Fionn squirmed and mumbled, “Mama” with his eyes closed.
Millie’s heart felt as if it had been cleaved in two. Poor child. Losing his mother at such a young age, when he needed his mother the most. She stroked his blond hair gently, hoping Fionn could feel all the warmth and love she had for him. She fell in love with that child, and she wanted to protect him and take care of him as if he were her own.
She hummed a wordless tune that her mother used to sing to her when putting her to sleep, and soon she heard the even breathing that told her that the little boy was out.
She quietly stood and gave a small gasp of surprise when she saw the shadow standing in the threshold of the doorway watching them. Kieran, it seemed, had decided to eavesdrop on their bed ritual.
He gave her a small wave and motioned for her to come out into the living room. She noticed he was slightly off—quiet, like something heavy was weighing on his mind.
“I appreciate you helping me out again. Things have been a bit hairy lately, and I know that I wouldn’t have been able to get all this done without you. It’s such a relief knowing that Fionn is being well taken care of while I’m out. Thank you, Millie.”
Millie was surprised. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing that Kieran ever said to her. So Mr. Grumpypants was capable of being nice after all! This was so out of the blue. No, maybe it was a trick. Maybe Kieran was sick or something.
She stepped forward and put her palm on his forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever.”
“What are you doing?” Kieran removed her hand but he didn’t let her go.
“You’re being nice. It’s unusual. You sure you’re okay?”
“Are you saying I’m not capable of being nice to people?”
Millie chose to not answer that but she had a hard time keeping a straight face. She almost laughed. Almost.
Kieran looked annoyed.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything. It’s just you’re a very serious person,” Millie explained, trying to sugarcoat “grumpy” but calling him “serious.” “It caught me off guard.” Although they enjoyed each other’s company on a regular basis and had grown comfortable around each other over the last couple of weeks, she noticed that he still wasn’t inclined to offer up a lot of information about what he was thinking. There seemed to be a crack in his gruff exterior this evening, though, for some reason.
“I can be nice if I want.”
Millie wasn’t sure if that grumble was meant as defense or as a note-to-self moment. She waited for him to let her wrist free. He didn’t seem particularly eager to. Instead, he stared into her eyes, down to her soul. He wore an odd expression, like he could at any time eat her in one bite.
She could feel heat slowly creeping up, burning her cheeks. Is he going to kiss me? No way. But he seems to be responding to the signals I’ve sent. What if I’m wrong? I’m going to embarrass myself. “I can make you a sandwich. I’m guessing you haven’t eaten yet. You’d mentioned you didn’t have time to take a break,” Millie said. She mentally smacked herself. What am I doing? He’s about to kiss me and I offer him a sandwich. Am I an idiot or what?
“No, that’s all right,” he said. “You’ve already done so much.”
“It’s no bother,” she said in her most cheerful voice. She was starting to be as comfortable in Kieran’s apartment as in her own, and she moved around the kitchen confidently, well aware that she could feel Kieran’s eyes on her.
“Must’ve been a rough day at the office,” she joked.
“You have no idea,” Kieran said as he settled at the breakfast bar, watching her every move intently.
Millie still didn’t quite understand what it was that Kieran did at the casino. He said he was a bouncer, but she noticed that he had new bruises and scratches on his hands on a regular basis. She would have never imagined that the casino crowd was so rowdy. The one time that she had mentioned it to him, he was clearly uncomfortable.
“Fionn seems happy these days. Happier than he might’ve been before,” Kieran said.
As she assembled the sandwich on the plate, Millie looked up at him under her hooded eyelashes. He definitely appeared to be deep in thought. “He’s a happy kid,” she said. “Of course, I have nothing to compare it to where ‘before’ is concerned.”
“I don’t either,” he said.
He had mentioned something along those lines before, and Millie sensed that perhaps this was an opportunity to find out a little bit more. He seemed more open. “So what’s the story? It’s the second time you’ve said something like that, and it just sounds strange.” She thought it best to be truthful with her admission.
Kieran leaned back in his seat staring at the glass. “Millie, I’m sorry. I haven’t been entirely honest. Fionn isn’t my son. He is my nephew. My sister, Etaine, fell in love with a human, and my father disowned her rather than accept what she wanted. After she left, I didn’t have any contact with her until a friend of hers called me two months ago to tell me she was sick. She lost her husband right before Fionn was born, and it took a terrible toll on her health. I was there right before she died, and she asked me to take care of Fionn.”
His confession shocked her enough that she needed to sit down. Everything suddenly made sense. “My God. I had no idea. I can’t believe someone would be disowned because of who she loved. That seems so wrong. Also, I thought clan members always stick together, that there’s an unbreakable loyalty there,” Millie said. “I confess, though, that my knowledge of clan rules is limited.”
Kieran gave a mirthless laugh. “It’s like that if you are accepted by the clan. Once you do something to cross them, and they kick you out, it’s a completely different story. I’m glad that I was with Etaine and was able to make peace with her before she died, but I wish that she had been willing to reach out before that. Maybe I could have helped her through her grief. I worry about Fionn as well, and the impact of what my sister’s mental health during that time did to him.”
Millie set the sandwich down in front of Kieran and placed her hand over his. That drew his eyes up to hers. “You can’t blame yourself for things you can’t change. Fionn seems happy here. You’re great with him. That’s what you need to focus on. He is so young that he probably won’t remember a lot, if anything, from that time.”
If anything, her words seemed to make the sadness in Kieran’s eyes grow even more intense. “He’ll never know what his mother was like when she was young. She and I were inseparable at one point. She was older than me by four years. I thought she was so cool. The way that she always spoke her mind and was so fiercely independent. Of course, it would be all of those things that eventually got her in trouble with the clan when she chose a human mate. I wish so many things could have been different.”
Hearing the sorrow in his voice, Millie couldn’t help herself. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Kieran’s broad shoulders. It was the first time that they had ever touched like this, and after a momentary stiffening, she felt him relax into her arms. Then his own huge arms engulfed her waist. It wasn’t often that Millie felt small, but in Kieran’s embrace, she felt beyond tiny.
He settled his head on her shoulder and released a long, mournful sigh from deep within him. She hesitantly began to stroke his hair. His grasp around her waist tightened.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but then something in the air perceptively changed between them. His hands began to move across the narrow band of her waist. They skimmed up her back and gripped into her shoulders, drawing her even closer.
When he pulled away slightly, she found that they were practically nose to nose. She saw the question in his eyes, even as desire started to replace sorrow. Millie had been with her fair share of men, and she recognized when someone was ready. She felt flattered and more than a little happy that she was able to be the one to light that fire in Kieran.
She gave the slightest nod of her approval for what was about to happen next. Kieran’s lip
s gently touched hers, and she leaned into them, letting him know that she was ready and willing. His arms encircled her completely then, and he drew her body closer still. She felt a burst of happiness in her chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and willingly gave in to the rush of emotions that filled her. Kieran’s lips covered hers with a hunger that she answered. She heard a growl deep in his chest rumbling and vibrating across her skin. It was thrilling. It was something that she had imagined in her mind, and it was even better than she expected.
As she opened her lips to him, his tongue slid inside of her mouth, tasting and teasing her, and she gave a low moan. This only seemed to increase his level of excitement as his hands began to explore other areas of her body. He stood up, and his hand took hers, beginning to draw her in the direction of the bedroom. This was exactly where she wanted to go, and she was excited to see what was going to happen next. Kieran’s mouth covered hers again, and they laughed as they started to make their way down the hallway.
Reality intruded when the doorbell rang. Kieran broke their kiss and glared at the door. “I’m going to kill whoever it is.”
Millie giggled. “Just make whoever it is go away.”
Kieran’s eyes swept back to hers. He gave her another quick kiss on the lips. “Trust me, I will. Give me two seconds. I’ll be right back.”
*
Kieran was, to say the least, not happy about the interruption. After weeks of sitting and struggling with his desire for Millie, it appeared they were on the cusp of taking their relationship to the next level. This was something that he was more than eager to do and as quickly as possible. Whoever was at the door was about to get the boot.
He opened the door expecting to see the janitor or the building’s landlord. Somebody who he could get rid of in less than two seconds. Instead, it was someone who he never expected to see again.
“Kieran,” Marcus said. Marcus was his stepmother’s brother. He was also her righthand man. Whenever Selena wanted dirty work done, she called Marcus. Kieran had long suspected the man was a psychopath. He had little empathy, it seemed, for anyone other than Selena and Selena’s children.
“Marcus. What are you doing here?” Kieran didn’t feel like beating around the bush. He didn’t like Marcus, and the feeling had always been mutual.
He could see that Marcus was trying to look around him into the apartment. “You haven’t called. You haven’t let your stepmother know that you were back in town. She was worried about you.”
Kieran almost laughed out loud. The only thing that Selena ever cared about when it came to him was making sure that he was going to be out of the way when she eventually moved to install one of her children as the Alpha.
“I’m tired and in no mood for this bullshit. You can let Selena know that if I ever see her again, it’ll be too soon,” Kieran said. He began to close the door, but Marcus put his arm up to block it from closing completely. Kieran couldn’t keep the growl from erupting from the back of his throat.
“No need to be rude,” Marcus said. “There was a rumor going around the clan that you have Etaine’s son. May I see him?”
Kieran didn’t like the sound of this at all. If Selena had an interest in Fionn, it wasn’t springing from any kind of familial feelings. That was when Kieran realized that he wasn’t the only one who posed a threat to Selena’s plan to eventually have her children in the Alpha seat. As Etaine’s son, Fionn would be a target as well.
“It’s just a rumor. I don’t have a child here. Etaine had a son, but I didn’t know anything about him. I actually haven’t spoken to her in years.”
He saw Marcus’s look of surprise. Clearly, it was more than common knowledge about what happened to Etaine. Kieran wasn’t going to let Marcus into the apartment. He thought about what was behind him. Millie always picked up all the toys around the apartment right before Fionn went to bed, and he hoped that there was nothing sticking out that would give away his lie.
Marcus seemed to consider him again. “We must’ve heard incorrectly then.”
Kieran crossed his arms and glared at the man. “Clearly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other plans for the evening.”
“Well, if you do hear anything about Etaine’s son, we do hope you will let us know. Your father is very anxious to see his grandson and be assured he is safe. Selena wants to do everything she can to make sure that happens.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. When hell freezes over.” Kieran slammed the door. He was anxious, though.
Kieran could see the question mark in Millie’s eyes when he turned around. She had heard everything that had happened, but he saw that she had stayed out of Marcus’s line of sight.
“What was all that about? Why did you lie about having Fionn?”
Kieran was already processing a new game plan. If Selena knew where he was, and Marcus suspected he was lying, which no doubt he did, he needed to get Fionn out of the apartment fast.
He walked over to Millie and took her by the shoulders. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget that you ever met me or Fionn. There are people who will try to hurt you because you know us. I need to take Fionn and leave. Now. Tonight. We’re not safe here. He’s not safe here, and if anyone figures out that you and I know each other, you’re not going to be safe either.”
Millie looked at him like he had grown a second head. “What? No.”
“Millie—“
“I’m not leaving. You need my help, and I love that little boy. I’m not about to let you just disappear with him. I can help you, no matter what’s happening.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking. These aren’t people to be trifled with, Millie. Being close to us means that you are going to be in danger.”
Millie straightened up and glared up at him defiantly. “I don’t care. I’m not going to let you just walk out of my life. I can help you. If you need to do something to take care of this within your clan, then you’ll need someone to watch Fionn. Let me help you. I promise, I’ll stay out of your way.”
Kieran didn’t know what to make of this new development. His feelings for Millie were growing by the day. The thought of cutting her completely out of his life made him want to howl in grief. There was nothing appealing about that idea. He started to think about it more.
“I’ll let you come along tonight. We need to have a long talk once I figure out what’s happening.”
Millie smiled and nodded. “I’ll go grab a couple of things from my apartment. I can help you pack up for Fionn too.”
Kieran looked at his watch. The idea of letting Millie out of his sight for even a couple of minutes sent a wave of anxiety through him, but he knew that he couldn’t just rush off half-cocked. Fionn needed some things and so would Millie. Marcus would be able to get back to the apartment with reinforcements quickly, but not that fast. One on one, Kieran was confident he could take him, but not too confident.
“Meet me in the front courtyard in five minutes,” he said. He nodded at his watch. “I’ll get Fionn’s things. Just…don’t be late.”
Millie gave him a nod and dashed out the door.
An hour later, they were checking into a motel on the outskirts of town. They had driven around somewhat aimlessly as Kieran considered different options and eliminated them one by one. This was the last, and it seemed to be the cleanest of the worst. He didn’t want to be too easy to find.
Fionn slept in the car seat and had barely stirred when they had left the apartment. Kieran pulled into a parking spot outside of the office and dug in his wallet to pull out a thick wad of cash. He handed several twenty-dollar bills to Millie.
“Give me Fionn. Then go in and register under a different name. We can’t let them find us, and I don’t want the bell clerk to remember me or see Fionn. Pay cash, and don’t answer any questions.”
Millie looked at him with wide, anxious eyes, but nodded. “Anything else?”
He reached across the seat and gently touched her cheek. “I know
this is scary, but I appreciate everything you’ve offered. This wasn’t how I wanted tonight to end.”
“You and me both,” she said in a halfhearted joking tone. He had always appreciated that about her. Millie looked on the brighter side of life all the time. It was a trait that he could definitely learn from her.
He watched around the car as Millie went in and completed the registration process. Five minutes later, she reappeared and slid back into the car with a key to one of the rooms.
“I asked for one as far away from the front as possible,” she said. Kieran handed Fionn back to her. He started the car and moved it toward the back of the parking lot closer to the room. “That was good thinking.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve watched a few too many of those thriller TV shows where the heroine needs to go on the lam,” Millie quipped.
After getting settled into the room, Kieran knew that he had to do what he dreaded. He pulled out his cell phone and saw that he didn’t have a lot of time before he and Aodhan had agreed to meet. It had been his first call after Marcus left his door. “I need to talk to some people. I promise that I won’t be gone long. Are you sure you’ll be okay here?”
Millie tucked herself into the bed next to Fionn. She took the remote from the side table and turned on the TV. Then she gave him an uncertain smile. “We’ll be fine. Right here waiting.”
Kieran gave her a quick peck on the forehead, then he ran a hand over Fionn’s hair. “I promise it won’t be too long.”
As he headed out the door he thought he heard a faint response follow him.
“Hurry back.”
CHAPTER FIVE
As the TV show droned on in the background, Millie felt her eyes starting to grow heavy. Kieran had only been gone for about an hour, and despite what he said, she didn’t expect him back anytime soon. Whatever seemed to be happening with his clan seemed like something big. She wished that he had felt comfortable enough to confide in her about it, but she knew that they were still in a new phase of their evolving relationship. She had been hoping to spend the evening in a very different way. She tried to keep the shivers of uncertainty from overwhelming her with precious little success.
Lone Tiger And Cub: BBW Weretiger Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance Page 5
