Makena

The past two days have been bliss, being pampered and catered to like royalty. And I’m so glad Emer convinced me to come with her.

But I miss Shane.

That revelation is scary. Because if I miss him after just a couple days, then what am I going to be like when I have to go home?

Five months. That’s still a long time. And who knows what will happen between then and now? For all I know, he could be tired of me way before then. Or I’ll be tired of him.

I snort. Because, who am I kidding? The last couple weeks have been the best of my life. It’s not just the way the man has awakened my body. He’s stirred something in my soul. A passion. And that’s something that can’t be taken away. Not even when my heart breaks if this thing between us comes to an end.

“What’s that look for?” Emer asks as we’re walking down the old cobblestone streets of Dublin toward the Brazen Head Pub.

“I’m just grateful for everything. Thank you for all this.”

She locks her arm with mine. “Maybe we can make it an annual thing. Next time, Bree and Delaney can join us.”

I don’t mention that I won’t be here in a year. She already knows. But I have a feeling that she’s hoping whatever this thing is between Shane and I is more than what I know it is - temporary. Because it’s not a matter of if this thing ends, it’s when.

The Brazen Head is already overflowing with people when we sit down in one of the many rooms that make up the pub. The room we’re in has a bar on one side and a band playing in the corner, and I can’t move without touching elbows with someone.

Sitting at the bar, Emer orders two Guinness. A man, who is starting to look a little too familiar, sits down at the far end, his beady eyes continually drifting in our direction. He has a look about him that screams trouble. And not the good kind.

I’m pretty sure I saw him in the lobby of our hotel earlier, as well as when we were walking here.

I’m about to mention it to Emer, but she’s frowning down at her phone, typing out a message.

“Is everything okay?”

She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. “Cadence has a fever. Aiden thinks it’s just from teething, but…”

“You need to go home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Your family comes first.”

“If ye want to stay, I can have the driver take me home, then come back for ye tomorrow morning. Ye have the suite to yerself until then. Ye can always give Shane a call and let him know ye’re here.”

“You wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course not.” She slides off her stool, then gives me a hug before disappearing into the crowd.

The minute she’s gone, I realize my mistake. I didn’t bring my phone with me. It’s been sitting in the hotel room, uncharged for the past few days since I forgot to bring my charger. I think about going after Emer, but I know I’ll never catch up to her in the damn heels I’m wearing.

“Did your friend leave you?” A tall, sandy blond man in his late twenties sits down in the seat next to me. His eyes, a pale blue, are friendly, a contrast to the beady-eyed man on the other side of the bar that’s doing a poor job of pretending he’s not watching me.

“She’ll be back,” I lie.

“You’re American?” he asks with a southern drawl.

I nod and take a sip of my beer. Maybe I should have gone with Emer. There’s nothing wrong with harmless flirting, but I didn’t come here looking for a man’s attention. The only man I want is Shane.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“I was just leaving.” I give him a small smile as I slide off the stool.

Large fingers wrap around my wrist and he leans in, close enough that I can smell the whisky on his breath. He slurs, “I thought your friend was coming back.”

From the corner of my vision, I see the beady-eyed man shift in his seat.

“Remove your hand.” My voice sounds more confident than I feel.

“You look familiar.” His grip tightens and he squints at me. Then, a grin spreads across his face, and he tugs me closer. With how crowded the bar is, no one seems to notice. With his free hand, he takes his phone out of his pocket and snaps a picture of me. “You’re that crazy bitch that was stalking Chad Hollister.”

“Let me go.” My voice is shaky now.

When he takes another picture, I grab his phone and toss it on the floor, crushing my heel into it. It shatters. It’s probably not my smartest move, because now we have a small audience.

“Bitch,” he slurs, pushing my back painfully against the bar. “You’ll pay for that.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll release her.” The beady-eyed man towers over the blond guy, murder in his eyes. “Now.”

Even I suck in a breath at how intimidating he is, and my wrist is instantly freed.

I don’t bother with a thank you. I just take off, darting through the crowd and into the nearest restroom.

What just happened?

Taking a few deep breaths, I splash cold water on my face and glance at my reflection in the mirror. I’m never going to get away from the stigma Chad branded me with when he let those reporters write those stories about me.

And now, I’m probably going to have this guy sue me for vandalism.

A groan bubbles in my throat.

I need to get out of here.

But as soon as I exit the restroom and start towards the exit, I feel rather than see the hulking form that follows close behind me. The beady-eyed man is there, his gaze dark and intimidating.

I make it outside, desperately searching for a taxi, but there aren’t any. The shadow has followed me. There are a few people walking by, but I can’t help the fear that chokes me.

“What?” I scream, turning on him. “What do you want? My picture? A story?” I throw my hands up, and the man looks shocked by my outburst. “Why won’t you people just leave me alone?”

Large arms wrap around me, pulling me back against a solid wall of muscle.

I let out a small shriek.

“Easy, love,” a deep, familiar brogue says against my ear. “It’s me.”

I turn in his arms, looking up into the sage eyes that frown down at me.

“Shane,” I say breathlessly.

“Are ye all right?”

“That…that man…” The beady-eyed guy is still watching us, along with a handful of strangers that stopped to watch the Makena Fraser Freak-Out Show.

“Joey’s harmless.”

I frown up at him. “You know him?”

“He works for me.”

“For you?”

He sighs and he starts to lead me towards the Ferrari that’s parked, still idling a few feet from us. “Let’s get ye back to the hotel.”

I dig my heels in. “Not until you explain how you knew I was here, and who that-” I point at the beady-eyed guy. “-is.”

“Emer texted me and told me she’d left ye at the pub. Which I wasn’t very happy about. Ye shouldn’t be flouncing around Dublin by yerself.”

“I wasn’t flouncing-” I shake my head at him. “You’re changing the subject.”

“The man was keeping an eye on ye.”

“Why?”

“Because I was worried…” He drags his fingers through his hair and mutters a curse.

While I’m not thrilled with him having someone following me, the fact that he was worried about me says something. “Still…”

Shane sighs again. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

And with his words, I feel all my walls building back up at breakneck speed. Because nothing ever good comes from the statement, We need to talk.