Page 32 of No Promises, No Lies

I blink at him.Good Afternoon?I stay silent, staring. Bracing for him to either shoot me or drag me off to his torture chamber. Anything really. He’s impossible to read.I have no idea what to expect from him.

“So Liam’s cooked up a proper Irish stew, we thought—we thought maybe you’d like to join us?” He rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Thank God the window is at my back because I would’ve fallen over at how hard I jerk back in shock. “Join you?” I get out.

Aidan’s chin dips slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Yep.” He puts extra emphasis on the “p.”

I narrow my eyes. “I must be missing something. What’s the catch?”

He shrugs, so nonchalantly I want to slap him. “No catch. Just maybe a change in tactics,”he openly admits.

I consider refusing, but I’m already a little stir crazy from being trapped in this room all day. The scent of what must be the Irish stew has permeated through the open door, forcing another growl from my now empty stomach.

Hopping down from the windowsill, I mimic his shrug. “Yeah, sure, why not?”

It takes another half-second for him to react, caught off guard by my response. “Great. Let’s go.” He gestures out into the hall, distrust in his eyes. He’d thought it would have taken more convincing.

I force myself to walk willingly within his reach, relieved when he leads the way instead of walking behind me. I curl the ends of my sweatshirt around my fingers. Not able to shake the feeling of a lamb being led to her slaughter.

When we reach the living room, Aidan swings left, leading us into an enormous kitchen it’s painted evergreen, like Aidan’s eyes, with more exposed brick and stainless steel.

The sound of female laughter draws my eyes to possibly the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, sitting at a long table in the middle of the large room. She’s laughing hysterically at something Liam said, playfully shoving another male I don’t recognize in the shoulder.

It goes quiet and all eyes slide to Aidan and me as we fully enter the kitchen, and I’m instantly self-conscious. I shift uneasily on my feet under the weight of their stares.

Aidan turns, swinging his arm toward me. I hesitate, my eyes watching his hand, and he immediately drops it. A flash ofsomethingin his eyes. “Every—everyone, this is Rory.”

“Rory, you remember Liam?” My eyes dart to the dirty-blonde, spooning heaven-scented stew into bowls on the other side of the island. Irememberhow he wrestled me into a chair back in the warehouse. The asshole has the balls to wink at me.

“Mmm, how could I forget?” I grumble, mostly under my breath.

Aidan points to the male I don’t recognize. The one currently shooting daggers at me with his dark eyes. “My older brother, Koen.”

I swallow hard and give him a curt nod of acknowledgement; one he doesn’t return. The anxiety in my chest doubles.Koen O’Rourke. Fuck me.I realize he’s the male I saw on the couch yesterday when we arrived.I fight through the realization that Koen O'Rourke—who doesn’t know who I really am—already seems to hate me. There’s no mistaking the disdain in his eyes.

“And this little hellion right here is our little sister, Reagan.”

Reagan gives me a soft smile and a little wave I can’t help but return. Out of all of them, she’s the only one who looks truly “Irish.” With red-gold curls cascading down her back and bright emerald green eyes that are a stark contrast against pale skin. She’s absolutely stunning.

Aidan pulls out a chair and I plop uncomfortably into it. He takes the seat next to me, and I fidget under Koen’s scrutiny and Aidan’s proximity.Should’ve stayed in the room.

Another beat and Liam places a steaming hot bowl of stew in front of me and the sweet scent makes my mouth water.

“You can thank Reagan for the invitation. I think if Aidan wasn’t successful in dragging you out here, she’d have fetched you herself,”Liam jests.

Reagan laughs, “Rory here is our guest, and she needs to eat. She might as well do it with us.”

I can’t say I agree with her. As a matter of fact, I would’ve preferred to stay as far away from these three men as I can get.But at least the stew smells good.Not a bad last meal.I smile to myself at the morbid thought, but when I catch Koen watching me, it quickly fades away.

I busy myself with taking a bite and nearly groan at the explosion of taste on my tongue.The stew is warm and hearty, full of meat, potatoes and carrots. It instantly brings a feeling of comfort as it fills my empty stomach.

Aidan hands me a roll and I take it from him, careful to avoid any accidental contact with his fingers. The weight of his gaze is heavy as I take another bite of my stew; my eyes trained on the bowl.

The silence at the table is so loud I want to die.No, seriously, I would’ve preferred a firing squad over this tense silence.

Reagan senses it too and clears her throat. “So, Rory, where are you from?”

My eyes dart around the males of the table, pretending to be busy filling their own stomachs.

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