Deceived

by Suzannah Daniels

“Exactly.” I could hear Cade’s muffled voice, and apparently, Lexi gave him the phone because the next voice I heard was his.

  “Flanagan, what in the hell did that piece of shit do?”

  I explained the whole story to Cade, but by the time I finished, he had put Lexi back on the phone.

  “He wants me to give you his phone number,” Lexi said. “Hold on and let me get it from Mason.”

  Lexi called Mason over and he relayed Cade’s cell phone number to her, so she could give it to me.

  I wondered what I should do. “Let me talk to him again for a minute.”

  “He’s already gone,” she said. “He wants you to text him the address of the hotel where you’re staying.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s going to Ireland.”

  When I hung up with Lexi, I immediately texted the address to Cade. I didn’t know when he would be able to catch a flight, but I knew he wouldn’t land in Ireland before tomorrow.

  So what did I do with Paxton?

  I took my time eating, in no hurry to go back to my room and face Cade’s brother. As screwed up as this entire situation was, I took comfort in the fact that Cade was rushing to get here.

  After lollygagging as long as I could, I finally moseyed back to the room. I paused outside the door and took a deep breath. Then, I inserted the key and pushed the door open.

  The room had two beds, and Paxton appeared to be lying back comfortably on one of them, watching television.

  When he heard me enter, he patted the mattress at his side. “Sit by me.”

  Breathing evenly, I didn’t respond. I just looked at him while he waited.

  “Come on, Seren. I won’t bite. Not unless you ask me to.”

  “That’s just it, Paxton. I didn’t ask you to. I asked Cade to.”

  “I know you’re angry with me, but if you would just relax a minute, you’d see that we both want the same thing.”

  I cocked my head at him. “You want Cade, too? That’s kind of gross, you know considering y’all are brothers and all.”

  Seemingly unperturbed, he had the audacity to grin at me. “Well, you definitely have the fiery temper of the Irish.”

  “After what you did, I can’t think of too many people who wouldn’t be angry.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “So why are you here?”

  “I couldn’t resist.”

  “So you’re weak with little self-control?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Considering the circumstances, that sounds like an accurate assessment.”

  “I want to know why you’re here.”

  He sat up, his dress shirt fitting snugly over his physique. “Because I want you, Seren. And I usually get what I want.”

  “Even if you have to trample over your own brother to get it?”

  “If by brother, you mean Cade? Then especially if I have to trample over my own brother to get it.”

  Since I hadn’t grown up with siblings, I had no idea what it was like. I’d heard of sibling rivalry, but could it really create such strong emotions? “Surely you don’t mean that.”

  He frowned but didn’t respond. “I don’t want to talk about Cade.”

  “And I don’t want to be in this room with you.”

  Paxton ran his hand over his short dark hair, sighed, and turned his gaze on me. He pushed himself to the edge of the bed and stood, looking down at me as my breath hitched. His scrutiny made me extremely uncomfortable. “Maybe…the problem is that you liked the way I kissed you. Maybe you do want me in this room. Maybe that’s what scares you.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Cade’s right.”

  “About what?”

  “You are an ass.”

  His lips curved into a grin. “And you don’t think Cade is?”

  I narrowed my eyes even more.

  “Maybe you don’t know Cade as well as you think you do.” I watched as he grabbed one of the keys and left the room.

  I wondered whether I should have told him that Cade was on his way, but I decided Cade could deal with his brother when he arrived. It had been a long day with the flight and the fiasco with Paxton, which I had never expected, and the motion sickness had left me off-kilter. Even though I was used to a time schedule that was five hours behind Ireland’s, I went to bed. A little unconsciousness would be a welcome respite. With any luck, I’d wake up and find Cade had made it to Ireland.

  ***

  It was after seven o’clock when I woke. Muted sunlight squeezed through the crack in the curtains, casting dull light into the room. I peered at the bed next to me, surprised to see Paxton asleep, facing the opposite wall with the cover neatly folded at his waist. A faded blue tee hugged his broad shoulders.

  I glanced at my phone, wondering if Cade had messaged me.

  He had, and I opened it.

  Cade: Should be there in time for dinner.

  I typed out a reply.

  Text me when you land in Dublin, and I’ll make sure I’m at the room.

  I glanced at Paxton’s back, wondering what would happen when Cade arrived. I had a feeling that altercations between the two of them weren’t uncommon. Not wanting to wake him, I quietly grabbed clothing from my suitcase and slipped into the bathroom. I wanted to explore Drogheda.

  After showering and dressing, I folded my dirty clothes and packed them back in my suitcase.

  “What’s your plan today?” Paxton’s voice was calm, and it almost amused me that he spoke to me as he if hadn’t hijacked Cade’s trip.

  “I’m going out.”

  “Why don’t you let me take you to breakfast?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  I turned and glared at him as he sat up in bed, his hair slightly mussed. “Because that might make you think we’re on good terms again. And we’re not.”

  “Think of it as a peace offering.” He threw the cover off his legs and twisted around in bed as his feet hit the floor. “Come on, Seren. How often are you in Ireland? It’s just breakfast. You’ll find me to be good company.”

  “If I haven’t found you to be good company yet, it’s not likely I’ll change my mind in the next hour.”

  To my surprise, he grinned. “I knew there was something special about you, but I never counted on you being such a vixen.” He stood and walked toward me. “I like it.”

  Ignoring him, I turned and walked to the window, pulling the heavy curtain back. The day was overcast, heavy gray clouds hanging low in the air as they delivered a constant drizzle. Typical Irish weather. I released the curtain, and the panel fell into place, once again blocking out the majority of the light.

  I shrugged into my coat and retrieved a compact umbrella from my suitcase. “I’m going on a walk.”

  “You mind if I come?”

  “I want to be alone.” I wondered if he would try to follow me, but as I whisked past him, he made no move to get up.

  When I walked out the main lobby door, I released my umbrella, and it popped open, a gust of biting wind nearly pulling it from my hands.

  I pulled the umbrella down, the fabric nearly touching my head as I tried to keep it angled where the wind wouldn’t catch it.

  My hair whipped around my face, and I wished I had pulled it into a ponytail. As I weaved my way through town, I admired its quaintness. There was no shortage of pubs, and I eyed an archaic-looking tower that reminded me of a castle. I followed the sidewalk, determined to get close to the ornate structure. When I turned a corner and it finally came into full view, I stopped immediately, transfixed by its beauty. A gentleman nodded a greeting as he passed me.

  “Mornin’,” he called, his sing-song voice sounding much too cheerful on such a harsh day.

  “Good morning.” I smiled after him as he hurried along the sidewalk.

  Despite everything, I couldn’t contain my excitement as I stood in the midst of Drogheda, greedily absorbing its qualitie
s. Even the freezing temperatures didn’t suppress my delight as I finally began walking again.

  Upon closer inspection, I found the structure was called St. Laurence’s Gate and was built in the thirteenth century. It had originally been a gate in the wall that surrounded medieval Drogheda.

  Pulling my phone from my coat pocket, I snapped several pictures while trying to keep a handle on the umbrella. Once I was satisfied that I had captured enough photos to share with my friends and family, I ducked into the next pub along the sidewalk to seek shelter from the cold and to waste away the afternoon in a real Irish pub as I waited on Cade’s arrival.

  Cade

  After catching a taxi from the airport to Drogheda, I decided against notifying Flanagan that I was on my way. I had no idea what Pax had told her, and I didn’t put it past him to portray me as some kind of villain just so he could make himself look better.

  I was no saint. My past had been proof enough of that, but I didn’t need my brother to exaggerate my sins. And if it suited him, he would.

  Shit, he pissed me off. I tightened my hand into a fist, just itching to punch him in the freaking nose. No one angered me the way Pax did. Sometimes it seemed the only reason for his existence was to aggravate the hell out of me.

  The sun was setting, and I stared out the window at the frigid winter day, attempting to remind myself to enjoy the trip since I’d charged up a good chunk of my available credit just to get to Ireland. Staying home hadn’t even been a consideration. I wouldn’t let Pax do this to me. Not with Flanagan.

  No matter how much I may have deserved it.

  My chest tightened. It scared me shitless to think about what he had told her, what he had done. Flanagan had called yesterday, but I assumed that she had been with Pax since then. Despite being a total ass, he seemed to have decent luck with women.

  I laughed softly to myself. Women. That was where most of my problems with my older brother seemed to lie. Since we were just over a year apart, we’d historically known a lot of the same people, and unfortunately, we were attracted to the same women.

  Since we’d only been a grade apart in school, I hadn’t been able to escape him except for the year after he graduated, my senior year. Both of us working at the gym hadn’t helped matters, either. In fact, the only place I was usually successful in escaping him altogether was when I was at home or at the bar.

  And I’d been perfectly content enjoying Flanagan’s company at Whiskey Nights—until she rejoined the gym. I had seen Pax sneak glances her way. I had watched him strike up conversations and flash his sickening smile. I should have known something like this was coming.

  I blamed my own stupidity for not making a move on Flanagan sooner, but I had needed time to settle a few things first.

  And now I was paying the price.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing my clenched fist to loosen. If Pax wanted a war, he would get one because there was nothing like my own brother making a move on her to make me realize I wanted Flanagan for myself.

  Cursing myself for my stupidity for the millionth time, I didn’t know what I would say to her. No matter how much I wanted to, I hadn’t intended to start a relationship with her. Not yet. I’d been stalling, refusing to allow myself to give in to my attraction. Not until I knew exactly what I was dealing with in my personal life. And that would take a little more time.

  By the time I reached her hotel in Drogheda, the sun had sunk below the horizon. The night was as black as my mood, and I assumed heavy clouds were blocking the moon and stars.

  The cab driver handed me my bag, and I tipped him. Turning toward the well-lit lobby, I entered the glass door and headed straight toward the elevator.

  As I rode it to her floor, I alternated between stretching my fingers and curling them toward my palm, remembering to take deep, even breaths. When the shiny metal doors parted, I wheeled my suitcase into the hallway and hunted Flanagan’s room. Once I had located it, I took another deep breath as I stared unseeingly at the dark blue carpet. I needed to keep calm. I breathed in deeply and knocked.

  To my surprise, it was Paxton who opened the door.

  I could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t been expecting me. The satisfying mixture of shock and surprise was quickly replaced with his normal look of confidence.

  “Hello, Cade.”

  “Asshole.”

  He spread his arms out wide. “Is that any way to greet your brother?”

  I shifted my stance. “Now that depends on which brother I’m greeting, doesn’t it?”

  “Ouch. Should I take that to mean Evan’s your pick?”

  “Leave Evan out of it. You should take that to mean that I’m well aware that you’re an asshole.” I looked over his shoulder. “Where is she?”

  “She’s out right now.”

  “What did you tell her?” I asked.

  “I didn’t tell her anything.”

  “So you just showed up in my place?” My blood pressure rose. “Why are you here, Paxton? Why would you do that to her?”

  He moved to the side so I could enter the room. “Because we both know that she’ll be better off with me.”

  My fist clenched. “I know you’re just trying to provoke me.” I grabbed my luggage and entered the room.

  “Is it working?”

  I sat my suitcase beside the dresser and spun around to face him. Someone needed to knock that smug grin from his face. Why shouldn’t it be me?

  I punched him, and he staggered back, his grin still firmly in place as he rubbed his jaw.

  He stepped forward and threw a punch to my ribs, and as the pain shot through my side, I swung at him. Agilely, he jumped back.

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  We both stopped instantly and turned to see Flanagan glaring at us like a teacher breaking up a scuffle on the playground.

  “Y’all are going to get us thrown out of here,” she said in an angry whisper.

  Just the sight of her calmed me, and I hadn’t realized until this moment just how much I had missed seeing her at Whiskey Nights the last couple of weeks. I found her presence to be comforting, along with the fact that Pax would no longer be alone with her.

  “Are you all right?” I asked her.

  “Why wouldn’t she be?” Pax asked.

  I glared at him.

  “I’m fine,” Flanagan said. “Other than kissing me when I wasn’t expecting it,” she paused, shifting her eyes to Pax, “and being a little cocky, he’s been a perfect gentleman.”

  Pax crossed his arms over his chest. “You were expecting it.”

  Flanagan cocked her head. “I was expecting it to be Cade, not you.”

  “So you got a bonus.” Pax shrugged his shoulders like he didn’t see the big deal. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  “You couldn’t help yourself?” I repeated, my anger rushing back to the surface.

  “Well, you weren’t here, were you?” he asked, and I didn’t miss his warning.

  “Enough,” Flanagan said, interrupting us. “I’m starving. Cade, are you hungry?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “What about me?” Pax asked, holding out his hands in question.

  “You managed to get yourself here,” Flanagan said. “You can manage to get yourself some supper.”

  Grinning, I gave one last look at Pax and followed Flanagan out the door.

  We settled into a quiet corner of a restaurant in the hotel lobby. Removing my jacket and hanging it on the back of the chair, I sat across the table from Flanagan.

  I didn’t bother looking at the menu, preferring instead to watch her as she furrowed her brow and read the descriptions out loud. Her hair hung in waves, cascading over her shoulder. Most of the time, she wore it straight, and I found that I liked the change. “Your hair looks nice,” I told her when she had paused.

  She ran her slender fingers through it. “Really? I feel like it’s a mess because I haven’t been able to straig
hten it. I didn’t realize their outlets were different than ours, and I didn’t get an adapter until today.”

  “I like it. It’s sexy.”

  Peering at me over the menu, she smiled. “Thank you.” Her eyes fell back to dinner choices. “I think I’ll have Irish stew.”

  “So will I.”

  Once the server took our order and brought our drinks, our conversation turned more serious.

  “I’m sorry about Pax.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not your fault.”

  In a way, it was, but I wouldn’t bring that up now. I had trusted my brother to do one thing on my behalf, and this was the shit he gave me.

  “It was just a shock, you know? I thought I was texting you. I never had any reason to suspect that it was Paxton.” She clicked her tongue. “I shouldn’t have been surprised. I tried to do something a little bolder than the norm, and nothing went the way I thought it would.”

  “He went too far. Even for him.”

  “I don’t know what the hell he was thinking,” she said. “And now you had to buy a ticket. Your ticket was supposed to be part of the travel package.”

  “Don’t worry about that.”

  She shook her head. “I was furious at first, but now…well, I’m just glad you’re here. Instead of harboring a grudge, I prefer to get even.”

  “That’s good to know.” I would file that piece of information away for reference, a reminder to never do something that might get under her skin. “So have you concocted a way to get even with him?”

  A sly smile crossed her face. “I have a few ideas floating around.”

  I found a certain amount of satisfaction in her answer as I imagined a few scenarios of my own.

  “Have y’all always had this kind of rivalry?” she asked.

  I exhaled as I thought about my answer. “To a certain extent. It got worse as we got older.”

  “Since I never had any brothers or sisters, the whole sibling rivalry thing is a foreign concept to me.”

  “That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

  She shrugged, watching me with dark blue eyes. “I don’t know. I think there’s probably something comforting about having siblings, family that will be there for you even after your parents are gone.”