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Danny, I quickly learned, was used to bookkeeping the old-fashioned way Neat cursive told the story of his business in a shelf full of green ledgers When he had atteone south What he had done was horrific, and abandono Luckily, he’d invested in a decent software package, so I had a good base to work fro of the financial year, I could then keep things up-to-date whilst working through the backlog I worked for half an hour before a hard thump on the office door startled me If there was ever a time when an unexpected noise didn’t put et there
"Coh no invitation was necessary A few h, anyway The guy who entered was huge and just as built as O’Connell He eating profusely and srinned, completely unaffected, as he strode in
"So, for once the rueous woym, and Danny’s locked you in here to save you froht, he was seriously cut in a way that was hard earned, not gyifted His blond, buzz cut hair and chocolate eyes contrasted coaze He lacked O’Connell’s intensity, but the gentle eyes and dopey grin were still char it out and sunk into it in a well-rehearseda lot of tihty school kid He leaned back with his hands behind his head, then, thinking better of his herty Nice to meet you," he introduced himself politely
"I’m Ele like O’Connell, and he didn’t have that look in his eyes that made me fear him It didn’t matter if a man was short and thin, or tall and built; soave away a poison behind it A poison that made them want to hurt and break what most men would protect and cherish I’d had a LOT of practice looking at that stare, and all I saw in Kieran’s eyes was laughter If I wasn’t co any kind of contact, especially with men
"Well, darlin’, you’re a breath of fresh air around here Handing overthe collecting"
He carried on siven it a solid shake I guessed that he expected me to make so?" I enquired, searching for his naer
"Sure Since me and Con were kids Must av’ been six years old when Dan stopped us fro the shite out of each other on the street and put us to work He was mean, too, but fuck knoe needed a bit of discipline"
"Con?" I asked, wondering who he was talking about
"Corly fecker with the tattoos you seewith Course… that pretty uess, though I’ll deny it if you say anything to the shithead"
I was a little overwhel and the way Kieran spoke about O’Connell, despite his tellinghere would be an education in roughneck camaraderie He pulled out a few notes from the pocket of his shorts and chucked theainst the wall
"Sorry," a gruff voice called out, as the body belonging to it , arsehole? Didn’t your ma ever teach you any feckin’ manners?" Kieran barked with a scowl
"Chill out, Kier, I just forgot it wasn’t Danny, that’s all"
Desperate to diffuse any hostility, I interjected "It’s fine, no harm done Do you have your subs?"
"Well, hellooooo beautiful If I knew Danny was hiding soo But now I’onna make my day and let me leave with your number?"
Kieran jerked his thumb toward hinising hionna get it rearranged That’s if me or Danny don’t do it first"
Tommy, like most of the other boys, was cut like an underwear ht pack abs were about the only part of his body not covered in ink Both of his arms had sleeved tattoos that spanned down to words that I couldn’t decipher across the back of his hands He was uys, and unlike their neat y brown hair was just shy of falling into his eyes What he lacked in size, he certainly h
"Fuck off, Keir You’re just pissed ‘cause you know she’s feelin’ it"
He was so ridiculously cocky; it was hard not to laugh I honestly wasn’t sure whether he was acting this way to make me smile and break the ice or whether he really was this confident Regardless, I could see Kieran losing his terunted at the saain?" Tommy said, but a slow smile spread across Kieran’s face I tapped the book in front of er says you owe ten pounds this week It’s lovely to iving out this week are the ones in the ledger" I spoke quietly and didn’t want to sound like a bitch, but I was knocking potential advances on the head, even if he wasn’t serious
"D’you hear that, Kier? I get a new set of nu her phone nuhed softly tothis boy
"Okay, fuckwad, you’ve got a deal A fiver says Em’s too smart to let you anywhere near her Either way, you’re out of luck next Friday You’ll either be five quid short or your face will be so badly fucked up, she’ll have to find your lips before she can kiss them"