by Sheila Kell
“We’ll have larger teams then,” Doc said. “But I heard they won’t have two medics on each team.”
Setting his beer down on the table, Danny said, “Maybe we’ll get someone with more experience than Stone.”
“Stone has no experience. He’s a computer geek.” Cowboy laughed.
“He did slide right into the job at HQ.” Danny finished his beer. “Ready?”
Beer mugs hit the table, and the three men stood. As they made to exit the Irish Pub with Danny in the lead, someone bolted in the door, right into his chest, almost knocking him down.
“Moira.”
“Hide me,” she insisted. “Two men,” she said between raspy breaths, “chasing me.”
Without pause, Danny moved them away from the entrance toward the rear door of the pub. Before they made it, Cowboy said, “Tallyho,” noting he’d caught sight of the potential threat. The men had entered. “Showbiz,” Cowboy suggested.
Danny agreed to the protective tactic Cowboy had designed and recommended. They were inside, had no weapons and, whenever possible, they would peacefully neutralize a threat when they had an innocent with them. And they had no idea if the men who’d entered had weapons. So, he played along with Cowboy’s suggestion. One, because it was a smart idea, and two, because he wanted the excuse to kiss her. And that’s what he’d be doing. He turned her with her back facing the wall and whispered, “Play along.”
Wide-eyed, she nodded.
He pulled her close and kissed her. Not with all the pent-up desire for her since he had to retain some focus and perspective about what was happening around him. They only had to pull off lovers who’d had a bit too much to drink and were making out. Yet he wanted so much more.
Her mouth opened under his and either she was a great actress, or she wanted the kiss as much as he did. Their tongues mated in the age-old song of passion. Her arms entwined around his neck, pulling them so close even a breath wouldn’t have been able to slip through between them.
As expected, his cock thickened, wanting to take this make-out session to the next level.
Vaguely, he heard the men tell someone to step away, acting like bodyguards protecting one or both of their privacies. They assured the men they hadn’t seen a woman run though, especially since their job was to see that their boss was not disturbed, not to watch for stray women. Cowboy laughed and told them unless she was hot, then their boss might want to meet her tomorrow night. He was set for tonight.
After a few more minutes, someone tapped his shoulder. “Okay, Ball Park, we’re set.”
Reluctantly, he pulled back from Moira’s soft lips and stared down at her with his ragged breathing. Her eyes were pools of desire. He had to speak with his brother ASAP.
“Bathroom,” Moira said breathlessly, then slipped from between him and the wall and went into the ladies’ restroom. He watched the door for a moment, then turned to his teammates. “So?”
“I recognized one of them. Underground. Either she was a chance grab, or someone contracted for her,” Doc said.
“Fuck,” Danny said. “Why can’t this be easy? I have to work. I can’t be there to watch out for her, and I haven’t sought out anyone else to keep an eye on her.”
When they spoke of the Underground, it was not Baltimore’s Underground Science Space. No, it was where the worst of the worst operated and the law was useless. If someone contracted for her, then Boyle knew she was alive.
“I have to speak with Justin, no matter if it’s out of our planned cycle. This is too important.”
“Yeah,” Cowboy said. “Maybe you’ll ask him about the girl since you just made out with her.” He snickered.
Maybe. Probably. They’d had no way to hide her otherwise. He looked around to see if she’d heard Cowboy’s words but didn’t see her near them. Realizing she’d taken so long in the ladies’ room tightened his gut that she might be avoiding him now.
“Excuse me,” Danny said to a woman walking their way. “Would you check on our friend for us, please? She’s been in there a long time. She’s about five foot six, auburn hair with lots of red in it, and is wearing jeans and a green shirt.”
The woman walked back their way, shaking her head. “There’s no one in there. Sorry.”
Moira must’ve slipped by them when they were talking and left through the back door. Dammit. “Doesn’t she realize it’s not safe? Hell, she came in here running for her life.”
“Maybe the kiss wasn’t the best idea,” Doc said, as the voice of reason. “How are you gonna find her now?”
It took a moment, then Danny remembered. “Oh, I have a way.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all the Holy Martyrs! Not thinking clearly, Moira raced from the bar, wondering if she’d have a heart attack with hers beating so fast and—could it burst out her chest? She couldn’t focus on that. She had to keep an eye out for anyone or anything she’d deem a threat. In the midst of her running for her life—that’s how she felt—she brought a hand to her lips. They still tingled from the man who wasn’t the gangly lad of her youth. Nay, he stood taller than her by about six inches, maybe more, maybe less. She wasn’t a short woman. He hadn’t needed to lean down too far, and she hadn’t needed to step on her tiptoes. She’d call that perfect in her mind.
When she’d arrived—just like her brother had said—Danny had waited for her at the airport. Shock had been the word of the day. He’d turned into a man. A fine-looking man. A man who set her body into a jumble of erotic feelings until she wanted to walk up to him and say, “I’m yours for the taking.”
Only, she didn’t want her brother to learn she wanted to share one of his friends’ bed. She didn’t know if it’d be worse for her or for Danny. Better to suffer the desire silently, which sucked.
What she hadn’t planned for had been that over the past few months, her attraction would have grown. After tonight, she had no idea how things would stand between them. But it was something she’d think about tomorrow.
After four blocks of foolishly running, constantly glancing back to ensure she hadn’t been followed, Moira stopped. “Nay. Nay. Not now,” she muttered, barely about to say the words. Frozen to the spot with legs slowly turning rubbery, she opened her purse. She fumbled around in her bag for her inhaler, only to panic when she couldn’t find it. A full-blown “I’m going to die,” paralyzing panic.
The last time she remembered using it was in the bathroom at the bar. She’d needed it then, because Danny had literally taken her breath away. The run had done it this time. While she’d ran, she admitted that she’d been frightened. It’d been stupid to leave Danny and his friends since they protected people, but they had chased off the men. At the time, getting away from Danny seemed more important. As her mind swirled, she knew how foolish she’d been to leave by herself.
Fear brushed through her and made a second stroke. She couldn’t breathe. She was suffocating. This couldn’t be happening. A door opened on the townhouse she’d fallen to her knees in front of. She’d made it to her friends’ home.
A women’s shrill voice had someone else running back inside. Were they calling the cops on her? Nay, they needed to call 911. “Get the inhaler Moira left here!”
“I—” She fought for her next breath, pain filling her chest at the effort. “I. Can’t.” She tried to gulp air but to no avail.
She recognized her good friend, Laura, who touched her arm and assured her she’d be okay. How could she say that? If they didn’t get an ambulance here now, it might be too late.
Bare footsteps slapped across the walkway. “Here,” Luke said.
“All right, Moira,” Laura’s soothing voice helped take off some of the edge, but it hurt not being able to catch a full breath. At any moment, she’d pass out.
Laura took her hand and placed the inhaler into it. Her hands shook so much, she coul
dn’t make it work. Jeanie Mac! It was too late.
“Moira Wright, you stay with me,” a voice demanded. Darkness surrounded her vision, and her ears rang. “Now, I’m taking your inhaler, and I’ll administer your medicine.”
Even with the authoritative tone Laura used, Moira wasn’t giving up her inhaler. She’d already lost one tonight; she needed this one. Needed to get it to her mouth.
The inhaler was jerked from her grasp. “Dammit, Moira, you will not pass out on me. Open your mouth.”
As if all her functions had ceased, she tried to open her mouth but failed.
“Open it, Luke.”
“All right, Moira, here it comes. Take a breath.”
The first squirt hit her throat since Luke had her mouth open so wide. Her jaw hurt. But not more than the elephant on her chest trying to kill her. She couldn’t remember ever being this bad, except her first time. Her parents had looked scared before the doctor diagnosed her. Then he’d explained it was a lifelong illness, but there were things she could do to lessen the chances of an attack.
If she hadn’t already been frightened, confused, and excited over Danny’s kiss as well as running for blocks, she wouldn’t have had this attack.
The breaths weren’t coming. Harder and harder it became to get any air in her lungs. When the darkness rimming her gaze crept in closer, her panic grew.
Of course, she’d been instructed not to panic when an attack happened, but those doctors weren’t the ones who couldn’t breathe. Who wouldn’t fight for what little air they could? With the lack of oxygen getting to her brain, she felt ready to allow the darkness to consume her gaze, so the pain, pressure, fear, and inability to control what happened to her would go away.
“Dammit, Moira, work with me. Once more,” Laura directed. Her friend was a take charge kind of woman who treated her like she had been given paddles to shock her back to life.
“Inhale.”
After the last squirt into her mouth, Luke let go of her jaw. She still couldn’t breathe. It’d been too late. She couldn’t afford to go to a hospital because her name could end up somewhere that would make her found. Which would contradict her death in Dublin.
Laura’s face swam in front of hers. “Moira, calm down. You can breathe now, but you can’t keep panicking. You’ve got to settle some and we’ll get you through this.”
Easy for her to say. Laura wasn’t the one dying.
“Look at me, Moira. There you go. Take slow, easy breaths.”
As she listened to the hypnotic voice, Moira obeyed and began to get her wits about her. The elephant squatting on her chest had moved on, but the burn remained. She knew it’d go away soon.
It took a few minutes, but Luke and Laura stayed with her as her attack passed. With much relief, Moira bent her head down and regained herself. Luke stepped back into the house and she knew why. His way of fixing everything was through hot tea. She’d bet he hurried to set up the kettle.
Laura’s hand soothed her back. “How are you feeling?”
Moira generally didn’t have an attack because she noticed the signs and got ahead of it. Once, at her friends’ home, she’d had one, and Luke and Laura had taken steps to educate themselves on how to help her. With that, Laura had recommended she keep one of her inhalers at her and Luke’s place, since she spent so much time there. Thank goodness Laura had recommended it. Otherwise, Moira would be at the hospital that her brother—and Danny—had instructed her to avoid at all costs.
“I’m better.” She looked over at Laura, who sat on the stoop beside her. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
Laura laughed. “Of course I did. I need my Irish friend to finish teaching me how to speak Irish Gaelic, so I can go back with you and find me a hunk of an Irishman.”
Moira laughed. Laura had said that when she’d met her but had yet to start a lesson.
Sadness and determination slid into her body. Would she ever get to go home again?
Laura stood. “How about we go in? I’m sure Luke’s almost ready with the tea. Do you need his help to stand?”
Her recently oxygen-deprived body didn’t want to cooperate. She worked to get up from where she’d fallen to the ground, shifting on unsteady legs but only made it to her knees.
Laura’s arm went around her. “Come on, I’ll help you.”
Instead of getting a moment to prepare her, the arm Laura had placed around her to help disappeared, and disorientation wrapped itself around her. Moira fought that frustrating panic that lived in her life for the moment. Her immediate thought was she’d suffered something permanent from her attack. When warm arms wrapped one under her knees and the other behind her back, she relaxed into Luke’s big arms.
After the steps into their home, Luke settled her on the couch. Then he strode into the kitchen and returned with a cup of hot tea. Either noticing her hands still shook or just out of choice, he placed the cup and saucer on the end table beside her.
Laura sat in the armchair while Luke took an oak chair from the kitchen table and swung it around and sat backward. Both friends looked at her expectantly. Weakness and burning lungs still plagued her, but moment by moment, everything eased.
“Thank you. I felt like I was dying.” She scrunched her eyebrows into a V. “Did I wake you two?” It couldn’t be more than eleven, but she wasn’t sure.
“Noooo,” Laura dragged out the word. She looked at Luke and grinned. Luke, on the other hand, looked like he’d just eaten a lemon. “Loverboy over there had a blind date but said no after seeing him.”
“Well, you would’ve too. My men don’t need to be as large as I am, but I don’t like them looking like a waif.”
“Tell all,” Moira said.
After knowing them only a couple of months, she felt comfortable with them. “This guy’s name was Danny.”
Moira stiffened. “Uh—” She stopped because she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the truth.
Luke waved a hand as if to ward off a fly. “Not your Danny, although yours is one tantalizing package.” He winked and laughed. She couldn’t agree more.
“He is hot. Since you’re not dating him, would you mind if I do?” Laura’s question took Moira by surprise.
Jealously flashed through Moira at the thought of Laura with Danny. Maybe it was because they’d recently kissed. “First, he’s not my Danny. He’s my brother’s friend, who is helping me get set up in America. Second, date who you want. I’m not dating him.” If Laura and Danny hooked up, she’d move to Boston with her brother, whether he wanted her there or not.
She caught the glance her friends made at each other. They were up to something or just knew something she didn’t. Either way, she wasn’t sure she liked it.
“My story is not important,” Luke said. “He won’t be in my life, and if he applies for me as his personal trainer, I’ll work him so hard, he’ll leave with his tail between his legs.”
They all laughed. She could imagine what that would look like. It might be fun to watch, although she would feel bad for this other Danny.
“So, Sweetheart,” Luke said, “what had you so winded? How many blocks did you walk?”
Embarrassed, she held up four fingers. “But,” she tried to justify, “I was running, not walking.”
Their eyes widened, and Laura took over. “Why were you running? Was someone following you? Do we need to call the—”
Moira held up her hand. “Stop, Laura. It’s okay. No police, no emergency.”
“Then why?” Luke asked.
How much to tell them? They didn’t know why she was in America, so she couldn’t bring that into the conversation. “I had two men following me.”
“Oh, girl, you have to be careful,” Luke advised.
“How’d you give them the slip?” Laura eyed her over her mug.
She hadn’t thought this through. Maybe
she could skirt around it. “I ran into Sláinte, right into Danny’s chest, and two of the men he worked with. They hid me.”
Luke’s brows furrowed. “How?”
Taking a long drink of tea and trying not to show how it burned her throat going down, she looked at them both to gauge how the next words would go over. “Well, he kissed me.”
Laughter exploded from both her friends. “I knew it,” Laura said with glee.
“I told you first,” Luke said, in an attempt to claim the glory.
They sobered at the same time, which made her worry.
Luke looked at her, calm as day. “Let me get this right. Some men chase you and you escape into Slainté’s. Danny kisses you—which we’ll talk about how it was later—and you run again? Was Danny’s kiss that bad?”
Safety had foolishly been the last thing on her mind. She’d simply reacted in the moment—albeit badly—and had needed to get out of there. The question, though, dealt with the kiss. She’d been kissed before, but that kiss had blown her mind.
Knowing Luke really wanted an answer to the last question, she blurted, “It was the master of all kisses.” Her eyes widened at her disclosure.
“Oh, no,” Luke said, “You’re going to tell us all that mushy stuff.”
After being scared, relieved, feeling heated, almost dying and, finally, free and relaxed with her friends, surely, they could have this conversation. They shared Luke’s and Laura’s encounters. No rules existed except—nothing too personal or graphic. Although she had an inkling that Luke would have loved all the explicit details.
With a grin, she leaned back, bringing her calves under her, and began. “At first, I didn’t realize what he’d planned….”
Chapter Eighteen
Danny wanted to kick his own ass for allowing Moira to give him the slip. He’d waited for hours at his home, and when she hadn’t returned, he’d called Stone and felt guilty until he remembered Stone’s temporarily single situation. They’d have to get him out with the other agents. He could probably use their support.
