Saoirse
I race down the narrow, circular staircase that I ascended with Cillian what feels like a lifetime ago.
I’m halfway down when the entire contraption shakes as though it’s about to fall apart. I glance back behind me and realize that one of the Kinahan thugs is following me.
My heart is going a million miles an hour.
So are my thoughts.
I’m still processing everything that’s happened between Cillian and me in the last twelve hours.
And now this?
When I get to the bottom of the staircase, I’m surprised to find that there’s still people milling around. Most of them are drunk, clinging to each other or to an empty bottle.
As I run past the bar, the bartender notices me. He’s tall, well-built, and good looking in a stereotypical kind of way.
His eyes go wide as he registers the panic on my face.
“Hey,” he says. “You okay?”
“She’s my business, O’Malley,” the Kinahan thug bellows. He’s closer to me than I realized.
I’m hoping that the bartender will come to my aid. But his face shuts down instantly.
He holds up his hands and nods in terror. “I’ll stay out of it then.”
“That’s fookin’ right.”
That’s when it hits me.
No one but Cillian has the balls to mess with the Murtaghs or the Kinahans. And right now, Cillian is dealing with a much greater problem.
Which means I’m on my own.
I fly through the pub until I reach the door that Cillian and I entered through.
I fling it open and race down the next flight of steps. This time, I’m thankful for the lack of light. Maybe I can find a way to shake off the asshole chasing me.
I bolt through the narrow passageway, hoping to run into Gabe.
But after what just happened with the bartender, I doubt he’ll be much help, either.
No one’s going to stand between me and the Kinahans.
No one but Cillian.
When I see the black door at the end of the passageway, I speed up a little. The man sitting in the corner isn’t Gabe. He’s taller, skinnier, blonder.
He stands when he sees me, his eyes zeroing in with suspicion.
“What the fuck?”
“Open the door!” I yell at him, aware that my pursuer is right behind me.
He does and I run out of it and onto the brightening streets. The sun is almost completely up now and there are a few early birds jogging or heading off to work early.
I ignore their pointed looks as I race down the streets, refusing to slow my pace.