“I won’t hide out.”
“And I won’t have you hanging about in public for all the world to see while there’s still a target on your back.”
Piper threw up her hands in her anger. “Cian, this is ridiculous. We might never find who’s behind this. The best we can do is live life normally but remain alert.”
“There you’re wrong, love. I’m more determined than ever to find them. We’ve too much to lose.”
“I won’t hide,” she repeated firmly.
“Don’t look at it as hiding. Look at it as keeping my bed warm.” He was sprawled in a comfy chair with one leg draped over the arm. The crackling fire in the hearth backlit him and made him look like temptation personified, but Piper was too irritated to act on her desire to climb onto his lap.
He tried to cover his knowing grin with a mug of coffee, but he failed miserably. They’d been burning up the sheets for the better part of a week, and she still didn’t feel as if she could get enough. The man was a sex god in bed. Piper craved his touch morning, noon, and night. She was an addict, and Cian was her drug of choice. The problem was that he knew and exploited it.
Still, she wasn’t a pushover. Much. “I’m not kidding, Cian. I might as well have stayed back home. I’m tired of being cooped up and I want out.”
“I’d be happy for you to go back home if it will save your life.” His tone had turned hard and there was a coldness in his expression. It gave her a moment’s pause. The other time he’d seemed so distant was when they spoke of commitment. Was this his way of getting rid of her after he’d gotten what he wanted? Had she misread the signs?
Frustrated tears threatened, and she’d rather punch his annoying face than shed them.
Cian sighed heavily and climbed to his feet. After placing his coffee cup on a side table, he crossed to her and tilted up her chin. “Piper me love, I can’t help Bridget run the pub and guard your delectable body at the same time.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You either go home or you don’t step foot outside these walls. Those are your two options. Make your choice.”
A loud pop from the logs in the fireplace punctuated his statement, annoying her further. “You’re not the boss of me.”
She might as well stomp her feet and stick out her tongue like a child. And yeah, her tone was petulant, but so what? His bossiness grated on her last nerve. Piper almost told him as much, but his booming laughter rang out and made her smile—reluctantly, at that!
Her inconvenience was nothing compared to theirs. Bridget had called all the visitors booked for the next month and either rescheduled or refunded their deposits. All for Piper’s safety, and with minimal complaint. Hoyt had written a check for double the amount of what they’d lost, but it still didn’t make up for the inconvenience or the potential loss of return customers.
Piper snuggled into Cian’s embrace. “Fine, I’ll stay inside.”
“Even if another incident like the fire happens.”
She thunked her forehead on his rock-hard pec. “Even if another incident like the fire happens,” she dutifully replied with her crossed fingers hidden behind his back.
“Let me see your hands, darlin’.”
Aghast, she drew back and stared at him, open-mouthed. “Why… what… how… you don’t believe me?” Her voice shot up an octave with each word, clearly giving her away.
A single arched brow was his answer, and as he stared down at her with all-knowing eyes, his lips twitched as if he fought a laugh or struggled to hold back the words that would label her a liar.
Piper wasn’t one for lying, but she understood the only way to remotely pull it off was to stand firm and not back down. In a battle of wills, the person who blinked first conceded the field.
He’d just reached for her hands when the door slammed open. In walked a petite redhead with a peaches and cream complexion, a form-hugging black dress equipped with plunging neckline—Gucci, if Piper wasn’t mistaken, and an attitude that screamed she was owed the world.
The woman’s calculating gaze summed up the scene in a second, and she adjusted her expression accordingly. Her countenance took on a shocked, heartbroken look and she batted wide, wounded eyes at Cian. “Darling? What is this?”
Darling?
Acid burned the back of Piper’s throat and she wanted to hurl. She dropped her arms from around him and moved back a few steps. Dear Goddess, please don’t say she’d hooked up with another cheater.
Based on Cian’s reaction, he was positively shell-shocked. He hadn’t taken his stunned gaze from their visitor.
“Cian?” Piper didn’t want to sound like an outraged wife, but she certainly needed an explanation as to why another woman was calling him “darling” and acting as if she’d been betrayed because she found them hugging.
“Cian.” There was an over-infusion of warmth in the newcomer’s tone as she sauntered forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and drew his open mouth down to meld with hers.
“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” Piper wasn’t aware she’d snarled the question until Red shot her a triumphant smile.
“Who’s the outraged maiden, darling? Another one of your playthings?”
Without any other thought other than to maim a bitch, Piper charged. Cian was faster and wrapped an arm around her waist as the redhead sidestepped to safety.
“I’ll give you a plaything, skank!” Piper shouted as she struggled within the circle of Cian’s firm hold. She kicked out but missed Red’s shiny, waxed shins.
“Oh, Cian! She’s delightful. I can see why she might hold your attention—for a short while.”
Her tittering laughter almost caused Piper to stroke out. The sensation of her blood freezing and her heart hardening was visceral. She went cold inside and ceased her struggle.
“Let me go, Cian. Now,” she demanded when he didn’t immediately comply.
Cian ignored her and focused back on Red. “Moira.”
Moira?
Piper knew she’d lost the second Cian spoke his ex-girlfriend’s name. Her chest felt the same as it had after the cave in—crushed—and she wanted to bolt. But she wouldn’t. She needed to see how this would play out and discover how the hell that bitch had returned from the dead.
“I’ve missed you dreadfully, darling.” Moira had the nerve to wipe away a crocodile tear and place her hands over her heart. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. Then to come home and find this…” She released a choked sob and pressed her knuckles to her mouth. “You know I’ve never minded your meaningless flings in the past, but can you send her away so we could have quiet time?”
Piper wished they were her knuckles, and she wanted to use a ton more force as she applied them to Moira’s face.
“I… we all thought you were dead, Moira.” Cian’s voice held wonder and what sounded like a touch of fear.
“You’ve moved on? I had no reason to believe you wouldn’t, but…” A consummate actress, Moira perched on the chair’s edge and buried her distraught face in her hands. “Oh, Cian.”
Not for one second did Piper think this farce was real. If Moira had truly loved Cian, she’d have been shocked, hurt, angry, and possibly run for the door. But she hadn’t. And Piper hadn’t failed to see Moira’s crafty gleam, right before the hysterics started.
“Piper…”
Her face went numb, and she couldn’t drag her gaze away from Moira, who peered through parted fingers at them. The woman was shrewd enough to recognize the dismissal in Cian’s tone.
He blocked Piper’s view and set his hands atop her shoulders before pulling them back as if burned. He balled his fists and held them rigid by his sides as if he didn’t want to betray Moira by touching Piper again.
Her eyes locked with his and she could see the uncomfortable apology he wanted to say but couldn’t seem to voice.
“Don’t do this,” Piper whispered. “Don’t welcome her back in.”
“She was my fiancée.”
“Precisely. She was your fiancée.”
“Is,” he corrected. “She is my fiancée. I…” Cian shrugged in a helpless manner.
He’d chosen.
No more words were needed.
Piper held up a hand to forestall anything else he might say. “I got it.”
Four long strides took her out the door and into the hallway. She hadn’t realized Cian was on her heels until Moira said, “Oh, let her go, darling. We both know she’s nobody.”
Unable to hear anything else through the ringing in her ears, Piper rushed up the stairs to her room.
Cian’s stomach rebelled as he stared at the empty doorway with the disturbing feeling he’d just royally screwed the pooch. Piper couldn’t get away fast enough, and he couldn’t blame her. What the devil made him say Moira was his fiancée? The treacherous hellcat had been gone from his life for over two years, and didn’t deserve his loyalty. But they hadn’t formally broken up. He’d fully intended to rectify the situation back then, but he’d gotten the not-so tragic news of her death. And until she’d strolled into his home today, he’d believed he’d never have the chance to find closure.
Sure, and it wasn’t gladness in his heart when he’d first seen her tonight. If he’d felt even a smidgeon of happiness, he’d have hied it straight to the doctor to have his head examined without delay.
“Cian? Darling?”
Furious with himself, with her, and with Ryker for not uncovering her whereabouts before now, he whirled on her. He could feel the heat of his rage climbing his neck, and that seething fury was bubbling up inside his mouth, ready to spew ugliness like a volcano. Like lava flowing unimpeded toward the sea, the harsh words were gaining momentum and ready to decimate everything in their path—namely the triumphant bitch before him.
Had she really thought she could walk in here and flutter her lashes with a butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth smile? Did she think to have him eating out of her hand?
Apparently, she did.
“I’m not your darlin’, Moira. You lost any claim you had when you betrayed me and humiliated me in front of the Witches’ Council.” He strode back across the room. “You faked your death to boot. Who does that?” With his hands on his hips and a black scowl on his face, he said, “I’ll tell you. A right horrible minger who doesn’t care for another person but her fucking self.”
“What is this about, Cian? That little slapper who ran away? She’s not woman enough for you.”
He reeled back as if she’d struck him, shocked she’d had the bollocks to insult Piper, yet again. “Piper is worth a thousand of you, Moira. Make that one hundred thousand. And I’ll not have you insult her in my house. It’ll take me a week of Sundays to fix the mischief you’ve whipped up this night.”
“Mischief,” Moira murmured. “Yes, I suppose you’d see it that way, wouldn’t you?”
She rose to her feet and sashayed to him. Each movement a rolling step designed to add sway to her ample hips. If Cian didn’t despise her to the lengths he did, he might appreciate the effort she was putting forth to seduce him. As it was, she made his skin crawl.
She touched his arm, and he felt a sharp stab.
“What the bloody hell was that?” He jerked his arm away, but not before her ring pierced his skin a second time.
Moira touched her hand to her mouth as if she were surprised, then made a production of appearing contrite. “There’s a burr on the bottom side of this ring. I’m terribly sorry. Until it tears my clothing or scratches me, I forget it’s there.” She gave him an innocent smile, but he recognized her game. “I’ll drop it by the jeweler this week. I’d hate for anyone else to get hurt.”
“Yeah, you do that. Better yet, why don’t you go right now? You’re not welcome here anymore, Moira. If I see you again, you’ll wish I hadn’t.”
Her cat-like blue eyes turned a dark and stormy gray. A corresponding clap of thunder sounded outside and the resulting rumble shook the walls of the inn. “Careful, Cian. There’s no telling what I’d do if I thought you didn’t love me anymore.”
With a contemptuous scoff, he gripped her elbow and escorted her none-too-gently out of the room, down the hallway, and out the front door. “Don’t come back, Moira. You’re not to set foot in this house again. Nor the pub.” He leaned forward until they were practically nose to nose. “And you may not fear me, but I’ve right powerful friends in Alastair Thorne, Hoyt Thorne, and Ryker Gillespie. They’ll happily see your arse take a one-way trip to hell for hurting Piper’s feelings the way you have.”
Her fury was palpable, and a small part of Cian worried about her retaliation. She wasn’t a novice witch, nor was she afraid to use her abilities to cause havoc. In fact, it wasn’t hard to imagine she was behind many of his family’s misfortunes as well as his and Piper’s more recent bad luck.
It begged the question: how did she get past the wards? Thorne magic wasn’t impossible to break, but Cian suspected it would take multiple witches working together to do it.
Lucky, Bridget’s beloved black cat, chose that moment to cross Moira’s path. The feline hissed as he danced sideways, ready to attack her given the slightest provocation. Animals had an innate sense if a person was good or bad, and Cian would trust Lucky’s instincts every time.
With a guttural growl that rose to a screech, Lucky launched himself at Moira’s ankle and clawed for all he was worth. The fiendish glee Cian felt when he saw her face pale was sure to score him points with the devil.
“Get this fucking cat off me!” she screamed.
Fear for Lucky’s safety had Cian scooping up the cat. He doubted Moira was above hurting the little beast. “Goodbye and good riddance to you, Moira.”
“Watch your back, Cian,” she warned.
He heard the promise in her voice, and knew to take heed. It was doubtful she’d try anything with everyone on guard. Moira was nothing if not deliberate. She’d take the time to regroup.
Cian eyed the staircase. A large part of him wanted to have it out right now, but Piper wouldn’t hear him. She’d been too distraught for reason when she’d fled. Later, after he’d washed away the evilness still clinging to his skin from that she-devil Moira, he’d tell Piper the truth of his feelings and pray she’d forgive him for being too slow to react. He’d confess he’d been stunned stupid by Moira’s arrival.
A quick text informed Piper they needed to talk in the morning. In it, he asked her not to leave until they had. With his second, he notified Bridget and Ryker of his plans to head to the bar and asked they check the strength of the wards when they got back. If he switched jobs with Bridget tonight, he could bartend, drink his fill, and not worry their houseguests would be left unprotected. But his first priority would be to wash the taste of Moira out of his mouth.