Read Online Exploding: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #1) by Tuesday Embers - Free Book Online
Authors: Tuesday Embers
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opening and closing, but when it opened again, this time it caught Fallyn’s eye. James exited the elevator, glancing around before his eyes fell on hers. She threw her arms around Danny’s neck again turning his back toward James. She gave James a miniscule shake of the head when he took a step toward her. He paused, and then turned toward the front desk, making small talk with the security guard.
Fallyn pulled away and smiled up at Danny. “See you for lunch.”
Danny walked her to the exit, opening the door for her as they said goodbye.
Fallyn made her way down the street, grateful that Danny hadn’t caught wind of her flirtation with James. She didn’t want to cost her brother his job when he inevitably flew off the handle.
“Fallyn, wait!”
Fallyn froze, turning with wide eyes as James made his way toward her down the street. “What are you doing?”
He handed her the stack of resumes that she’d left on his desk by accident. “Forget something?”
“Oh. Thank you.” She glanced around like they were in the middle of a drug deal, expecting Danny to pop his head out and see the crime. “This way,” she ordered, shoving James around the corner of the building down a side street that was less crowded.
“He didn’t see me. I waited until he was back in the building.”
“You have no idea what you’re playing at. You can’t just call out my name like that in public.”
“Are you in witness protection or something? Your brothers can’t possibly be this overbearing.”
“They can and they are. Look, I like you, so you have to stay away from me.”
“That makes absolutely no sense.”
Fallyn led him behind a dumpster that provided some cover from passersby on the main street. “Jeremy’s the only boyfriend I ever had. I’m twenty-five years old. Do you think that’s normal? When he…” she lowered her voice so that James had to lean closer to hear her. “When Jeremy cheated on me, Killian bashed in the hood of his Mustang with a baseball bat. Declan gave him four flat tires. Danny beat him up. Carrigan took Jeremy’s sister out on a few dates, and Finn broke into Jeremy’s house and trashed the place with Keenan. Seamus took him out and got him drunk, took him to a tattoo parlor and had them tattoo “Do Not Resuscitate” across his chest. Then Daddy got the girl he cheated on me with fired from her waitress job.”
James’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
Fallyn nodded. “It was Keenan’s first strike. He’s in prison now, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have reach. I’m not trying to be a tease or make you question yourself. I’m telling you to stay away for your own good.”
James postured, his chest filling with firm defiance. “I’m not asking you for a relationship. It’s a simple date.”
“My first date was when I was nineteen, okay? Nineteen! What loser has to wait until they’re nineteen to go on their first date? Jeremy took me to dinner. That’s it! That’s all. Public place with a firm curfew. Finn ‘just so happened’ to bring his girlfriend to the same restaurant and ‘just so happened’ to nab the table next to ours. Declan called me every ten minutes, and when I didn’t answer once, he called the cops! Carrigan’s a cop, so he showed up with three patrol cars. It was a nightmare! I retaliated in some… um, some not ladylike ways. I didn’t speak to my brothers for months after that.”
James let out a chuckle, holding up his hands when she glared at him. “I’m sorry, okay? I’ve just never heard of anything so ridiculous. And your first date was at nineteen? It makes no sense. You’re a knockout.”
Fallyn smirked, despite herself. “Thanks. It wasn’t because no one asked me out. That was the rule of the house for me. Eventually guys stopped asking, or I stopped listening.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I had to take my brother Danny to the senior prom.”
James snorted, covering his mouth to hold back the
Fallyn pulled away and smiled up at Danny. “See you for lunch.”
Danny walked her to the exit, opening the door for her as they said goodbye.
Fallyn made her way down the street, grateful that Danny hadn’t caught wind of her flirtation with James. She didn’t want to cost her brother his job when he inevitably flew off the handle.
“Fallyn, wait!”
Fallyn froze, turning with wide eyes as James made his way toward her down the street. “What are you doing?”
He handed her the stack of resumes that she’d left on his desk by accident. “Forget something?”
“Oh. Thank you.” She glanced around like they were in the middle of a drug deal, expecting Danny to pop his head out and see the crime. “This way,” she ordered, shoving James around the corner of the building down a side street that was less crowded.
“He didn’t see me. I waited until he was back in the building.”
“You have no idea what you’re playing at. You can’t just call out my name like that in public.”
“Are you in witness protection or something? Your brothers can’t possibly be this overbearing.”
“They can and they are. Look, I like you, so you have to stay away from me.”
“That makes absolutely no sense.”
Fallyn led him behind a dumpster that provided some cover from passersby on the main street. “Jeremy’s the only boyfriend I ever had. I’m twenty-five years old. Do you think that’s normal? When he…” she lowered her voice so that James had to lean closer to hear her. “When Jeremy cheated on me, Killian bashed in the hood of his Mustang with a baseball bat. Declan gave him four flat tires. Danny beat him up. Carrigan took Jeremy’s sister out on a few dates, and Finn broke into Jeremy’s house and trashed the place with Keenan. Seamus took him out and got him drunk, took him to a tattoo parlor and had them tattoo “Do Not Resuscitate” across his chest. Then Daddy got the girl he cheated on me with fired from her waitress job.”
James’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
Fallyn nodded. “It was Keenan’s first strike. He’s in prison now, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have reach. I’m not trying to be a tease or make you question yourself. I’m telling you to stay away for your own good.”
James postured, his chest filling with firm defiance. “I’m not asking you for a relationship. It’s a simple date.”
“My first date was when I was nineteen, okay? Nineteen! What loser has to wait until they’re nineteen to go on their first date? Jeremy took me to dinner. That’s it! That’s all. Public place with a firm curfew. Finn ‘just so happened’ to bring his girlfriend to the same restaurant and ‘just so happened’ to nab the table next to ours. Declan called me every ten minutes, and when I didn’t answer once, he called the cops! Carrigan’s a cop, so he showed up with three patrol cars. It was a nightmare! I retaliated in some… um, some not ladylike ways. I didn’t speak to my brothers for months after that.”
James let out a chuckle, holding up his hands when she glared at him. “I’m sorry, okay? I’ve just never heard of anything so ridiculous. And your first date was at nineteen? It makes no sense. You’re a knockout.”
Fallyn smirked, despite herself. “Thanks. It wasn’t because no one asked me out. That was the rule of the house for me. Eventually guys stopped asking, or I stopped listening.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I had to take my brother Danny to the senior prom.”
James snorted, covering his mouth to hold back the
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