Chapter 23
My phone rings, the shrill sound cutting through the quiet morning. I glance at the display to see it is a call from Sarah. It”s early and one of my day’s off, so alarms ring in my head at the sight of Sarah’s name lighting up the screen. Adrenaline courses through me, and I fumble with the phone, almost dropping it in my haste to answer.
”Sarah? Is everything okay?” I rush out, almost tripping over my words.
A chuckle answers me. ”Everything is fine, Avalina. I just wanted to let you know that Mavis is at the hospital and in labor. She was at the library with me when she started having contractions. But no need to rush over here, the doctor”s say it could be a few hours still. They’re still in the early stages.”
A shudder of relief washes through me. ”Oh, thank goodness. I was so startled when you called, I almost dropped the phone, thinking something horrible had happened.”
Worry laced Sarah’s voice. ”I”m sorry, Avalina. I didn”t mean to worry you. Just thought you”d want to know.”
”Of course! Yes, I definitely want to know and I”m so grateful you called. Should I bring anything? I can bring coffee or breakfast on my way in.”
”I don”t think my nerves can handle food right now, but coffee sounds great.”
”You got it. I”ll see you soon, Sarah. Give Mavis my love.”
I hung up, excited about this new journey Mavis was on, but also afraid of what could happen. My accident never left me far from the idea that you never knew what was around the next bend.
Arriving at the hospital with coffee and pastries in tow, I walk through the maternity ward, surrounded by the sounds of folks in various stages of labor, and I quickly make my way to Mavis”s room. The pale-colored walls contrasting with the nurses in their bright pink and green scrubs.
Greeting Sarah, I hand her the coffee and snacks so I can give Mavis a giant hug. Despite what Sarah said on the phone earlier, Mavis is clearly uncomfortable, and I do what I can do to distract my friend and keep her at ease.
”Have you heard the story of Macha?” I ask as I sit in a chair next to the bed.
Mavis lets out a pained laugh. ”No, who”s that?”
”She was a goddess of Ireland, who took a human lover. Her one rule for her husband, Cruinniuc, was that he was not allowed to tell anyone about her. One day he went to a festival put on by the King of Ulster, where Cruinniuc couldn”t stop himself from boasting that his wife could outrun the King”s fastest horses.”
Mavis grimaced. ”Who says things like that?”
”I know! Some folks just can”t handle someone else having more power than them. And of course, the King demanded that Cruinniuc prove his claim, so his very pregnant wife was brought to the festival and forced to race against the steeds.”
”She had to race against horses? While pregnant?! This story seems awful. Please tell me she at least won.”
”Of course, she won! And she also gave birth to twin boys just as she crossed the finish line.”
”Ouch.”
”But it gets better! Remember, Macha was a goddess, and her husband did not do the one thing she required of him. So, she laid a curse on all the men of Ulster, that during the time of their greatest need, they would be stricken with the pain of childbirth for nine days.”
”HA! Serves them right. I like that story.”
”I thought you might.”
A knock on the door announces the doctor’s return to Mavis”s room to check on her progress, and I quickly excuse myself to go to work. Thoughts of Mavis and her baby consume my mind as I drive to the library.
I park in my usual spot and walk towards the entrance, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness. As I head to the circulation desk, I note how quiet the library is today. No doubt folks are taking advantage of the warmer weather today, as they are going to be few and far between as we get deeper into fall and closer to winter.
A buzz in my pocket had me glancing at my phone to see a text from Kieran.
I heard about Mavis. How is she doing?
How did you hear about Mavis?
I hear about everything, Lina. ;)
My eyes roll at this, and I chuckle. I know Kieran”s family is powerful, but sometimes I forget what that means.
I even know you just rolled your eyes.
There is no way you know that! :P
I was wondering if you”d be up for dinner out tonight, since our last dinner date got interrupted.
I didn”t mind the interruption.
There”s no response for a moment, then I see the tiny bubbles appear that mean Kieran is typing a message back to me.
Say yes to dinner and I”ll give you want you want after dinner. If you”re a good girl.
Thankfully, there aren”t patrons nearby to witness the scarlet climb up my neck and face like the sunrise at dawn. I tell Kieran yes to dinner.
As the sun descends beyond the horizon, casting a tapestry of vibrant oranges and pinks across the sky, I walk hand in hand with Kieran through the bustling streets of the city. The evening feels full of possibilities, made happier with the news I received just before Kieran picked me up that Mavis and her son, Dennis, are doing well. I make a mental note to see if the new family needs help with meals.
Kieran leads me to a hidden gem tucked away in a cobblestone alleyway, adorned with cascades of ivy that frame the entrance. The quaint restaurant exudes an old-world charm, with flickering candles casting a warm glow upon antique wooden tables draped in crisp linens.
We settle into a cozy corner booth, secluded from prying eyes.
Perusing the menu, I frown when an unexpected chill fills the air. I can”t shake the feeling that something is amiss, as if the universe itself held its breath in anticipation. I try to dismiss the unease, but it stands there, just over my shoulder, haunting me.
Looking up through my lashes at Kieran, I watch as his face morphs into a stranger, as if all the warmth is leached away from his body and into the floor, disappearing like it was never there to begin with. His face is a stony mask I can’t read.
I’m about to glance over my shoulder when a subtle shake of Kieran”s head keeps me looking at the menu instead, even as a shadow eclipses our table, now only lit by the sole candle on top.
I don’t dare glance up at the man standing near me, but I spot his large fists, scarred with age and use. What I can see from the corner of my eye has my alarm bells ringing, and I know in my bones that this is an enemy of Kieran”s and not a friend.
A chuckle rumbles above me. ”Well, well, if it isn”t Kieran Calder. And who is this lovely lady?”
”What do you want, O”Neil?” Kieran”s words are a harsh line, drawn in the sand.
”Just saying hello. Us bosses have to stick together, you know.”
Suddenly a hand is under my chin, lifting my green eyes to look up into harsh blue ones. Before I can register the motion, Kieran is out of his seat, one arm on Sean O”Neil”s and the other hidden from my view. My guess is the hidden hand is holding a gun to Sean”s side.
”Hands off, O”Neil.” Kieran snarls.
Sean chuckles again, raising his hands in mock innocence. ”No harm meant, Calder. Just wanted to see if the rumors were true and that you were dating Avalina Hartwell.”
Kieran growls low in his throat and Sean tries to step away, despite Kieran”s grip on him. Kieran steps closer into Sean”s space and whispers something in his ear before the older man turns and walks away, but not before glancing over his shoulder at me. “Be sure to have a safe drive home.”
Grabbing a glass of water from the table, I take large gulps, my throat suddenly parched and tight. Anxiety rolls through me like a restless wave I have no way of fighting.
Finding my voice, I ask, ”What was that?”
Kieran”s mouth is set tight, but he answers me. ”A threat.” He reaches his hands across the table to engulf mine, an anchor that keeps me from drowning in this sea of doubt. ”But I will keep you safe, Avalina. Always.”
I nod, trusting Kieran at his word, despite the unease still rolling through me.
Even though I don”t say anything, Kieran reads the nervousness in my sunken, withdrawn posture. Motioning to the waiter, he changes our order to-go, and I”ve never been more grateful to get out of the spotlight than I am now. It feels like all eyes in the restaurant are on us, the pricking sensation of whispers directed my way shivering down my spine.
The drive from the restaurant to Kieran”s penthouse is silent, but full of grasping hands and reassuring caresses. I know that Kieran”s lack of words isn”t because of me, but more his anger at O”Neil. His posture is tight as he enters his apartment, his body an arrow ready to take flight. Probably directly into Sean O”Neil”s eye.
His voice is gruff when he speaks up. ”I”m sorry about tonight.”
Glancing over, I frown. ”You have nothing to be sorry for. O”Neil is an ass who got exactly what he wanted. A scene and under your skin.”
Surprise washes across Kieran”s face as he swipes a hand through his hair, his locks falling to shadow his eyes. ”You”re right.” He comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close to his chest. ”It”s something he”s good at.”
I turn so I”m facing Kieran and tilt my head up at him as I run my hands across the front of his dress shirt, silky under my fingers. ”Maybe I can help you focus on something else,” I murmur as I reach up to grab his hair and pull his lips down to mine.
Kieran immediately follows my lead and soon I”m backed up against the wall, Kieran nipping at my lips.
I lightly shove at his shoulders, and Kieran obeys, backing up while I unbutton his shirt and moving to untuck it from his pants.
A huff sounds above my head and then Kieran”s hands are over mine, grabbing his shirt and ripping it away. Glancing up, I arch an eyebrow at Kieran”s smirk, satisfaction purring in my veins as it fades away once I undo his belt and unzip his pants.
Sinking to my knees, I untuck Kieran”s cock and lick the underside of his shaft, watching Kieran”s eyes darken the color of the earth after a hard rain.
Hissing through his teeth, Kieran”s hands thread through my hair as I swallow his length, pulling back as I gag on his girth.
”We can”t have that, now, can we?” Kieran”s voice is smoke and steel—rough and demanding, a blade to cut myself on.
I gasp as Kieran”s hands grip my tresses tighter. ”You want to give me something else to think about, Lina? Let me watch you choke like a good girl.”
He shoves his way down my throat, demanding access as I try to breathe past the panic and through my nose. The idea of not being able to inhale much worse than the reality truly is.
I can”t stop my gag as Kieran pushes me just past a pace I”m comfortable with, his clasp on my head holding me in place while his hips piston his cock up and down my throat.
”Fuck, you”re perfect,” Kieran rasps as he watches the tears falling down my face as I sputter around him.
His hands shift from my hair to under my arms, and suddenly I”m lifting on my feet, Kieran licking away the salt and saliva from my face. ”Hands against the wall, Lina.”
I turn to do as he asked, bracing myself as my clothes are ripped away and suddenly Kieran is there, pressing the head of his cock at my entrance, already soaked and wanting.
”So fucking needy, this cunt,” he grows as he shoves inside in one thrust, his hands on my hips the only thing keeping me upright as euphoria races through me, heedless of anything in its path.
The pleasure swirls and rises, building with each delicious stroke. Bliss short-circuits my brain as my body writhes under Kieran”s powerful frame.
My back arches even more as Kieran grazes his teeth along my neck before biting down, marking my body like he”s marked my soul.