I didn’t need her to, but fuck if it didn’t affect me.
The feisty redhead standing up to her uncle and the leader of the Westies for me. It tugged at something inside of me.
I guess that’s why I found myself here, standing a couple feet away from Killian and Shane as they share some heated words.
I glance around, catching Cliona standing with a group of women.
Striding up to Killian and Shane, I watch as Shane stiffens, alerting Killian to my approach. Killian, however, makes no physical reaction to me.
“What do you want?” Shane spits.
Glancing from Shane to Killian, I smile. “I’d like to put in an offer for your daughter’s hand.”
“Absolutely not. You’d kill her the first chance you got.” Shane is bristling, but not Killian.
Killian stares at me, a thoughtful look in his eye. “Thank you. We have received your interest. If you would like to draw up an offer and send it over to me, I would be glad to consider it.”
“What?” Shane hisses as he glares at Killian.
“Thank you, sir.” I throw in the sign of respect at the last moment.
As I walk away, I can hear Shane losing his shit, which only makes me smirk even more. Cliona glances at her father, then me.
I shoot her a wink, noting how her face turns red the longer she stares at me.
I didn’t plan to follow through on my threat to her, but after having a taste of her, I know I won’t ever be able to get enough.
I want her and I always get what I want.
“Really,Cleo? I told you to keep an open mind, but I didn’t expect you to cozy up to your enemy.” Killian offered to give me a ride home, saving me from hearing how my father had so many offers for my hand tonight.
My thoughts go back to Haruaki. He was joking, but for a moment I imagined him asking for my hand.
Would it be so bad?
Surely it can’t be worse than Ivan, the forty-year-old Russian man who very boisterously asked for my hand over dessert.
“It wasn’t like that.” I shake my head.
“Greer said you were practically humping in the hall. You know you can’t do that. Where the hell was your guard?” Killian has a tinge of anger in his voice, but he sounds more curious than anything.
“Good question. I don’t know. Also, your girlfriend needs to keep her mouth shut.” I can’t help but roll my eyes. “We weren’t humping. We were talking. We were trying to be quiet because, well, you know we aren’t supposed to be talking. He’s not that bad.” I shrug.
“So if he were to ask for your hand, you would be willing to consider him as an option? Even though he is ten years older than you?”
“Better than the forty-year-old dad is trying to marry me off to. What the hell is so great about the Russian’s anyway?” I mumble.
He shakes his head. “Back to the Yakuza man. You would really consider him?”
I look away and really think about it. Do I want him? Haruaki is an asshole. He’s dangerous. He could kill me, but when I was standing there with him, I didn’t feel unsafe. I didn’t feel like he hated me. He was toying with me, sure, but I don’t think he would have followed through on his threats. He wanted to scare me. He wanted to see how I would react.
“I would. Not that it matters. We both know that Dad will outright refuse. He wouldn’t trust that they wouldn’t kill me the first chance they got.”
He gives a small nod. “You’re right. He wouldn’t.”
As we pull up outside the house, he helps me out of the car before walking me up to the front door.
“I hope you sleep well, Cleo. Don’t stress about all of this. It will work out the way it’s supposed to.”
