Chapter 12
Nagging Feeling
Ciara
I could kill my little brother in this moment. The Uber to get here cost me almost two hundred bucks. I didn’t want to risk getting lost on the subway. Besides, these heels weren’t meant for any of that.
So not only did I miss out on an interview to get a really good-paying job.
I’m out two hundred bucks, which I could definitely use at this point.
However, what pisses me off is the fact that I’ve walked in here and he’s dancing around in the ring with a smile on his face like he hasn’t a care in the world. The little stinker.
“Ciarán,” I breathe as I rush to the side of the ring.
He turns to look at me and his smile grows. My heart pangs. I never thought I would see him look so happy with a pair of gloves on while standing in a ring.
The guy he’s been sparring with seems to stumble forward, placing a gloved hand on Ciarán’s shoulder as if he’s using my brother to help keep himself upright. He’s one tall guy.
He’s towering well over Ciarán. He’s nicely built as well. His hair is damp, causing it to look a lot darker than I think it truly is. He’s a blond.
A smile comes to his face as he looks down at me and I’m thrown back in time. I plant my hands against the mat of the ring to keep myself on my feet. Ciarán is talking excitedly, but I can’t hear a word of what he’s saying.
“Come on, Ciara. Me ma promised us ice cream after school. We need to get there before everyone else eats it all. We’ll take the shortcut over the hill and get there first.”
“Ach, Dylan, me wee legs are too small to carry me over that hill. We’ll be sure to miss out on the ice cream if we go that way, we will.”
He smiles at me and hands me his backpack, gesturing for me to put it on. The sunlight dances in his golden locks as his blue eyes twinkle back at me.
“Aye, that’s why yer going to get on me back. I’ll carry ya over.”
“Don’t drop me,” I whisper.
“Never, I’ll always protect ya. Promise.”
“Cee, Cee, are you okay?” Ciarán’s worried voice pulls me back to the present.
“Is she all right?” The big dude asks as he looks at me with panic in his eyes.
I reach to hold my aching head. I’m so confused. Was that a memory from before the accident? The boy … that was the boy from the dreams and the sketches.
“She gets headaches sometimes when she has memories from before the accident.” I hear Ciarán say.
“Accident?”
“Yeah, when I was a baby, she jumped out of her seat to cover me with her body to keep me safe. We survived, but our mom didn’t. However, Cee lost her memory.”
Anger fills me as my little brother says too much, causing my head to throb violently. I still can’t speak. I pinch my eyes closed, trying to breathe and not pass out.
“Is she going to be okay? Should I call for help?”
“No, no. It usually passes.”
The next thing I know, I’m scooped off my feet into strong, warm arms. I melt into the safest feeling I’ve ever had. He presses a kiss to my temple, causing me to sag further into his warmth.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs.
His words and voice shoot straight to my core. My head hurts so bad, I can only wrap my arms around his neck and hold on as he moves with me in his embrace.
I feel more than see that we’re moving up a flight of stairs. He tightens his arms around me possessively. His warm breath continues to fan my skin.
“Oh my God, is she okay? Should I call EMS?”
I recognize the voice as the woman from the phone, Taegan. I can’t open my eyes to see what she looks like, but that accent is as thick as it was over the phone, if not more so. I’m trying my best to will the pain away.
“No. Her brother says it will pass,” the guy carrying me says.
He lowers into a seat and places me in his lap. My skin tingles as he brushes my hair from my face and palms my cheek. Slowly, I open my eyes.
I gasp as I look into the same eyes I’ve drawn hundreds of times. He smiles at me and places his forehead to mine as he holds my face between his warm, tape-covered palms.
“Is tusa atá ann. Fuair mé thú faoi dheireadh, mo chroí, mo ghrá. Táim anseo. Coinneoidh mé slán thú, tabharfaidh mé aire duit. Ní chaillfidh mé thú arís choíche,” he breathes.
He’s not speaking English, but in the back of my mind, I know I should understand him. A gasp fills the room, causing me to turn. My gaze lands on a tiny redhead who’s watching us.
“Shut the fuck up. Ya have to be fucking kidding me. It’s her? Jesus, Mary, Joseph, what are the chances she’s walked right into yer gym?” she says in awe.
“What’s going on? Cee, should I call Miss Vega or Miss Daliah?”
“Ciarán, no. I’m fine. Please stop talking. Um, thank you,” I say as I stand from this guy’s lap.
“Ciara, wait,” he says, freezing me in my tracks.
I haven’t told anyone about that name. I close my eyes and try to latch onto what my mind is telling me he said.
It’s you. I’ve finally found you, my heart, my love. I’m here. I’ll keep you safe, I will take care of you. I’m never going to lose you again.
“Gaelic. You’re speaking Gaelic. I know Gaelic?”
I shake my head as if to clear it. In that memory, I had an accent like he did. Where did my accent come from?
Why did Theo make sure I lost mine? He could never tell me how I got it. He only corrected it until it was all but gone.
He stands and towers over me, placing his hand on my hip to draw me closer to him. I tilt my head back and look up into his familiar blue eyes. I place my palms against his abs and bite my lip.
“Yes, you know Gaelic. You don’t remember? You don’t remember me?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I’m sorry. Thank you for looking after my brother and for your help. I need to go.”
I grab Ciarán by the arm and drag him with me as I race from the office we’re standing in. My head is still throbbing a bit, but I can at least see where I’m going.
“Hey. Hey, love. Wait. Ach, please, hold on.”
I freeze as we get to the bottom of the stairs, but I don’t turn around to face her. I don’t know this girl or that guy back there who seems to know me. She places her hand on my arm, causing me to turn slightly.
“I’m Taegan. We spoke earlier.”
I nod. She licks her lips and her brows furrow on her pretty face. She and I are probably the same height without my heels on.
“Listen, ya owe me nothing and ya don’t know me from a can of paint, but that big lad back there has been my best friend since high school and there’s only two things in this world more important to him than me and this gym. That’s his family and you.
“Yer the Ciara Walsh he’s been trying to get back to Ireland to find since he was a young lad. He’s been trying to get back to ya for most of his life.” She holds up her hands as I go to cut her off. “Hold on, love. I get it. Something has happened to keep ya from remembering him.
“I want ya to take me card. If ya need anything and I do mean anything. Ya give me a call.”
I take the card and read it: Taegan Quinn, Executive Assistant. I look back up at her.
“Why?”
She tilts her head and studies me closely. She’s a pretty girl. With me out of the way, she could have him all to herself if she’s so important to him.
She scoffs. “Aye, ya think if I get rid of ya, I can have him all to me self. Not so much, love. Irish is mad as a box of frogs for ya.”
“Irish?”
“Aye, it’s my nickname for him. The only reason he’s not chasing after ya now is because he’s in shock. I love the big lad, but more like a little brother than anything else.
“I’ve dated an O’Brien once. It’s not for me. I do better as their friend and employee. This is selfish of me to tell the truth.
“He’s going to have me track ya down once he snaps out of it. I’m great at my job, so I’m getting ahead of things. Yer young lad says yer newish to the city. Maybe we can help. If not, at least ya know ya have people here.
“Come on, lass,” she says as she smiles and rolls her eyes playfully. “I’ve got yer back. Keep the card. Call me when ya realize ya want to know everything Irish knows about ya,” she says in her singsong way of speaking.
I lick my lips and nod. She’s an observant one. So much so, I feel like I need to leave before she sees too much.
I’m not processing much properly. I need to get away before this comes back to bite me. They know a name I only learned after stealing my documents to go on the run.
Red flags go off in my head and I decide that for now, I need to run. Shoving the card into my pocket, I grab Ciarán’s hand and take off.
“Hope to see ya again, Chris. Yer welcome back anytime,” she calls after us.
Another redhead bumps into me as we rush out. My first thought is to put her on her ass, but my throbbing head saves her. I murmur an apology and keep going until we’re out of this place.
Dylan
I sit in my apartment staring into space after taking a shower. I left the gym right after Taegan returned to my office to find me standing in the same spot in shock. I had run after Ciara and the kid, but they were gone.
Ciarán.
I like him. He’s smart and he’ll be a good boxer if he keeps at it. Now that I know for sure who he is, I can see so much of Ciara and her dad in him.
She doesn’t remember me? She was in an accident. That’s how her mother was killed.
In my world, there are no coincidences. As the shock wears off, my mind begins to spin and my heart races. Chris called her Ariel and she called him Ciarán. Clearly they’re hiding from something or someone.
I can’t help wondering if they’re in danger because of Cole. I snap out of my fog and grab my phone to call my brother and get some answers. I need to know what I’m dealing with here.
“What about ye, little brother?” Cole answers on the second ring.
“I found her. Some shit isn’t right though. Do you think whatever you triggered with Deja could be a problem for her?”
“No, I don’t think so. Deja’s situation is complicated. Tell me where she is and I’ll put some guys on her,” Brooklyn replies.
“No, I’ve got her. I’ll take care of her.”
“Dylan, there’s still a lot ya need to know. It’s a complicated situation. I’m trying to hold this all off until Logan returns.”
“It’s already been over two years. How much closer are we to getting him home?”
“I don’t have an answer for ya there either. I’m doing the best I can. For now, DJ needs to stay where she is, and we should keep a close eye on Ciara.
“I won’t tell them we’ve found her yet. I’m still trying to figure out who I can really trust.”
“Aye, ya need to be sure because when it comes to her, I’m taking heads off first and asking questions later,” I bite out.
“Ach, what aren’t ya telling me, Dyl? I can hear the missing pieces. Talk to me. I need to know what’s going on?”
I run a hand through my hair and start from the beginning. I tell him everything I think I know. I still have a few questions.
“Aye, I don’t think yer wrong. With all I’ve learned, I wouldn’t doubt that the accident wasn’t an accident at all. Ach, I’ll talk to Felix and see what he can dig up. Did the kid mention the stepfather’s name at all?”
“No, he never did. She shut him down when she was able to shake the headache or whatever it was. He did mention a Miss Vega.”
“Ya said they’re staying uptown. Do ya think he was talking about Vega Stratton?”
“Could be. I’d feel a hell of a lot better if he was. Something about all of this doesn’t sit right with me. Where has she been all these years and why is she here now?”
“Aye, I’m on it, Dyl. I promise. I’m not losing anyone else, not like Raven. We’ll figure this out and keep her safe. Call me if ya learn anything else.”
“That’s it? Yer not going to tell me anything else?” I seethe.
“In time, Dylan. Everything will happen in time. Keep yer friend safe and stay yer ass out of Ireland.”
I frown. I should have known he or Logan would have figured me out. That or my da would. I ball my fists in frustration.
My front door opens and Taegan strolls in. As my assistant, she has a key to all my places. It’s not unusual for her to let herself in.
“Listen, I’ll talk to you later,” I say to Brooklyn.
“I love ya, Dyl. I’m taking care of things. When Logan gets home, it will all make sense.”
“I love you too, bro.”
Taegan walks over and tosses a file on the coffee table. I narrow my eyes at it then look at her. She turns and heads into the kitchen to grab a couple of tumblers and a bottle of whiskey.
“What’s this?” I ask as I pick up the file.
She sighs as she sits down and pours two glasses, handing me one. I don’t bother to take a sip as the file in my hand now has my full attention. I flip through the pages, reading the information.
“I figured ya would want that. She’s going by Ariel Norwood. The kid goes by Chris Norwood, but I’m sure ya heard her call him Ciarán.
“He’s attending one of those uppity private schools uptown. Vega Stratton put the word out over a year ago. Ariel Norwood and a Daliah Gibson are under her protection, but there’s something I found I don’t think yer going to like,” she says cautiously.
“And that is?”
“Vega has set up an exhibition for a week from tonight. Word is, she has a new female fighter she’s looking to showcase. Ya saw Ciara. She looks like a shorter version of Jade Cargill without the blonde hair. I’ll bet my two front teeth she’s the new fighter.”