Page 1 of Rush
1
RUSH
She walks into the clubhouse like she owns it.
Dark hair pulled back, jeans that look as though they were molded to her body, boots with a heel. Confident stride, eyes that take in everything without looking like they’re scanning the room.
I clock her in three seconds flat; my threat assessment is automatic now. She's not a threat, a danger of a different kind. She doesn’t look at me as she walks past where I’m perched at the bar, just heads straight to Chloe and the other women. Gráinne stands and hugs her, Caoimhe does the same.
My hand tightens on my beer.
I make myself look away and scan the rest of the room. Bozo's playing pool with Wrath, Tank's talking to Raptor near the chapel door, Cowboy's got Saoirse on his shoulders, making her squeal.
A normal Friday night; except it's not. Because she's here, and every instinct I've got is telling me to position myself between her and the door. I don't move. I just drink my beer, and I wait.
Pyro finds me twenty minutes later. "You see her?" he asks.
"Yeah."
"Diesel's daughter, Everly. She's doing a postgrad at Trinity, immunology or some shit."
I nod but don't say anything.
"Diesel wants eyes on her while she's in Dublin. Nothing heavy, just make sure she's safe."
"Okay."
"You good with that?"
"Yeah."
Pyro studies me for a second. He's President and he notices everything. "She's off limits."
"I know."
"I mean it, Rush. Diesel will gut anyone who touches her."
"I said I know."
He walks away. I finish my beer, then order another.
I don't look at her, but I know exactly where she is, who she's talking to, how she's standing.
Feet shoulder width apart, weight balanced, hands moving when she talks. She laughs at something Ailbhe said and the sound carries across the room.
She's got a scar on her left hand, a small white line across her knuckles.
I shouldn't have noticed that, I shouldn't be paying this much attention to her, but the moment I saw her, I took her in, I absorbed every detail about her..
At around ten, she gets up and says goodbye to the old ladies, then walks toward the door.
I'm off my stool before I think about it, positioning myself near the exit. Not blocking, just there.
She sees me and stops, her eyes roaming over my body. "You're Rush," she says.
"Yeah."
"Everly." She doesn't offer her hand, just nods.
