Page 32 of Dark Succession (The O’Malleys #1)

S weat dripped down Callie’s body, and her muscles shook from dancing for so long.

She glanced at Sloan and Keira, and found them both flagging as well.

How long had they been out here? She touched both their arms and jerked her chin toward the bar.

They nodded, looking as wilted as she felt.

Wilted and happy. Threats from Carrigan aside, apparently she’d been right—Callie needed this more than she’d needed a spa day.

Out in the middle of the dance floor she was just another woman with no past and no future, the music driving every single thought and worry out of her mind.

But now it was time to come back to earth.

They made their slow way to the bar, and Callie looked around, trying to pick Carrigan out of the people standing there, and came up with nothing. She turned back to yell in Keira’s ear, “Where did Carrigan say she was going?”

“She didn’t. Hold on.” Keira trotted over and flagged down the bartender. They spoke over the bar for a few minutes, and then she trotted back. “Carrigan was here, but she left with some big, blond guy. I’ll text her and we’ll just meet her back at our place.”

Callie frowned. The woman had seemed far too protective to just up and leave her sisters to fend for themselves, especially when she so clearly didn’t trust Callie.

“Are you sure she left with a man voluntarily?” There were more dangers now than there had ever been.

She cursed herself for letting Teague’s sister out of her sight.

“Oh yeah.” Keira grinned. “They were practically making out here at the bar and she was the one leading the way when they left.”

Small mercies, though it didn’t reassure her as much as she’d like.

If Carrigan was safe, then she was incredibly selfish to abandon them like this when it was her idea that they come here in the first place.

She took a deep breath, and wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming scent of sweat and alcohol.

“Let’s get out of here.” Both women nodded, so she led the way through the front door and hailed a cab.

The silence pounded against her ears much the same way the music had. She shook her head. “That was fun.”

Keira grinned. “The funnest. I’ll have to blackmail Carrigan into bringing me along next time she goes.”

“Keira.” Sloan sighed and typed away at her phone. “I let her know we left.” She seemed to sink into the worn seat of the cab, as if it had taken all her energy to get through the night and now she was done.

The rest of the ride passed quickly, Keira filling the silence with chatter about the songs and the club and the men she’d been far too interested in for Callie’s state of mind.

She knew the girl was eighteen and legally an adult, but she couldn’t shake the protectiveness.

Keira was just so fresh faced and young in a way Callie hadn’t felt in too many years to count, despite not being that much older than her.

Innocence was something to be protected in their world because it came around so rarely.

The sisters poured out of the cab and stopped before shutting the door. Keira smiled. “I’m glad my brother is marrying you. You two are good for each other.”

It didn’t matter that she’d come up with that decision after a night of their barely talking—it still made Callie’s chest warm. “Thank you.”

Keira danced away, singing the last song they’d danced to. Sloan hesitated. “She’s right. Teague takes too much responsibility for everyone around him. He needs someone to look after him as much as he looks after all of us.”

The warmth in her chest spread, quickly doused by reality. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will.” And then Sloan was gone, following her younger sister into the house.

Callie rattled off the address to her home and sat back, feeling like she’d just lied through her teeth.

She did want to keep Teague from danger, but it was her fault that he was in danger to begin with.

Worse, he was looking for her and didn’t even know it.

She rubbed a hand over her chest, but it did nothing to stop the ache starting there.

Last night they’d shared something. They’d talked—really talked—and he’d brought her to heights she hadn’t thought possible and held her afterward like she was the most precious thing he’d ever possessed.

And she was lying to him.

The cab stopped on her street and she paid the driver before stepping out into the night.

The cool air felt heavenly on her heated skin, but her reprieve that had come from the dancing was over now, and her worries were all too eager to come crashing back in.

She still had no idea what she was going to do, and every day that flew by brought the increased risk of someone getting killed because she was too much of a coward to turn herself over to the Hallorans.

She dialed her phone before she could think better of it. It barely rang twice before Teague picked up. “Hey, angel. How are things going with my sisters? They haven’t made you reconsider saying yes at the altar, have they?”

“No.” She laughed a little. If she were any less selfish, she’d tell him the truth and accept the consequences, but she couldn’t make herself give Teague up.

She could pretend it was because she didn’t want to hurt him, but it wasn’t the truth.

If he knew what she’d done, he’d never look at her the same, and she couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing that wonderful combination of heat and caring in his eyes.

“I just dropped Sloan and Keira off safely at home.”

“Did you have fun?”

It said something that he didn’t ask where Carrigan was. Maybe she was paranoid to be worried about the woman—none of her actual family seemed that concerned. “Yeah, I actually did.”

“Good.” The noise in the background almost drowned out the approval in his voice.

“Where are you?” The question was out before she could think better of it.

“Down at a pub with my brothers.” He hesitated. “I didn’t realize how much I needed this time with them until I got it. ”

She’d known he cared for her—he’d have to be a liar of exceptional proportions to treat her the way he did and not care—but she appreciated each small vulnerability he revealed almost more than the outstanding sex.

Because he was allowing her inside, and she’d been around him enough to know he didn’t do that with just anyone.

Callie smiled. “I’m glad you’re getting it, then. Go have fun. You need it.”

“Come out with me tomorrow. Let’s get out of town for a few hours. Maybe go down to New York.”

She smiled. “That sounds like heaven.”

“Then it’s a date. I’ll see you tomorrow, angel.”

“See you tomorrow. Be safe.”

He laughed. “Always.”

Teague hung up the phone and turned to find Cillian mocking him. His brother froze, and then a slow grin spread over his face. “Man, you are so pussy whipped, it’s almost cute.”

“Fuck off.” He dropped back into his seat and eyed the shots that had been delivered while he wasn’t paying attention. “More shots?”

“Shots are what real men take when they’re not calling their girlfriend every five minutes to check in.”

Aiden leaned over and casually slapped the back of Cillian’s head. “Now’s a good time to stop talking.”

They raised their shots, all grinning like fools.

He wasn’t sure when they all grew so busy that they had no time for each other, but it had been longer than he could remember since they did anything like this, anything together .

Teague took the shot, the whiskey barely burning his throat. “We should do this more often.”

Cillian started to make some smart-ass comment, but Devlin cut in. “We should.”

“If you can leave that college you love so much long enough to come hang out with us.” Cillian laughed, a little too loudly. “College is meant to be enjoyed, little brother. You go for the women, the parties, and the sheer selfindulgence. You don’t go seriously.”

“No, that’s what you do in college.” Teague snorted. “How’s that degree in accounting treating you?”

“Hey, I like numbers. It was the easiest major I could pick that got our father off my back.” Cillian leaned over and gave him a stern look. “All I need are some sexy-ass glasses and I’d make a wicked accountant.”

Given his trendily tousled hair, ridiculously expensive suit with the brightly patterned tie, and tattoos, Cillian couldn’t look further from the old man who did the family’s books.

But he was right that their father wanted to pad the future with family in every way he could—including setting up one of his sons as bookkeeper to keep every responsibility in-house that he possibly could.

“Unlike you, Devlin’s in college actually making something of his life.” Aiden swiped at Cillian halfheartedly. “Some of us take things more seriously than you—and by some, I mean all of us.”

“Asshole.”

“You know it.”

Devlin took a drink of his beer. “The only difference between us is that I like school.”

“Nope.” Cillian shook his head, and then did it again like he had water in his ear. “No, they’re right. I enjoyed fucking around, and I had a whole hell of a lot of fun, but you’re actually going to go on and accomplish something.”

Well, shit. They were in danger of getting morose. Teague elbowed Cillian. “You’re never not fucking around.”

“Damn straight.”

“Then we toast.” Aiden lifted his beer, his eyes a little glassy. “To those of us who fuck around. And to Devlin, the best of us all.”

Teague and Cillian raised their glasses, blatantly ignoring the embarrassment on their youngest brother’s face. “To Devlin.”

Of them all, Devlin had the best chance to be as free as anyone could be in their family.

There were five siblings between him and the position of heir, and he wasn’t female to be traded to an allegiance.

It would take some arguing, but he could probably convince their father to let him get a job doing something he’d truly love.