7

I chose to avoid her intense gaze and looked around the room awkwardly, feeling her challenge. Apparently she thought I was going to kiss her or pounce on her and yes I would love to but I felt like I was going to burn myself on her and psychologically I had to be more careful of something like that than most people.

"Why so shy all of a sudden?" she asked, almost breathing, taking a step toward me, but before she could put her hand to mine, Jake suddenly stormed out of the living room, dressed only in boxer shorts, the rest of his clothes in his arms holding while my eyes fell on his almost panicked eyes.

"Was ist-"

"We have to go," he burst out and my eyes rested on his face, irritated, while Padraig came over to us, but unlike Jake, he had a smile on his lips and put his arm around his shoulders.

"You keep claiming you're the biggest fucker, but as soon as three hot chicks want to touch your device, you run away like a molested dog."

Padraig laughed out loud and Irina's giggles also reached my ears from the side. I couldn't resist a grin anymore and angrily Jake hurriedly pulled on his jeans.

"Those aren't chicks. They're famished beasts," he growled at Padraig, and when he was still in his shirt and jacket, he looked at me expectantly. "So what is it?!"

I rolled my eyes and would have liked to talk to Irina longer, but I didn't want to leave my best friend alone now either.

Apologetically, I looked at the little one next to me, who seemed to immediately understand what was going on in my head. She leaned towards me, gave me a tender kiss on my cheek and then nodded smiling.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again," she explained, and when I heard a few of the girls padding over to us in the living room, Jake disappeared wordlessly out the front door as if bitten by a terantula. Only Padraig was still waiting for me and together we left this huge villa to make fun of Jake outside for a while.

"Ticks that bark don't seem to bite," Padraig laughed, lighting a cigarette as we leisurely strolled down the streets, following Jake, who was walking ahead of us in frustration, oblivious to us.

Somehow I felt sorry for him. After all, I was the only one who knew why he was the way he was. After being with his ex for five years, anticipating her every wish and even spending all his savings on her, she cheated on him behind his back for months and just left him cold as ice from one day to the next.

Since then, he has been just as unable to allow closeness as I have, only the reasons were different for us.

"What else are you up to?" Padraig interjected at some point when we were almost back in Dublin and I shrugged unknowingly while Jake stopped and finally started paying attention to us again.

"We could go to the club again," he said, but I immediately shook my head in the negative. I really didn't have a nerve anymore at parties or women.

"Come on. I don't want to be alone tonight," he pleaded, and I said no again.

"My car is at the club. I can drive you home."

Jake let out a frustrated breath and gave me a disappointed look while, strangely enough, my mind suddenly turned to Irina and I couldn't get my mind off it the rest of the way. It wasn't until Padraig unlocked his convertible, we got in and loud rock music started playing that I got my thoughts straight again.

"Then come with me," I offered Jake, knowing he was having trouble with being alone. That was also one of the reasons why he kept picking up women.

"And Rian?" he asked, looking back from the passenger seat, whereupon Padraig laughed and we both looked at him questioningly.

"I'd be more worried about Keeva," he grinned, and I had to agree.

Rian was worse, sure, but he was so busy living with his new politician that he wouldn't notice Jake's presence anyway.

Keeva, on the other hand, was worse than any watchdog in the world since Esme.

"They won't come into my room. Besides, tomorrow is Sunday. They're going to the golf course."

Jake looked at me and seemed to consider it before nodding his agreement and looking relieved.

"That my cousin plays golf," Padraig shook his head, suppressing another laugh. "What have you made of her."

"Better than shooting cans in the woods," I subconsciously defended my brother and his hobby, even though I'd rather shoot cans than play golf myself.

Why did I do that???

"Oh," Padraig laughed, turning onto the road that led to Jake's house as I was still able to operate my motorcycle. "That used to be times. I shoot heads now, as you can see."

I had almost forgotten what had happened earlier until he brought it up again and I realized again that I had shot someone. Sure, it wasn't my first murder, but it was the first without Odran by my side. It's funny...

"So, here we are. Are you sure you can still drive?"

"Yes, I didn't drink anything at Irina's."

Padraig nodded and when his cell phone suddenly rang loudly, I thought for a moment that it was Keeva who wanted to check me over him, but when I looked at the display, I recognized the name Valentina, which didn't mean anything to me.

"Fuck!" the gypsy cursed and then went to his cell phone.

"Sorry mouse, I forgot the time."

Mouse??? What happened to that?!

"Or forget the Russians," Jake laughed out loud and was immediately elbowed in the face by Padraig, causing him to groan in pain.

"Yes, I'm coming. See you soon, sweetie."

He hung up and glared at Jake.

"One more time and I'll really knock your teeth out. One at a time!"

"Uhhh, Valentina seems important to you," I remarked provocatively, then watched Padraig tense his entire body.

"Fuck off!"

I got out, grinning, and Jake followed, still holding his nose.

"He doesn't have them all anymore," he cursed from under his hands while I ran ahead of him to his front door because we still had to get my helmet. He unlocked the door and I bent down to hand the helmet to him.

"You always have to provoke people. So it's your own fault."

Rolling his eyes, he took the helmet, but suddenly handed it back to me immediately.

"Forget it. You take the helmet," he said and I shook my head too.

"You take him!"

"Senan, you're an uncle and you take that fucking helmet now!"

Not wanting to engage in further discussion, I annoyedly accepted the helmet and got on my bike ahead of him to wait for him to sit behind me. Almost clutching, he wrapped his arms around my waist until I opened my visor and tensed.

"Are you crazy?"

"Hey, you drove me away from my acquaintance, so you can now give me a little closeness!"

I heard his stupid laugh and then drove off laughing myself, heading home.