“What was that about, Cian?” Piper asked quietly as they walked toward the back of the inn. It had hurt her to hear his nastiness in respect to Meghan and Moira, and Piper wondered if he held a poor opinion of all women in general.
“It’s not for you to worry about,” he replied in a low, angry voice.
Her disappointment was keen. Part of her had hoped he trusted her enough to let her in, but he’d confirmed he didn’t. Nor would he ever. “Fine. I’ll leave you to it. Good night.”
As she picked up her pace, he ran to catch up, grabbing her arm to swing her back around.
“I’m sorry, Piper. It’s not you that has me salty.” The apology was heavy in his tone, and his expression held regret. “That woman is poison to everyone and everything she comes in contact with. I’d not have her taint your world in addition to ours.”
Understanding for his bad behavior came. Piper wouldn’t completely excuse it, but she could forgive. Feeling the need to warn him, she touched the hand still holding her arm. “She’s a powerful witch, Cian. Be careful of her. If she’s truly as awful as you suggest, you’ll be defenseless against her magic.”
“You think she’s enchanted my brother?” he asked, as if the thought just occurred to him. He shot a worried glance toward Carrick’s house.
“It’s possible. He appeared taken with her—and very much in love.”
A sickly expression passed over Cian’s face. “How do we break her hold on him? Can you help me? I’ll not have that foul bitch dig her claws into him.”
“Of course, I’ll help.” She pressed her palm to his worried face and drew his attention back to her. “We’ll protect your brother and Aeden from her. I promise.”
His relief was palpable, and he enfolded her in a crushing embrace. “Thank you.”
She rubbed his back in soothing circles, noting the slight tremble of his muscles. Whatever and whoever Meghan was, she scared Cian, and Piper would kill the woman herself before she allowed her to hurt him or his family. Especially Aeden.
“Will you tell me the story?” Piper didn’t want to be pushy, but she needed background on the situation if she intended to help.
“Come. It’s getting chilly, and this requires a drink and the comfort of a fire.”
She followed him into the house, shooting one last look over her shoulder. She couldn’t shake the feeling someone was watching from the shadows. After Cian had left her to confront Meghan, the sensation of another presence struck her, and it hadn’t abated.
Was Meghan’s evil reach all-consuming? Did it stretch like tentacles, able to wrap around everyone and everything, to spread poison, like Cian suggested?
“Do you think she’s the Enemy at the Gate, like in the prophecy?” Piper asked, as she accepted the glass of wine he handed her.
“Nah. I think that’s Ruairí, based on something he said tonight. I’d not had a chance to talk about it before now, but he said it plain while we were tending bar.”
“What was it?”
“He was waxing on about his feelings for my sister. His exact words were, ‘I still love her, but to Bridget, I’m the enemy at the gate.’” Cian shook his head in wonder. “I don’t know how I didn’t figure it out before. Bridget should be the rightful Keeper of the Sword, as she’s the eldest O’Malley.”
“Right! When the Enemy at the Gate is welcomed by the Keeper of the Sword, all that is lost shall be restored.” Piper’s excitement made her squeal and she flung her free arm around his neck. “You brilliant, brilliant man!”
Cian laughed and pressed a light kiss to her mouth. “I said much the same to Ruairí.”
“Bridget needs to accept and forgive him.”
Some of Cian’s joy fled from his face. “It will be snowing in hell when that happens. I suppose we’ll never be blessed with our rightful magic.”
“Miracles happen every day. Don’t give up hope, Cian.”
“Oh, I’ll never give up hope, love.”
The twinkle in his eye and the devilish smile on his tempting mouth sent a rush of warmth through her. She fought the urge to fan herself.
With his gaze locked on her mouth, Cian stepped closer, took her glass, and placed it on a nearby table without looking away from her. “We should start on that baby,” he said huskily.
A thrill electrified her nerve endings and she shivered. Now that the moment was at hand for them to make love, Piper experienced misgivings. Oh, not because she didn’t want him—she absolutely did!—but because his hunger was raw, bold, and it caused her stomach to summersault. She’d never felt a desire so fierce, and it frightened her.
“Cian—”
He didn’t give her time to think. He captured her mouth. Any objections she had melted under the heat of his touch. She moaned and pressed closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers into his thick mane of hair.
His kiss made her burn, but not as much as his touch when his hands skimmed her naked skin under her sweater and cupped her breasts through her lace bra. Or as much as the length of the erection pressed against her belly. She dropped her head back with a breathy sigh, and he rained little bites along the column of her exposed throat. Piper moaned his name when he tasted the V between her neck and shoulder.
An arctic blast of cold hit them, and she sucked in a breath so sharply, she coughed.
“What the hell?” he cried out, releasing her to face the direction of the attack.
Piper’s father lounged in the doorway, blatantly unapologetic.
“It was getting hot in here,” he remarked as he straightened. “I thought you wouldn’t want a witness to your… activities.”
Piper wished for another shock of cold air as her face flamed.
Cian surprised her when he laughed. “I’m grateful for the interruption. I’d hate to be found bare assed and immersed in activity here in the public room. It might embarrass my darling Piper, to be sure.”
If her face could get any redder, Piper was positive it did, although she must be as scarlet as a tomato. “I hate you both so much right now,” she muttered and shoved Cian’s back.
He laughed again as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him for a quick kiss. His sparkling eyes gleamed in the low light as he said, “No, you don’t. Not even a little bit. You adore me as much as I adore you.”
She stared; not quite certain she’d heard him properly.
“We’ll have a conversation to that end soon enough, Piper me love. But in the meantime, we need to get back to the subject of Meghan and protecting my brother’s family.” Cian’s hot gaze dropped to Piper’s mouth and he exhaled a frustrated sigh. “You have the power to make me forget my own name, darlin’.”
She didn’t confess he’d done the same to her.
And he thought he held no magic!
Pfft! The dampness and ache between her thighs begged to differ.
“Right,” she replied, albeit a little breathlessly. “We need to guard against that wench.”
“What wench?” Hoyt asked as he strode farther into the room. “What did I miss tonight?”
“Carrick’s sister-in-law isn’t a very nice person, Dad. Cian believes she’s out to cause trouble, and I wonder if she isn’t the one who has kept us distracted with the cave in and other things so she could work her wiles on Cian’s brother.”
Cian wore a dumbfounded expression. “How did I not think she might be the one behind our troubles?”
“Perspective. You might be too close to the situation.” Piper shrugged. “You’ve known your townspeople forever. I figured it might not occur to you to believe they could be at the root of the bad luck we’ve been having lately.”
“She might’ve hired Baran.”
“Baran?”
“The Russian who tried to crush my spine on the cliffs,” Cian explained absently.
Piper could see his mind was racing a mile a minute as he tried to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit.
“Well, someone did,” Hoyt agreed. “It’s doubtful your past would come knocking when you’ve been out of the field as long as you have.”
Cian’s brows shot up and a wry smile curled his lip. “You’ve been talking to Ryker.”
“There’ve been attacks on my daughter’s life. Did you really believe I would sit back and do nothing?”
“No. You’re a right fine father, and I’d expect you’ll not rest until you find the source,” Cian said, his tone heavy with respect and admiration.
“Thank you, son.”
As she watched, Piper saw the two most important men in her life bond over a common goal: her safety. Her heart was full in a way it had never been.
Understanding passed between Hoyt and Cian, and he was happy for it. Piper’s father wouldn’t stand in his way when it came time to eliminate the threat against their beloved girl and would, in fact, assist him in the process.
He suspected Hoyt saw what it had taken Cian too long to recognize; that the woman had captured his heart from the start and wouldn’t let it go anytime soon. Surprisingly, Cian was thrilled and not at all reticent anymore.
He lifted her wine glass from the table and handed it to her. “Have a seat, love, and let’s discuss what needs to be done about Meghan.”
After they were all comfortable, with Piper tucked against his side, Cian told them both about the story. “We don’t know much about the accident that took Roisin’s life other than Meghan survived in place of Ro, and Aeden is suffering for it.” He sipped his whiskey before continuing. “Every day, Aeden becomes more withdrawn and has constant night terrors, in the daytime, too. He believes an evil monster is trying to destroy us all.”
“He may be right.” Hoyt’s countenance was grim, and he frowned down into the amber liquid in his tumbler. “If this Meghan is as bad as you say, he may sense her intent.”
“I agree,” Piper said and sat straighter to meet Cian’s concerned look. “Perhaps he senses the darkness under whatever false pretense she shows him. It’s also possible he fears her for a different reason—her scars. They make the side of her damaged face absolutely grotesque. It might be horrifying to a child his age.”
“I’ll talk to Carrick and see if Aeden’s been in contact with her.” Cian shook his head at the idea his brother would let that monster within a foot of his son. They all knew how wicked Meghan was; even Roisin had understood her sister wasn’t a good person. “Meg tried to seduce Carrick a number of times in the past, despite the fact he was happily married to Ro. Until tonight, I’d never believed he would fall for her,” he said in disgust.
“Maybe he hasn’t. Don’t judge what you don’t know, boy,” Hoyt warned with a pointed look. “If she has strong magic, she might be influencing him, where she couldn’t before.”
“Why now and not when Roisin was alive?” All this talk of magic made Cian’s head hurt. He wasn’t naive to what might be possible. Hell, in his ex-line of work, he’d learned all about trickery. He’d also learned a long time ago that love spells and potions weren’t effective and, more often than not, backfired.
“If their relationship was true, nothing could’ve broken them up.” Hoyt shrugged and sipped his drink.
A trickle of suspicion ran down Cian’s spine. “You’ve been the victim of another’s treachery?”
The other man snorted. “You’re perceptive, boy. I’ll give you that.”
“Dad? What’s this about?” Piper leaned forward. Concern tightened her mouth and a frown drew her brows together. “Did someone try to steal you from Mom?”
“Not me. Your mother from us, and it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans anymore. It’s past history, Pip.” Hoyt gave her a self-assured smile. “Don’t you worry about your old dad none. That good-for-nothing failed miserably. He didn’t stand a chance against the Thorne’s charm.”
“As a recipient of that unholy charm, I can vouch for the truth of your words,” Cian said with a laugh.
Piper elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Shut it, you!” She addressed her father. “How did I never hear that story? Mom’s fond of reminiscing.”
Hoyt’s expression turned dark and a hard light came to his eyes. “We don’t mention his name. There’s power in a name.”
“Sounds like Voldemort,” Piper muttered with a snort. “‘He who must not be named.’”
Cian recognized the Harry Potter reference, although he’d never read the books or saw the movies. When they’d come out, it was all anyone could talk about. Even Bridget had fallen under the spell of those books for a time. But he understood Hoyt’s desire to keep quiet about the past. A name did hold power, and it could be wielded to hurt.
“So it is possible for Meg to sway him with an enchantment while he’s suffering Roisin’s loss?” Cian asked, wanting to clarify.
“Possible, yes. Probable, no, unless she’s utilizing black magic. Most witches shun the dark arts.”
“We all know how unstable that power is and what it could ultimately lead to, Cian. A witch would need to be desperate to resort to it,” Piper explained.
“Yeah, that I know. I’m just trying to find a reason for my brother’s actions tonight. He’s never defended Meghan in the past unless it was Roisin’s request. He’d not do it if he felt she was the reason for Ro’s death.”
Nothing made sense to him, but he intended to delve deeper into the who and what of it all. Cian would be damned if that she-devil seduced his little brother under his watch. Bridget would need to be alerted to the newest development, too. She’d need to keep a keen eye on what was happening should Cian not be around.
“Is there a spell to drive her away?”
“Maybe not drive her away, per se, but we can easily erect wards to keep her off the property.” Piper jerked as if a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Dad, wouldn’t the wards you and Spring put in place have kept evil intenders away? How far would that extend from the property?”
“We only spelled this here inn. It doesn’t extend to the pub or Carrick’s place, but we could easily do that now.” Hoyt gave a firm nod, as if he liked the idea.
“I’d be grateful if you did.” Cian finished off his drink and stood up. “But I think morning is soon enough. I can’t see Meghan returning tonight.”
Father and daughter grimaced, and it lit Cian’s nerves afire. It was no secret they’d been through things like this before. Perhaps he should take heed of their warnings.
“You can go to bed, Cian,” Hoyt said. “Pip and I will take care of what needs to be done. We’ve found it’s best not to delay.”
Cian gave them a tired smile. “Then I’ll stay and help, or at least see what I should do if the gods decide to grace us with abilities in the future.”