One King's Way (On Dublin Street 6.5)

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and picked up his beer. “Find some new material for your jokes.”

“Are you kidding?” She pulled away to stare at him in mock horror. “You falling in love is the best material ever.”

I tensed immediately but if Craig was perturbed by her words he didn’t show it.

“That just proves your low level of wit if you think that’s the best material ever,” he countered.

The two siblings bickered affectionately and although I stopped freaking out about what Maggie had said, I started to freak out that Craig completely ignored it. And then worse . . . as their obvious love and closeness became more and more apparent I started to miss Darcy.

Missing Darcy led to thoughts of why I was missing Darcy, which led to thoughts of Angus, which led to the reminder that I was completely and utterly messing up my plans for revenge.

Because of a guy.

Once more I’d selfishly put my sister aside for my own needs.

Well no more.

Craig had distracted me long enough.

Somehow I had to get the plan to destroy Angus back in action.

Even if it really was the last thing I wanted to do.

*   *   *

That night I called my sister, needing to hear her voice, needing the motivation to do what had to be done.

“Well the sun is out here, so it must be late there,” was the first thing she said when she picked up.

I smiled at the familiar sound of her voice. “You know me. Night owl.”

“I miss you,” Darcy said, sounding sad.

“I miss you too.”

We were silent for a moment.

Finally I said, “How are things over there?”

“You mean have I recovered yet from the sex tape scandal?”

I grinned at the dryness in her voice. She sounded a little more like her old self. “Yes.”

“I was doing okay. Good, actually. But the last couple of days have been difficult . . . I keep dreaming about him. About the party . . .” Her voice cracked and I winced.

Anger flooded me but I did my best to keep it out of my tone. “Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know,” she said hurriedly, and I could hear the lie in her words.

Worry crashed through me. “Darcy—”

“I drew up some new designs,” She quickly changed the subject. “I’m emailing them to you.”

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.