First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

He still remembered the look on Lexi’s face when she’d seen them, could still hear Kieran’s curses ringing in his mind. Lexi had taken off running, Kieran tearing after her. Ian hadn’t understood then, but he did now. He’d bet anything that Kayla had known about Lexi’s crush, and had gone out of her way to hurt her.

Ian put his beer down and straightened, his eyes fixed on the far side of the bar. This had gone far enough. He’d done what he’d been asked to do. He needed to talk to Lexi. Now.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jake breathed in his ear. Jake had a knack for knowing what Ian was going to do before he did. It was a bit scary sometimes. “And get Kayla out of here before she causes another scene.”

Why was Kayla suddenly his responsibility, Ian wanted to know? But he already knew why. Because no one else wanted to deal with her. At one time, Jake had been the one to handle Kayla, but not even he wanted to risk the wrath of his new bride.

On the plus side, the sooner he got Kayla out of there, the sooner he could figure out how to get Lexi alone for a few minutes. His entire body tingled at the thought.

He grabbed his suit coat, reached for the keys, and turned to tell Kayla it was time to go. Except that Kayla was no longer where he’d left her. His stomach dropped when he saw her teetering over to where Lexi sat.

“Well, well, well,” Kayla said, her voice carrying clearly throughout the bar. “If it isn’t the little princess herself. Broke her daddy’s heart and then comes back to get her greedy little hands on her inheritance. Well you’re not getting anything, sweetheart, you hear me?”

The bar grew silent, and all eyes turned in her direction. The tension in the room increased tenfold; Ian saw his brothers stiffen. Thankfully, Jack had left a bit earlier to drive Patricia home and wasn’t there to witness Kayla’s latest scene.

Lexi kept her face neutral, but Ian could see the flames in her eyes. Could feel how much Kayla’s words were hurting her. He’d never been able to do that with anyone other than his brothers before, so that unexpected and intimate connection shook him a little.

Kieran shifted, positioning his body in front of Lexi’s. Shane stood slowly, catching Jake’s eye across the bar, but Lexi put her hand on his arm, stopping him from going any farther.

She looked so beautiful, Ian thought. The picture of class and composure, even in grief.

“I don’t want anything, Kayla,” she said, her voice calm and even, though weary.

“The hell you don’t,” Kayla sneered. “But then again, I got what you really wanted, didn’t I?” She shot a look back at Ian, her smile laced with more cruelty than he’d ever seen. She might have been pretty once, but her spitefulness made her ugly.

For the third time that day, Lexi’s eyes met Ian’s. In that moment, he would have given anything to change things, to take away the hurt he saw in her eyes. To hold her in his arms and feel the wonder of her heart beating against his. And it had nothing to do with sex.

But he couldn’t. Damn it all, he couldn’t. Not here. Not now. Not in front of his family. He’d embarrass Lexi, and that was the last thing she needed.

“For Christ’s sake, get her the fuck out of here,” Jake hissed in his ear.

The only thing Ian could do was put a stop to the flow of vile things still spewing from Kayla’s mouth, so he would. He crossed the floor. “Time to go, Kayla,” he said, hating what he was forced to do.

“See, princess?” Kayla taunted as she wrapped herself around Ian. “He still wants me.”

Ian had never wanted to strike a woman as badly as he did then, but his father had raised him better than that. Instead, he removed her hands and propelled her toward the door. But the look on Lexi’s face was burned into his mind forever. The hurt, the betrayal in her eyes seared his heart.

It was the second time in his life she had given him that look. He would not survive a third.





Chapter Seven




“Stay with me,” Kayla pouted as she tried to pull Ian into her house. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

He’d gotten her safely to her door, but that was as far as he was going. Ian peeled her hands off of him. “No, Kayla.”

“It’s her, isn’t it?” she spat, her eyes narrowed to slits. “Little Miss Perfect. You feel sorry for her, just like everyone else.”

“You’re drunk. Go to bed.”

“Come with me.”

“Good night, Kayla.” Ian turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring any further pleas before he really lost his temper.

Ian rushed back to the Pub, but Lexi had already left with Kieran. Ian felt like punching something. He needed to see her, even if it was only for a few minutes. He had to know she was alright, had to at least try to explain to her that none of what Kayla had said was true.