A Monster Is Coming, page 7
Chapter Six
Peter
“Why are we here?”
I couldn’t help but smile at the tone of her voice. She sounded so scared. I knew I’d startled her, but I was not going to spend another night sleeping on that fucking excuse for a sofa. Even though I’d only slept on it one night. It wasn’t even the worst experience of my life. I’d slept in worse places over the years.
Niamh deserved better.
Her apartment was a piece of shit. I knew that, but it was the best of her situation. If Ivan wanted me to put a baby inside her, then she didn’t know it yet, but she was going to be my wife. My wife would not live in a rundown apartment, keeping cockroaches at bay as a job. Not happening.
Pulling into the driveway of my home, I shut off the ignition and turned toward her.
“You’re terrified.”
“Nah, it’s fine. You know, every single day a strange guy gives me a ride to his … amazing home. This is your house?” she asked.
I laughed. “Yeah and no. I’m house-sitting for a friend. He’s out of the country, away on some business, and he wanted me to keep an eye on the place. He sees it as some kind of investment.”
Not a total lie. I’m away on business, and it is kind of an investment. This helped me to mingle with the crowds, which is what I wanted. I didn’t want to raise questions.
This job that Ivan has given me is fucking shit. Working as a damn gym instructor, fending off advances from both married and single women. Some men might think this was a dream job. Not me. It’s shit. I like running my territory, even killing people is more entertaining than this.
The only good thing about what we’re doing is I’ll get to keep Niamh. This is not going to be easy. I’m already lying to her, just as she is lying to me. I accept it.
“It looks amazing,” Niamh said.
From the brief information Ivan had given me, and knowing Niamh, I didn’t believe she had the classic traditional home. Her mother lived in a small home paid for by Finn Byrne. I guessed he used that as a stopping point, doing deals, and potentially bringing danger to Niamh every chance he got.
If I ever met Finn Byrne, I was going to hurt him.
“Do you want to come and see inside? It’s just for us to hang out,” I said.
Actually, my plan was to get closer to her. I needed to bridge this gap that Niamh seemed determined to keep between us. The only way to do that was to make sure she didn’t keep finding reasons to disappear on me. At my house, I made the rules.
Climbing out of the car, I rounded the vehicle. Niamh was already out, and she offered me such a sweet smile. We walked to my front door, and I unlocked it, stepped through, and activated the security codes as I closed the door. Now, there was no way for her to escape without me knowing. I threw the keys into the little dish on the cabinet a few feet from the door.
Niamh did a little circle as she looked at the space. To any prying eyes, it looked like a family home. There were no personal pictures or anything like that.
“This place is incredible,” Niamh said.
“Yeah, the guy I’m helping said it was. He wanted it to be a family home as well. He just hasn’t found the wife for him.”
Again, not all lies.
Actually, they were all lies, but there were some she didn’t need to know.
I watched her as she stayed in one place and then clasped her hands together and offered me a smile. “So, I’ve seen your place, and I’m a little jealous, but I think it’s time you take me back to my apartment.”
I was not a movie star boyfriend. I didn’t have a clue what to fucking say. All I had to do was click my fingers and women flock to me. I didn’t even have to care about satisfying them. Sex was sex.
Ivan had seriously put me in the fucking deep end. I didn’t know what to do with Niamh. She had shown no signs of finding me attractive. She was ready to run. That’s all she wanted to do, and Ivan wanted me to trap her. How the fuck did a guy trap a woman? Wasn’t it the other way around?
“You know, how about I get you a drink?” I asked, and I was already heading to the kitchen.
“I, uh, I don’t drink.”
“I can offer more than alcohol.” Opening the fridge, I read off what I had. “Orange juice, soda, water, milk.”
“Milk,” she said.
“I get why you’re nervous,” I said, grabbing the milk and turning to her.
She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. She’d confined the full brown locks at the back of her head in a ponytail as I’d seen her do for the last few weeks. It never stopped her from having to tuck her hair back behind her ears. “You do?”
For a second, I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, and then I remembered we were actually talking. This was highly unusual when it came to women. I’d yet to meet a woman worth having a conversation with. Most of them were only interested in my dick, my wealth, or my title. I didn’t mind that, but I was only ever interested in looking for a good time.
“Yeah, you’re nervous because you’re in my house, and I bet you’re worried I’m some kind of thief, but trust me, I’m not.”
I had no idea why Niamh suddenly began to laugh. It wasn’t one of those forced fake laughs, or even the kind that was mocking or some shit. This was a full-on belly laugh. Like she found what I said fucking interesting, and I didn’t have the first clue what she found so funny. The last word anyone would ever use to describe me was funny. I was the least funny person I knew.
None of this was entertaining.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this was Ivan’s way of playing a practical joke. He’d gotten me in Pickle Quest, trying to make this woman fall for me, so I could impregnate her—which sounded like a horrible alien movie—when in fact I was the one the joke was being played on, and Niamh had to get me to fall in love with her.
If that turned out to be the case, then the joke truly was on them, because I didn’t do love or feelings. I never had. I was already aware of most of the rumors about me, how I had no feelings, no love, and I didn’t care.
I can act all the parts, do what needed to be done, and say what needed to be said in all the right places, but that didn’t mean for a second I felt any of it. Not a single thing.
I’d never understood love. I never would. Love was for the weak. I didn’t even know why Ivan had gotten Slavik, Andrei, and now Ive to comply. Although, I didn’t consider any of those bastards weak. No, they were still scary as fuck.
Now that I thought of it, they might be even scarier. I’m pretty sure I heard one of them suggest that now that they had more to lose, they were even more terrifying. I didn’t know. I had never felt love.
I didn’t have the first clue what love was.
“What’s funny?” I asked, and I was struck by how beautiful she looked. This was the first time she didn’t have her guard up.
She pushed some hair out of her face, and then laughed again. “I’m so sorry. It’s not funny, it’s not funny at all, and I have no reason to laugh, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”
I had a feeling I knew what she was laughing about, but I couldn’t know that shit. She couldn’t know that I knew she was a Byrne. There was a lot I wasn’t supposed to know.
Seconds passed, finally minutes, and Niamh got herself under control. “I don’t even know why I laughed. It’s nothing.”
“Laughing is good for the soul.” I didn’t know if that was true.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you spend a lot of time laughing?” she asked.
I had to stop, because the truth was, no, I didn’t laugh a lot. Certainly not recently as I didn’t have a lot to laugh about. Life was way too serious, and right now, being stuck in a fucking shit town, while I knew bad stuff was going on, was hard to do.
“No, not as much as I should.” Laughter was for the weak.
I couldn’t help but get a flash to those men all those years ago who found it funny to watch young children lose their lives in the sick games my father set up. It had all been a fucked-up game.
“Come on, I’ll make us something to eat, and then I’ll give you a tour.” I didn’t wait for her to argue with me. Instead, I grabbed her hand and walked to the kitchen. Only then did I let go of her hand, and it was strange as I still felt the tingle of her touch work its way up my arm.
I wanted to hold her hand again, to touch her to see if that was real or not.
Strange.
“Uh, you know, you don’t have to feed me. You could just … take me back to my apartment.”
I closed the fridge and turned toward her. I was not knowledgeable in all things romance. In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but remember that her father had put out a seek-and-find mission. I doubt that would end well for her. He clearly had no qualms about hurting his daughter. I’d seen the photographs of what he’d done to her last time.
Finn Byrne was not a good man. Not that I could claim to be a better one.
When it came to Niamh, my only job was to protect her and get her pregnant. I didn’t know what Ivan hoped to achieve, starting our potential future on lies, but I trusted him more than I trusted anyone else.
“Look, I know you don’t trust me, and I’m getting the vibe that you don’t trust a whole lot of people, and I totally get it. Trust me, I do get it. I’m a strange guy. In fact, both of us are strangers in this town, but we’re looking for something. Maybe we could find that something together.”
“I don’t plan to stick around.” She nibbled her lip. “I’m not looking for anything long term.”
I wasn’t looking for anything myself. My boss, however, was looking for the long term, and when Niamh was pregnant with my child, she wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t for a second believe I’d be a good father, but I wouldn’t abandon my kid.
“Then how about you and I test the waters? We see where this might lead?” I asked.
She looked doubtful and I knew I was so fucking bad at this.
“I … uh, I’m not good at this. It might have something to do with the fact that growing up, I never knew my mother. Never had a great father. He was a piece of shit, in all honesty. Liked using his fists and playing mind games and shit like that.” Not a lie, but vague enough for her to not ask too many questions. “I … like you. I get that you may not like me now, but do you think there’s a chance you could grow to like me?”
I didn’t have a fucking clue what I was doing or saying. All I knew was if I didn’t do as Ivan asked, there would be consequences.
Niamh opened her mouth, pressed her lips together, and then glanced down at the floor, before lifting her head. “I, uh, I kind of like you. I mean, there are a lot of women that like you.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about them,” I said.
They had tried to come on to me. Offered me money in exchange for favors. Even if Ivan hadn’t given me this job, I still wouldn’t have taken either of them up on their offer. I didn’t offer up my body for money.
“You don’t?”
“Do you see them in my place? Me offering them food?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then I don’t give a fuck about them, and I’m with the one I want to be with.”
****
Niamh
“Then I don’t give a fuck about them, and I’m with the one I want to be with.”
That shouldn’t have sounded so romantic, and maybe I’d not known or been around a lot of romance to know what it is when I see it. Either way, Peter’s words hit right in the chest.
I knew I was messed up, growing up with a mother who couldn’t stand me, who openly admitted to wanting to kill me because I wasn’t a boy. Hating me for not being beautiful, or having the right hair, or the right look. For hating my weight, and just for breathing. Also a father that hated me as well. Love was not something I was accustomed to.
I’d watched a lot of romance and family dramas, and sitcoms growing up. I loved them, and it was what I had craved for my own life. It was something I had promised myself—that when I grew up, I was going to have the family, the husband that loved me, and never was I going to allow my parents access to my child.
That didn’t go according to plan.
Staying in Pickle Quest was a mistake. I knew that, but I really liked the small town. I did feel safe, and I felt I could build a life here. Maybe I was just living the fairy tale right now.
My father was going to come and look for me. He’d told me many times that I was a Byrne, as if it meant something. To me, it didn’t. I hated the name.
Peter was the first man in my life to be nice to me. He wasn’t after his own agenda. There was nothing he wanted, and he seemed to like my company. Also a bonus, he could cook. He’d pulled a couple of pieces of chicken out of the fridge, and thought he was going to cook us a stir-fry as he’d grabbed some mushrooms and bell peppers. The cheese he’d gotten as well, and then I watched him begin to work.
He started with slicing the chicken through the center to make thinner breasts. He moved around the kitchen, grabbed a few spices and herbs, and added them to the chicken, using his fingers to massage them into the breast. Even raw with the spices, it looked good.
Next, he got to work on the mushrooms, and by the time he was finished, the frying pan was steaming hot.
“You know how to cook,” I said.
“I know how to feed myself. I wouldn’t call myself a chef.” This made me smile. It felt good to smile and laugh. I’m surprised he didn’t push my ass into the car, and take me back to my apartment when I had that laughing fit.
My dad is a complete and total bastard, and I didn’t consider Peter even in the same league as him. To think he was worried I thought he was a thief, was so funny. I knew evil, and Peter was not. All he’d shown me was kindness, and I liked that.
Yes, I was attracted to this man, and that terrified me. I didn’t know if I wanted to be attracted to anyone, least of all someone I had lied to.
Peter could never know my last name. This was fleeting, and I found that a shame. I did like him.
Once the mushrooms were cooked, he put them into a bowl, and then he started to work his magic on some bell peppers. It was all smelling incredible. While I’d been lost in thought, he’d set up a grill plate, and it was already getting hot. With the bell peppers cooking, he added the chicken to the grill. The sizzle and smells were making my mouth water. This was next to impossible to control, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing this on purpose—driving me crazy, making me want the food so badly.
It all smelled good.
He turned the chicken and it was so thin, that it was nearly cooked, but it had such pretty grill marks. The mushrooms were added back into the peppers, and I watched as he portioned the veggies into four rectangles. It all became clear as he added a good amount of cheese to each pile, and then he opened up some rolls.
Peter took the chicken, sliced it, added it to the roll, then topped it off with the mushroom, bell pepper, and cheese concoction. He did this three more times, and then he was finished.
“Ready to eat.”
I was starving. All I could do was nod my head.
He winked at me, and even that set my heart fluttering inside my chest. I followed him to his dining room table and sat down.
We had two sandwiches each, I was in heaven with that one bite. It was hot, and I had to remember to blow across the food, but it was so good. Even as my mouth was burning, it was watering for more.
“It good?” he asked.
“Yeah, so good.” I took another large bite, and wow, my taste buds were tingling for all the right reasons. It was so good. In only a few bites, the first roll was gone, and I was already getting started on the second.
Halfway through, I realized Peter was watching me, and then I couldn’t help but wonder if I had looked like a pig with all the shoveling of food.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s good to see you eat.”
I highly doubted that.
Once I had finished the food, I licked my lips and tried not to glance around his home. It was a nice place and I certainly could see a family loving this home. I knew it was a place I would have loved as well.
It’s the kind of place I imagined having—a driveway, a garden, a family room, a lovely kitchen. It was the family home of my many dreams. Most of which were never going to be a reality.
Forcing a smile to my lips, I tucked some of my hair behind my ear. I was about to ask him to take me home, but Peter started to talk.
“Would you like to stay the night?”
Okay, not talk, but straight up asked me to stay the night.
“Ugh, you mean … ugh…” I didn’t know if I could say it. “Do you mean stay the night as in … sex?” That very word shouldn’t make me embarrassed.
Peter had this sexy smile on his lips and I had noticed it plenty of times. Okay, not the smile—he rarely did that—but he did have sexy lips. Maybe I was starting to lose my mind. That was what made sense to me. I had to be losing something.
“Sex sounds like a lot of fun, but I’m guessing you’re not ready for that.”
“I’m a virgin,” I said, blurting out that little home truth quicker than I expected to. I had no intention of telling anyone. Least of all Peter. Crap!
I pushed my chair out and I could feel my cheeks getting hotter with every passing second. This was insane. Why did I blurt out that nonsense? He didn’t need to know I was a virgin, but the whole mention of sex and my mind was blown.
“You’re a what?” Peter asked.
“I’m sorry. Can we rewind and forget this conversation, and maybe just go back to saying, hey, that food was really great, but I think it’s time I walk home?” I don’t think, I act, and start to walk toward the door.
I should have known there was not going to be an easy escape for me. I wasn’t so lucky.
