the hell was his respect for me?

“You alright?” Braden suddenly asked, drawing my focus away from Craig to him.

I doubt I managed to hide my hurt or my anger. “I’m fine,” I muttered, throwing back the last of my wine.

“Another drink?” Adam said.

“It’s my turn.” I waved him off.

“No, no.” Adam stood up before I could stop him. “My round. The same?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I watched Adam as he strode toward the bar and something behind him caught my attention.

My heartbeat did that horrible skipping thing before speeding right up.

Angus was standing near the entrance to the bar with his two friends from before.

Our eyes met, his narrowing on me.

I sat motionless, not knowing what to do.

Only a few days before I’d been berating myself for not doing anything about Angus, and here I was, with him standing right in front of me and still I wasn’t doing anything. How could I with Craig in the room? The bar was not the setting I wanted—I’d wanted to remove any thought of flirting or seduction from the Angus revenge scheme but what if that was all I had in my arsenal? What if that was what it took to get under Angus’s skin? Yet . . . if I had to get flirty to get back in Angus’s good graces, it would be unfair to do so in front of Craig.