Even for the annual big Halloween party in Lucky, Donovan never did the whole dress-up thing. Tonight was no exception. He glanced around his family’s pub and noticed he was practically the only one who hadn’t put some stupid costume on.
Ronan went all-out, as usual. He just walked in with three “Playmates” on each arm. He was dressed in a red velvet robe and had a big cigar hanging from his bottom lip. He wore a gray wavy wig underneath a white captain’s cap, and he even had hairy gray brows plastered on his face.
“What the fuck, Ro? You know the guy is dead, right?” Donovan questioned.
“Sure, but probably half of the people here are in costumes portraying nonexistent or dead people. What are you supposed to be? The party pooper police?” Ronan snorted.
His harem giggled, and he made a big show out of kissing a blonde on his left arm, probably because she stood closest at the moment. She must’ve felt so special. Christ. His little brother was a dick sometimes. Who was he kidding here? Ro is a dick most of the time.
Behind his back, he heard a familiar female voice state, “Ah, I see some things never change. God, you’re pathetic. When I look at you now, it’s like a time warp. This could really be you forty years from now.”
Ronan let go of his harem and stepped up to Donovan to give a response to the person behind his back. He glanced over his shoulder, and fuck, she still was as feisty as he’d remembered. Fianna. The only woman who’d ever tamed Ronan and the sister of Cait and Bree. Although their love had been short-lived, the fallout was still very much alive.
“I fuckin’ sure hope it’s me in forty years. I’m gonna go out of this world while fuckin’,” Ronan bristled.
The fiery redhead wasn’t shocked by his words. It only seemed to fuel her as she put her fists on her hips. “Oh, how eloquently stated of you. And you think your dick wouldn’t have already fallen off by then from every disease possible?”
Ronan stepped up to Fianna. They now stood nearly nose to nose, and Donovan had the urge to say something to calm them both down, but he remembered that whenever they would get into it, it was best to let them have it out. Once they got the insults off their chests, they would leave each other alone and everyone went on their merry way.
“How long are you staying?” Ronan demanded.
“I’m back.” She grinned.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, haven’t you heard? I’m staying at Cait’s for a while.”
“The fuck ye are!” Ronan bellowed.
“You really are catnip to a girl like me.” Fianna purred as she licked her lips. That was when Donovan registered she was dressed up as Catwoman. Her curvy frame was wrapped up tight in a black spandex catsuit with an attached tail and a cat mask with pointy ears. Her puffy lips were painted in the same color red as her long fingernails, and the high heels completed her look. His brother followed Fianna’s tongue wetting her bottom lip and narrowed his eyes.
Ronan leaned in even closer. “Listen up, kitty cat. Ye can quote all the fuckin’ movies ye can, dress up like a cat in heat, purr in me ear all ye want, but that ship sailed the day ye went on yer high horse and hightailed it out of town.”
Fianna’s eyes went wide for a brief moment, but she narrowed them just as quickly. “Hmmm. You really think I would ever go there with you again? How entertaining.”
“Drop the act. I see ye. I know what’s goin’ on behind those fuckin’ emerald eyes. Ye can act all tough, but I know ye, the real ye,” Ronan said while placing his hand on top of her left patent-leathered breast. He probably wanted to rest it on top of her heart.
As if struck by lighting, they both took a step back. Caitlin had joined their group and handed Fianna a glass filled with amber liquid. Cait was dressed in a tight, skeleton bones jumpsuit. She shot daggers at Ronan and his posse and tugged on Fianna’s elbow. “Come, Fi, Dunc is over by the pool tables.”
“What do ye need Dunc for?” Ronan roared.
“Oops. I guess the cat is really out of the bag now. I’m going to work for your brother.” Fianna purred and winked before she strode off to the pool tables.
“What the fuck!” Ronan bellowed and went to follow her. Declan, dressed as Batman, came out of nowhere, as usual, and halted him. He was the only one who seemed to get through to his twin. He spoke in a hushed tone, and Ronan nodded once. He briskly turned around and walked out of the pub, leaving the six “Playmates” standing by themselves.
“Wow. That was… intense?” Kate quipped.
Donovan glanced over at Kate who’d been sitting at the bar, getting a front row seat to this clusterfuck.
“I know, cupcake. I guess that’s normal for those two.”
“Oh my God, that’s normal for them? She’s so… just like….” Kate seemed flustered by Ronan and Fianna’s encounter.
“Just like Ro?” Donovan offered.
She nodded as she shifted her weight on the barstool to lean to her left to have a good look at Fianna standing next to Kayla and Duncan. Duncan was dressed as a football player and had his arm wrapped around Kayla’s waist. Kayla was dressed as a witch. She too had a black tight spandex catsuit on, just like Fianna, but the hat, cape, and little broom made it look like a sexy witch.
Kayla seemed to hit it off with Fianna, and Donovan watched his girl observing the redhead from her barstool with a wary expression. Kate seemed intimidated by the hurricane called Fianna.