Page 24 of Stolen Rival
“Yes.”
“My God,” she mutters.
“Your God. Indeed.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” I sit back as Maeve and two members of the kitchen staff set down our main course. Pointing to Sorcha’s plate, I snap, “Eat.”
Surprisingly, she does. Wonders never cease.
The silence is broken only by the sounds of eating and the occasional side-eye at the blood stain that’s finally slowed its relentless march across the tablecloth. Plates empty, the five remaining survivors of the evening sit back in their chairs, waiting for the next set of instructions.
“Dessert?” I ask. “Or are we done here?” It’s not a question, even though it’s framed as one.
“I’m pretty full,” the man sitting across the table from me says, his eyes flickering up before he returns his attention to his plate.
“Me, too,” another one says. “Thank you for inviting us to your home, Boss.”
The other three mumble similar sentiments. Taking Sorcha’s hand, I rise to my feet, pulling her with me. After Liam and Darragh have also risen, the five men get up.
“You’ll receive your instructions in the morning.” I motion to the door, and they all file out into the hallway. I follow, towing my reluctant fiancée along with me. One of the men, another of her father’s captains, turns around and smiles at her, then squeezes the hand I’m not holding.
“Your da would be happy to know you were well taken care of, Sorcha,” he says in an obvious attempt to get on my good side. “It’s a dangerous world out there.”
“More dangerous in here, but thank you.”
I suppress a chuckle. It wouldn’t do for her to realize how amusing I find her. As the door closes on this evening’s guests, she yanks her hand from mine and folds her arms.
“Permission to go to my room,Boss Mahoney.” Sarcasm threads through each word. I grip her chin, tipping her head back.
“Careful,mo mhuirnín. I’m not averse to taking a knife to your pretty neck.”
“It’d be preferable to marrying you, so be my guest.”
Liam chuckles again. “Fuck, that’s some big lady balls you’ve got there.”
She glares at him, then returns her attention to me. “But then you’d still be single. And considering your last fiancée is barely cold in the ground, you seem desperate for a wife for some reason I haven’t yet fathomed.”
She’s either extremely perceptive, or she’s taking shots in the dark. I’m not sure which yet. “Not desperate. Calculating.”
She shrugs. “Whatever. Can I go, or do you want to continue this thrilling conversation in the hallway?”
I run my tongue along the underside of my top teeth. My dick could not get any harder. “You may go.”
The impish little witch curtsies before darting up the stairs as if Titan were snapping at her heels.
“You’ve got the human equivalent of a migraine on your hands there, brother.” Darragh claps me on the shoulder, a shit-eating grin stretching his lips wide.
“I can handle her.”
“I hope you’re right, for all our sakes.”
The sound of a door slamming reaches me. I run a hand over my face.
So do I, brother. So do I.
Chapter 14
