Page 44 of Licence To Howl
‘Oh,’ Devereau said. ‘It’s you.’
Tatton O’Brien didn’t answer. Devereau glanced at the screen of the leprechaun’s phone. Candy Crush. Really?
‘Give him a moment,’ Scarlett said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
‘Where did the car come from?’ Devereau asked.
‘Simon delivered it.’
Devereau’s eyes narrowed. Simon? ‘You mean your goon for hire? The idiot who tried to confront me at your place?’
‘I mean,’ Scarlett said, ‘the hero who tried to stop a would-be burglar in his tracks.’
Devereau did his best to keep his tone casual. ‘He’s an employee, right? I mean, he’s not a vampire so -’
‘Simon,’ she said, ‘is not any of your business.’
Devereau’s left eyebrow twitched.
‘Bastard!’ Tatton hissed.
Both Devereau and Scarlett looked at him. He jabbed furiously at his phone, his attention entirely caught up in the game.
‘Simon,’ she said softly, ‘works for the security firm that take care of our overseas properties. That’s all. You have no reason to be jealous.’ She paused. ‘And no right to be jealous either.’
Devereau drew in a breath, biting back the automatic denial which rose to his lips. It would have been a lie – and they both deserved the truth. ‘But I am jealous,’ he said. ‘I know I don’t have a right to that emotion. I know you never made me any promises. The thing is, Scarlett, I can’t help the way that I feel. Jealousy is a natural feeling that arises out of the fear of loss. I can’t stop myself from feeling that way. It’s how a person acts on those feelings that matters and I told you already that I won’t act.’ His mind flashed to what had happened between them in the hotel room before Moretti had shown up. ‘Unless,’ he amended, ‘you want me to.’
Scarlett’s eyes briefly met his. ‘Sometimes, Devereau Webb, you’re too honest for your own good.’
‘I know it scares you. I know emotions scare you. But sometimes it’s good to be scared. Fear pushes you to be your best.’
‘Not always.’
No. Not always. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He was trying to be truthful and it wasn’t doing any good.
‘Are we leaving or not?’ Tatton asked, without looking up from his game. ‘Because all this fecking relationship stuff isnotwhat I signed up for.’
Scarlett returned her gaze to the front and turned on the engine. She didn’t say anything else – and neither did Devereau.
* * *
They trundledthrough the streets in silence for several minutes until finally Tatton scowled at his phone and switched it off.
‘Stupid game,’ he muttered. ‘I’d have won if I could see the screen properly. I left me glasses at the hotel. I didn’t think I’d need them.’ Then he flicked a look at Devereau, properly acknowledging him for the first time. ‘Good to see ye again so soon, dryshite. I’m impressed with how ye did back there.’ He nodded approvingly. ‘Ye’ve got smarts as well as strength. There’s slight hope for ye yet.’
‘Thank you.’ Devereau wasn’t actually convinced that thanks were in order given the little man’s last statement but he knew when to be polite. ‘So you’re a leprechaun?’
‘Halfleprechaun.’ He peered at Devereau. ‘Go on. Ask it.’
‘Ask what?’
Tatton sighed. ‘Ye know what. Let’s get it out of the way so we can move on.’
Devereau considered pretending he didn’t know what he was on about. But he actually was curious. ‘Do you have a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?’
Tatton snapped his fingers. ‘There it is.’ He shook his head in weary dismay. ‘I have no gold and no rainbows. I never wear the colour green and I bloody hate St Patrick’s Day and silly hats.’
‘What about Guinness?’ Devereau asked.
