Chapter 13
Troubbble…
Kane
The girls disappear into the other room and I meet Cam’s gaze.
He nods once. Already on it.
Tyler actually owns the pub, though he prefers to call himself a silent partner.
The long-time regulars know the truth, but beyond that, it’s not something he advertises.
He’s had the place for years now. He won it in a card game, of all things.
It's one of those stories you’d never believe unless you were there to see it happen.
There aren't any cameras in the pub. A fact that’s never bothered me until now.
My jaw tightens as the realization sinks in. That’s changing today. I don’t give a fuck if it’s overbearing. Men like that thrive in places where no one’s watching and they think they can do whatever they want without consequences.
I don’t take kindly to men putting their hands on women. She’s not mine, but still. Raven might think this was nothing, but my gut says otherwise. She brushed it off too quickly and she was working too hard to make it sound insignificant.
Which means there’s a fucking reason for that.
“It’s handled,” he mutters, like that will somehow settle the fire burning through my veins.
Not fucking likely.
“Good.” I don’t look up from my phone as I type out a message to Tyler.
Raven doesn’t want a fuss, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let my guard down. If there's more to this, I will find out.
Just before the anger took over, and before my focus shifted entirely to the bruise on her arm, there was something else. Something that completely blindsided me.
For three full seconds, my brain fucking short-circuited. Every rational thought in my head evaporated, leaving nothing but a singular, driving impulse to throw her over my shoulder, carry her straight back to her room, and lock the door behind us.
Fuck the bruise.
Fuck the conversation.
I wanted my hands on her. My mouth. My teeth. I wanted all of her.
She has no idea what she does to me. That sun-kissed skin of hers is practically begging to be touched.
I felt it in every inch of me, the pull to close the distance and see her melt against me like she did the first time. My body responded instantly.
All I could think about was pushing her up against the nearest surface, and pulling those hard nipples right in my mouth. My hands itched to pin her wrists above her head, to tear those flimsy little shorts off her body and see just how wet she was.
I was mid-fantasy, imagining the sounds she’d make, when she turned around and I saw the bruise on her arm.
Just like that, the heat in my veins shifted into something darker.
We should rain check the fucking castle.
The whole plan suddenly feels like a very bad idea.
I’m not sure I can be on my best behavior today.
Not with my blood still boiling from knowing what happened to her and my mind stuck on all the filthy things I want to do.
Very bad things.
The kind I'm sure she’d enjoy.
But I'm not even going to let myself go there.
I shove those thoughts down, forcing them somewhere they can’t distract me. There's a reason I thrive in my line of work; I operate best when I’m in control. I anticipate every variable before it happens. It’s how I’ve always been.
But she’s fucking chaos. A wildflower that grows wherever the hell she pleases. She's unpredictable as hell, saying whatever comes to mind with that sharp tongue of hers. The problem is, I don’t know what she’ll do next, and it’s driving me insane.
But one thing’s for damn sure. I’m going to find out exactly who that guy is, and he’s going to pay for putting his hands on her. At the very least, he’ll be blacklisted from every pub in the area. No one touches a woman like that and walks away without consequences.
Cam and I move through the house quietly checking every lock and every window. I don’t know if they walked home last night or got a ride, but I'm not taking any fucking chances. My gut is still twisting, something gnaws at the edge of my thoughts that I can’t quite place.
It's forgotten a few minutes later when they finally come out, ready to go.
Those leggings are going to be the death of me.
I don’t react. But I clock the way they hug every curve, moving with her as she walks. It takes everything I have to keep my eyes on her face.
With a single nod, we step outside. I can't help but track the way Raven locks up the house, making sure she double-checks the door. Satisfied, I open the door for her, watching her ass as she slides in.
I don’t know why I feel this unsettled.
I push the thought aside as we leave the city behind.
The further we get into the countryside, the more the tension in my chest eases.
I’ve always liked this drive. There’s something about watching the land open up, shifting from stone and steel to endless rolling green in every direction.
The road leading into the Highlands is a personal favorite.
The hills rise like ancient sentinels, stretching toward the sky.
Maybe I should tell them to add it to their list of things to see. For now, I lean back, letting the view and the quiet hum of conversation calm my nerves.
The gates swing open as we approach. The car rumbles down the long driveway and I can hear the gravel crunching beneath the tires. I barely reach for my door handle before Raven jumps out, practically bouncing onto the path.
She doesn’t even close her door.
Cam calls after her with a grin, “I’ll get your door, don’t worry!”
Raven doesn’t even look back. “Thanks!”
I shake my head while I get out of the car. We're not in a hurry, I already know exactly what we’re walking into. She, on the other hand, looks like she’s about to break into a full sprint like this is the first castle she’s ever seen in her life.
Hell, maybe it is.
“Wait, where is everyone? How are we the only ones here?”
I pause for half a second, like I don't have years of training in thinking on my feet. Simple questions shouldn’t be this fucking difficult.
Before I can answer her, Cam jumps in smoothly. “We got special permission from the owners. They kinda owed me a favor.”
Technically true.
Raven tilts her head and I can feel her curiosity spark from here, but lucky for us, excitement outweighs her need for details. She moves on, already distracted. Rachel, though, is not as easy to shake.
She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, suspicion dripping from every word. “Why do they owe you a favor?”
Cam just chuckles, playing it off with a shrug. “Let them use my restaurant for a work party once.
I hold my breath.
“Wait, what!?”
Rachel and Raven spin in unison, their curiosity locked onto a new target.
Cam, meet the interrogation squad.
“What do you mean, your restaurant?”
“You own a restaurant?”
“Where is it?”
“What’s it called?”
He blinks, clearly not expecting the sudden ambush. His eyes dart between them like he’s searching for an escape route and I'm not going to help him. This should be entertaining.
I smirk, leaning against the car with my arms crossed, enjoying the rare sight of Cam caught off guard. Usually, he’s the smooth one, always two steps ahead. But right now? He looks like a deer staring down two very determined hunters.
He holds up his hands in surrender. “Woah, woah, woah, ladies. Patience.”
Raven crosses her arms, unimpressed. “Oh, sorry, I forgot you’re some high-profile mystery man with all these secrets.”
Rachel taps her chin. “First, we find out you know castle people, and now this? You better not be a hitman, Cam.”
He grins, shaking his head. “If I were, I definitely wouldn't tell you.”
“Uh-huh,” Raven deadpans. “Suspicious.”
“Extremely,” Rachel agrees.
I shake my head, amused as hell. To his credit, he handles it well, recovering fast. He always does. That’s part of why he’s so successful, he thrives under pressure. Meanwhile, I file away the fact that Raven’s default setting is interrogation. Good to know.
“All right, first things first. Where would you ladies like to go?” Cam asks, smoothly diverting. “We’ve got the gardens, the wooded trails, or if you’re cold, we can head inside.”
They exchange a look before Raven looks over at me, as if waiting for my input.
Interesting.
She clearly doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. She’s trouble. And if she knew what that did to me, she’d run. My cock stirs at the thought. Fantastic.
“Whatever you want, Princess,” I say, keeping my tone casual, even though my thoughts are anything but.
She rolls her eyes but turns back to Cam, and at the same time, they both say, “The forest.”
That's not what I expected.
Cam straightens his jacket with exaggerated elegance and in his best butler voice, says, “Right this way, ladies. It's a bit of a walk, so I’ll regale you with the tale of the restaurant as we make our journey into the enchanted woods.”
I shake my head, laughing under my breath. He’s completely in his element and they’re eating it up. Watching them get sucked into his bullshit is entertaining as hell.
The more we walk, the forest opens around us as the towering trees sway in the breeze. The golden sunlight filters through in soft streaks, casting long shadows across the path. The smell of pine and damp earth lingers in the air, grounding me in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.
For the first time in a while, I feel like today might actually be fun.
I hear Cam's voice, and it breaks the moment. “It all started when I was a young lad,” he begins dramatically, making Rachel grin. “My granny, who basically raised me, loved to cook. She taught me everything I know. We’d start every meal by picking fresh ingredients from the garden. According to her, they had to be fresh. Then, we’d try making up our own dishes to add to the family recipe book. ”
He pauses, “Of course, there were plenty of disasters. Some of them so bad, even the dogs wouldn’t touch ‘em.”