Page 25 of Irish Fury
Eze stopped the flow of traffic to bend down and kiss her softly on the lips. She may have swooned. Following the host once more, Mags whispered, “Christ, Eze, but you handle a woman well for a gay man.”
“Oh, I like women too.” And then he winked. Well, okay.
fifteen
JONATHAN
“For the loveof all that’s holy, Jon, stop staring at her. Your face is screaming stalker,” Daniel hissed in his ear, like the annoying mosquito he was.
The elbow to the gut proved how much his cousin needed swatting. Jonathan tossed back another swallow of his family’s whiskey, which had him remembering his conversation with his dad earlier, though conversation wasn’t a completely accurate description.
His father let Jonathan know that he expected an attitude adjustment before they met again, and that if he ever snapped at his mother again, he’d tan his hide no matter his supposed adult status.
He cringed in shame. He had been short with his mom. She’d been telling her sisters, Raven and Rowan, that she couldn’t wait to hear all about Mags’ date. Jonathan had childishly replied, “You need to get a hobby, Mom. No one else gives a shit.”
And that was when his father grasped him by the back of the neck and led him from the room. He’d gone back to his mother and apologized, because he was out of line and because he hadhurt her feelings. Taking his anger out on her had been a new low.
The evening, unfortunately, didn’t improve. He and Daniel were the only friends in the group who didn’t know who Mags was bringing or whether it was the same “friend” who had taken her to the hospital and who she was now living with.
Even Ciar and Dagr were tight-lipped, and Jonathan knew that they knew since they were married to two of Mags’ best friends.
Even Blair let him down. Daniel relented after hours of Jonathan needling him to ask Blair. Daniel said she rolled her eyes and shut the front door in his face.
Jonathan had been at Gray Eyes for two hours, and unfortunately, he was no longer in the dark about Mags and her friend. He wished he were.
He’d had to endure an introduction to the bastard, who couldn’t seem to keep his giant paws off Mags. Jonathan saw red as he watched the man’s hand curve around her ribs, her bare ribs.
The dress she wore was created to bring men to their knees, or perhaps it was the woman who wore it. He forced his eyes from her breasts, the creamy smoothness of their curves peeking from the deep cut of her bodice making it almost impossible to blink
It had been hell to watch that man’s thumb sliding gently over the bruises marring Mag’s ribs, visible when the soft light surrounding the room hit her just right. Jonathan wanted to get her alone and ask her if she was truly okay. If there was anything she needed.
He wanted to be the man who provided her comfort, but he’d left it too late.
Jonathan startled when Gray tapped him on the shoulder, not realizing that she, Blair, and Bébhinn had joined him at the bar.
“It sucks, doesn’t it?” Bébhinn asked.
“Am I supposed to guess what you’re speaking of?” Rude, but his personality had departed weeks ago. Also, he knew exactly what she was referring to, or who, rather.
Bébhinn sighed in what must have been disappointment. “Our group is meeting in the card room for a brief announcement. Don’t be late, turd.”
“It’s not a good look, Jon, to only be interested in Mags now that she’s gotten over you,” Gray said solemnly. “She has enough heavy things dragging her down right now. She doesn’t need you piling on.”
He wanted to shout that he’d always been interested in her. He wanted to beg to know what things were worrying Mags. He said nothing, which he was pretty good at.
Gray and Bébhinn went to stand by their husbands, leaving Blair looking at him fiercely, her head of fiery curls and waves reminding him of Medusa. She looked like she wanted to turn him into stone at any rate.
“I saw you kiss Mags that night,” she signed.
Jonathan would swear he’d been electrocuted. He didn’t think anyone knew about that night. “You mean Mags told you?” There was no reason to deny the kiss, nor was he upset that Mags would tell one of her best friends.
“No. I saw you. I was in the gardens below. I watched you take advantage of her feelings for you. Then, I watched you leave her alone without a word.”
“I shouldn’t have?—”
“Shouldn’t have what. Kissed her? Left her? Kissed another girl a minute later? I ran back inside to get to her on the balcony, but she’d already gone back inside before I could get to her. Shewas watching you kiss that girl, and you were watching Mags while you did it.
“I understand we were all younger then, alcohol was involved, mistakes were made. But you hurt her that night, and you’ve continued to hurt her for almost three years. None of us would have wanted you to date Mags if you weren’t into her that way, but you could have at least explained that to her after the fact.
