Rían: (The O'Malleys Book 3)

by Michelle McLoughney

  “Annie, are you okay? What are you doing here?” Annie nodded at him, looked at Sheila and ignored her before turning her attention back to Seamus.

  “Shay, we have a problem. Liadh is missing and I’m worried about her, you need to come with me to Rían’s house this minute.”

  Seamus sniffed lightly, crinkled his nose and stared at her.

  “Seamus, are you deaf or stupid?” Seamus blinked twice and raised his eyebrows.

  “Neither, thanks for the concern. How do you know she’s missing?”

  “She left a note saying she was leaving Kilvarna. She said not to follow her. It’s not her Shay. O’Brien has taken her.”

  Shay looked at her and bit his lip. “Maybe Liadh just left, Annie. She left a note saying as much, I know she was your friend but sometimes people just LEAVE.” He emphasised the word leave and Annie smirked at him shaking her head.

  “You’ll never make superintendent with that attitude, officer dum dum. Something is wrong I can feel it. Call it woman’s intuition or whatever but something is off.” Annie could see Sheila out of the corner of her eye, she raised an eyebrow in her direction and watched as the girl crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Sheila poked Seamus with her index finger.

  “How long is this going to take, I’m not standing here all night listening to Annie O’Malley.” Seamus turned to her, “Nearly done Sheila, relax.”

  “Yeah Shelia, relax your slacks girl,” Annie said sarcastically and grinned at her. Sheila huffed and looked Annie up and down curling her lip.

  “State of ya, you do know this is the officer’s ball yeah? You’re disgracing yourself and you smell like manure.”

  Annie narrowed her eyes and moved towards Sheila. Seamus grabbed her arm and moved her to the side waging his finger in her face.

  “Ah, ah, ah, Annie you relax as well missy. Look if you are still worried about her in the morning call into me at the station okay. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about, people leave, Annie. People leave and never come back, that’s the way the world works.”

  “I know my friend,” Annie hissed. “She didn’t just leave, something has happened, Jesus why won’t you listen to me! Look, fine, forget it.”

  “Bye Annie,” Sheila smirked at her and waved. Annie turned to her with fire in her eyes, her cheeks reddening.

  “I didn’t know you were seeing Seamus, Sheila.”

  “Well now you know,” Sheila said sarcastically.

  “I thought you were seeing Tom Carolan.” Sheila shifted on her feet and rolled her eyes and examined her fingernails looking bored.

  “Don’t know where you got that idea.”

  “Oh right, well it’s just when I passed the back of Nellie’s pub last week on my way back from an emergency call at 2 am, I saw you dry humping the shite out of him against the wall.” Sheila stood still, mouth and eyes wide open.

  Seamus coughed and shook his head. “Annie.”

  “Never mind, I’m out of here, I’ll just take a swig of this before I go.” Annie grabbed two champagne flutes from a passing server and necked them back burping slightly when she was finished.

  Seamus ran his fingers through his hair and pressed his lips against each other shaking his head. “Did you drive here Annie O’Malley?"

  “I sure did, guess I’m over the limit now huh?” Annie shrugged, as she plonked the two flutes on the bar top and turned on her heel and stalked off.

  “Oh for the love of …Annie! Wait!”

  Sheila pulled on his arm but he shook it off.

  “Sorry Sheila, this was never going to work. I always think dry humping is a waste of a good orgasm.”

  Pulling on the jacket of his tux Seamus crossed the dance floor and grabbed Annie’s arm tightly as he half dragged her out of the room. He whispered through clenched teeth.

  “You did that on purpose didn’t you?”

  Annie smiled and nodded.

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t want me driving over the limit, would you officer?” They made it outside and as Annie reached for the handle of her jeep Seamus spun her around and put a hand on each side of the door trapping her in. The electricity between them sizzled, and Annie watched as his lips drew into a thin line. Keeping his eyes on her mouth, he shook his head slowly.

  “ Don’t push me too far. If you weren’t..”

  “What Seamus? If I wasn’t what.” He was breathing heavy and her face flushed scarlet as he moved into her so she could feel his erection through his trousers.

  “If I wasn’t who I am, and you weren’t who you are. I would use what I have here.” He pressed against her again and Annie’s breathing deepened. She raised her eyes to meet his, Goddamn it, please stop getting turned on. She tried to stop herself but found that she couldn’t stop her lips from moving, couldn’t stop needling him because she wanted it, she wanted him to fuck her senseless! Damn, when did that become a reality?

  “Prove it,” she whispered.

  Seamus thumped one hand off the car roof making her jump.

  “Well, Annie. You got my attention, let’s go then.”

  He opened her door and stayed holding it as Annie uncomfortably tried to manoeuvre herself into the car. He bent down and whispered close to her ear.

  “Don’t you ever pull that shit on me again Annie O’Malley, or you will suffer the consequences.”

  Annie breathed out and swallowed deeply as he slammed the car door, walked around the front of the car and got into the driver’s seat.

  They sat silently as they drove in the direction of Rían’s house. Annie hung onto the dashboard as Seamus with a face like thunder, drove like a very pissed off man. She looked at him and grimaced.

  “What?” he clipped.

  “Sheila whatsherface! Really? I mean seriously the girl needs a good kick in the fanuala.”

  “Fanuala?”

  “Yes Seamus, fa-nu-ala,” Annie sighed dramatically.

  “I’ve no idea what a fanuala is Annie. Care to enlighten me?”

  “Okay Seamus, this is big people talk so try to keep up. When a man and a lady like each other very much, the man takes his pee pee and puts it in a woman’s Fanuala. And then nine months later-” Seamus put a hand up to stop her.

  “Jesus Annie! I hope when you’re teaching your girls about the birds and the bees you use proper flippin' terminology.”

  “When kids are raised on a farm there isn’t much need for the sex talk shay. They see enough to get the gist of it. Anyway, I’m only looking out for you shay, she’s not good enough for you.”

  “What Annie, Oh now you care. It’s been four years since he died, four fecking years.”

  Pulling over to the hard shoulder Seamus got out of the car, he turned to face the windshield and stared into the car at her. Annie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Opening her door she got out and faced him she threw her hands up.

  “I know exactly how long it’s been Shay, I know exactly how long it’s been since James died. Can we just concentrate on the task at hand?”

  “And what task is that Annie? Liadh left Kilvarna, it’s possible, and it’s that simple. Not everyone likes to live in the past. Maybe she’s just moved on.”

  Annie raised her eyes upward.

  “Oh for feck sake Shay. Liadh just wouldn’t up and leave, she loves it here, and she loves Rían too. She’d never leave him without saying goodbye.” Shay grunted at her, damn it but she was right, as usual. Annie had an annoying knack of being perceptive and her intuition was flawless.

  “What do you think has happened Annie?” Seamus asked opening the top button of his tux shirt.

  “Oh let me think, how many years did I spend at Garda School? Hhmm I could use some doughnuts right about now, you know to get the old ideas flowin’ like. Let me think.”

  Annie tapped her foot and rubbed her finger across her top lip. Shay moved towards her and Annie put her hands up.

  “All right Jesus. I think Liam Fuckface O’Brien has something to do with it. I’m h
eading to Rían’s place now. Either come with me or get out of my way.” She walked away from him and he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

  “You know I’m coming with you. Don’t fuck me about Annie. If you didn’t want me here, you wouldn’t have interrupted my night out and forced me to come here with you. Cut the shit.”

  “He killed the deer Shay. He has a problem with Liadh. I’ve seen how he looks at her. Something’s not right.”

  Shay looked at Annie and his features softened. She’s so kind. Damn it, no she’s not! She’s a spoiled brat. Okay, that’s going too far. Even though she makes me frustrated in every sense of the word, she’s not spoiled. She’s sweet and kind and lovely. How does she get her hair to smell like apple? She’s so dark, I’d love to be that dark, instead I burn on an overcast day. Concentrate for fuck sake!

  “What the hell are you looking at me like that for?”

  Shay raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

  “Like, I dunno. Just stop.”

  Shay shrugged and mumbled “hhmmmkay.”

  Annie looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

  “Just shut your face and drive Shay. The faster we get to Rían’s the faster you can get back into the claws, sorry, arms of Sheila O’Hagan.”

  Seamus sat back in the car and Annie rolled her eyes and followed him. Seamus tried to stop a grin from lingering on his lips and instead of antagonizing the crap out of her further, he just put the pedal to the metal and went in search of the maybe kidnapped Liadh O’Neill.

  You can’t save a strong woman,

  Just save yourself and she’ll do the rest.

  -Irish Saying

  Liadh sat looking at Liam O’Brien as he slowly walked up and down the room in the little broken down cabin in the woods. Liadh was disorientated from whatever had been on the cloth he had put over mouth, chloroform of some kind probably, but she could hear the waterfall in the background and knew instinctively where she was.

  “Now Liadh, all I want to do is talk to you. That’s all I ever wanted to do. There was no need to act like a stuck up little bitch now was there? It just got so out of hand! I never wanted to hurt anyone Liadh. I never wanted to kill those deer. I just….I just was so angry with Rían, he hit me Liadh. Me! I think we can make a go of it if we got together, you and me. I’m not much, but then neither are you Liadh? With your face you haven’t many options.”

  Liadh ignored the anger and bile that rose in her throat and tried to reason with him. “Liam, this is madness. You need to let me go. They will all be worried about me. I don’t want you to get into trouble. Just let me go.”

  Liam ignored her and moved over to the window.

  “Do you think he is better than me Liadh? I saw you both together, did you know that? I saw you together on the deck of his house. I’ve seen bigger.”

  Liadh rolled her eyes and turned away from him. God, she hoped Rían came soon. O’Brien wouldn’t hurt her; or at least she didn’t think he would.

  “I’m going to show you something, Liadh. You think that Rían O’Malley is the only man who can satisfy you. I may not be the tallest man you’ve ever seen, but I’m amply endowed. Look at this Liadh.”

  Liadh pursed her lips and looked him in the eye.

  “You are ridiculous, Liam O’Brien. I don’t want to see anything of yours. Just let me go back to Rían and I won’t tell anyone what a complete…”

  Liam narrowed his eyes, he stepped forward and slapped Liadh across the face. Liadh’s head snapped back and she tasted blood in her mouth. The sting lessened gradually and she stared straight ahead, ignoring him.

  “See what you made me do Liadh! I never wanted to hurt you. Just behave yourself and you will be fine.”

  Liadh’s heart sank when she heard him unzip his trousers.

  “What do you think of that Liadh?” Liam grinned menacingly at Liadh as he dropped his trousers and stood naked from the waist down.

  “She’s probably wondering if you lost the top half of it in a shark attack,” said Granny O’Malley.

  O’Brien closed his eyes as he felt the cold steel of a shotgun barrel kiss the back of his ear. He half turned his head and saw Aoife O’Malley holding a shotgun, if he played his cards right he could disable the fragile bitch easily enough. A little fear crept into him; he felt a presence on his left side too. He hoped it wasn’t the crazy veterinarian one, out of the corner of his eye he spotted red hair mingled with grey peeking out from under a woollen hat. Good, good, the old lady. He wouldn’t have too much of a fight with that one, one good slap would see her right. He raised his hands up in submission and began to turn around slowly.

  “Now, now ladies let’s not do anything hasty.” As he came to face to face with them, the last thing he saw was the determined angry look on the old one’s face, and the flat end of an ash Hurley as it connected with his head, right between the eyes. Then nothing but pitch-blackness.

  “Granny!” “Mrs O’Malley!”

  Aoife and Liadh gasped in unison.

  “What? I cannot abide a man who would harm a woman. There’s a darkness and a want in that one.” She poked the Hurley into the backside of the lifeless lump that was Liam O’Brien.

  “You didn’t need to clobber him with a Hurley granny. Is he? He’s not-?”

  “He’s grand girls, a little knock on the head that’s all, it’ll do him not lasting damage, and more IS the pity. Now, Aoife off you go and help untie Liadh, I’ll call the boys and the Guards, let them know we’re here.”

  Aoife continued to stare at her grandmother.

  “Aoife, a closed mouth catches no flies. I’m only an old woman, sure what harm could I do a strong man like him? He frightened me and I reacted.”

  Aoife’s mouth flew open and then snapped shut. Her grandmother turned her back on them both and went over to the drawers under the sink looking for rope to tie Liam O’Brien up with.

  Aoife and Liadh made eye contact and Aoife moved over beside her.

  “Did he hurt you Liadh? Did he-?”

  “No, just a bit shaken up is all. Here untie my hands.” Aoife ran over to the chair and began to pull Liadh free.

  Twenty minutes later the door of the cabin door burst open with Seamus, two junior guards, Annie, Rían, Bonnie and Darragh falling in after them.

  “Everybody on the floor now!” Seamus shouted and then looked around the room taking in the three women sitting quietly at the table and Liam O’Brien tied to a chair in the corner, his mouth gagged with a white hand towel and his hands tied behind his back.

  “Cup of tea?” Granny O’Malley asked Seamus. Seamus turned towards the door to look at Rían, just as all hell broke loose.

  Rían ran at Liam O’Brien and the two of them crashed down on the floor.

  “You little bastard amadán. You bastard.” Liam wriggled on the floor the gag fell out of his mouth. He struggled to get away from Rían and whined in Seamus’ direction.

  “Garda, I was assaulted by old Mrs O’Malley. And held against my will. I’m pressing charges. Can someone pull my feckin' pants up!?”

  Seamus let Rían get a few punches in, before he nodded towards the officers who attempted to pull him off.

  “Liam O’Brien, I’m arresting you on suspicion of kidnapping and assault of Liadh O’Neill.” As Seamus read Liam O’Brien his rights, Rían and Annie hugged Liadh. Rían grabbed her chin between his fingers and lifted her face up.

  “He hurt you.”

  “It’s nothing,” said Liadh tightly. “I just want to go home. Take me home Rían.”

  Rían shook his head.

  “When we are finished with the guards we are going away Liadh.”

  As she began to resist he shook his head again.

  Níl leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh.

  There is no cure for love, except marriage.

  -Irish saying

  “It’s paradise Rían.” Liadh murmured as she walked beside him, her arm linked with his. Squashing her feet into the wet sand a
s she walked, Liadh soaked up the last night on Redemption Island.

  The stars were so bright in the sky and the full moon lit up the beach in a silvery glow. The water was still warm as it lapped over her feet. Liadh closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  “I can’t believe we leave tomorrow. It has been so magical Rían, such a tonic. Thank you so much for showing me your island. I’ll never forget it.” The last two weeks they had spent in Redemption had been blissful. Days of walking on the shoreline and nights spent lying under the stars, making love on the deck of Rían’s beach house. Liadh felt Rían’s hand squeeze hers lightly.

  “It’s been perfect Liadh. I called home a little while ago. Fia and the peanuts are doing really well.”

  Liadh let her lips form a smile automatically but inside she felt as though she were saying goodbye to the best part of herself, the best chance at happiness she would ever have. She bit hard on her lip in frustration. So many words unsaid still hung overhead like the sword of Damocles. I don’t want it to end. I can’t bear it.

  “ Oh so delighted, I miss them.It’s nearly time for me to go back to Dublin Rían, or take the position at Burke’s practice. The summer’s almost over. The sale of Rua Cottage will allow me to buy into the practice somewhere and have some stability, I’ve been offered a partnership in Dublin too, it’s time to make a decision.

  “I want to give you something Liadh.”

  Liadh widened her eyes and made an oooh noise.

  “Is it dirty? What do you have to give me?”

  “Oh ha ha, horny minx. Now that you mention it!” Rían tickled Liadh and she ran away from him down the beach. He caught up with her easily and gathered her in his arms.