by Cali MacKay
Hearing the weariness in his voice had her blinking away the tears that always seemed to threaten as of late. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
He took a step towards her, but it seemed he’d done so out of habit, and stopped as if remembering they were no longer together. His jaw tightened and his eyes hardened, making her heart ache all the more. “It was yer decision, Maggie. I’m sorry if it no longer suits ye.”
Her decision. She scoffed in disbelief. As if this were exactly how she had wanted her life to unfold. She’d found the perfect man, only to have it ruined by lies she was forced to tell. “I still love ye, Conall.”
He shook his head, his breathing heavy as those beautiful gold eyes turned hard. “What the hell am I supposed to do with that, Maggie? Do ye think this is easy for me? Cause I can tell ye that it isn’t, damn it.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m dancing around in my party-knickers either. I’ve never been more miserable, Conall.” She turned away and swiped at her tears, cursing herself for being so weak. But it was all too much, and her emotions had been running high ever since those bastards took Aidan.
“Ye should have thought of that before ye promised me honesty and then lied to me with the same breath.” He pounded the work table with a fist, making the pens jump. “Ye made yer bed.”
As if the gods must truly have it out for her, Iain and Andrew walked into the workroom. “I’ve gotta go.” Luckily, there was a back door. Ignoring Conall’s curses, she bolted for it, not wanting the others to see her crying. She’d catch up with Iain after she’d had a chance to calm herself and dry her eyes.
“Maggie. Hold up, would ye?” Conall caught up to her, his long stride closing the distance between them with ease. When she didn’t stop, he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. She was helpless to keep her tears from falling, and though she refused to look at him, it did little to hide the state she was in.
The silence stretched out between them until he let out a weary sigh. “Och, love…I wish ye’d tell me what the hell’s gone wrong.”
The kindness in his voice, despite everything they’d recently been through, gave her the hope and courage she needed to look at him. “I wish I could tell ye, love, but I can’t.”
The hard edge to his voice and gaze was back. “Can’t or won’t? Because I’ve offered to be there for ye, offered my help and support, and ye’ve still turned me away, still lied to me.”
The words sat there on the tip of her tongue, desperate to escape, to tell him everything. Yet the thought of Aidan coming to harm left her second-guessing everything her heart was telling her she should do. “I said can’t. I can’t tell ye. I was happy, Conall. Happier than I’ve ever been. So why the hell would I put all that on the line?”
He threw his hands up and shook his head. “Clearly, I haven’t a clue, Maggie. And this is going nowhere if ye don’t let me in on what’s happening with ye. I’m not a bloody mindreader, aye?”
When she said nothing, he let out a weary sigh and hung his head. “I can’t do this, love. I can’t. Like ye said-life’s too short. And it’s certainly too short to spend it with someone who doesn’t trust me. Sorry we couldn’t make it work. I think we would have been happy together.”
“I’ve no doubt we would have.”
***
Maggie turned away and squeezed her eyes shut the moment she realized that the video was of her brother, his captors sending a clear message. They were losing patience and Aidan was running out of time. Fury competed with fear as she swiped at her tears.
Liam paced the floor of their cottage. “I swear I’ll murder each and every one of them once we get Aidan back.”
“What if we go to the authorities? Surely they’ll have more experience with this sort of thing.” They had to get Aidan back. And trying to steal the jewels was taking too long. She was still working on the tracking device she’d attach to the necklace, but getting it to look completely inconspicuous was proving difficult. She’d get there-but she needed more time, and it was clear that was the one thing they didn’t have a lot of.
“It’d be a huge risk, Maggie.” Liam rubbed his forehead as if trying to ward off a headache, weariness in his every move. “I don’t know. Sean’s in town now and we still haven’t figured out how they knew you were heading to Dublin.”
“I know ye don’t want me saying anything to Conall, but he might be able to help.” At least then she could come clean. Lying to him about Sean and seeing how her betrayal hurt him left her feeling like the lowest of scum. How could she do that to him? Especially after all he’d been through.
She’d been hoping that once they had Aidan back and she’d come clean, he’d understand and forgive her. But that was before Sean showed up and had Conall thinking she’d cheated on him. Conall might understand why she didn’t tell him what was going on, but she doubted he’d be quick to trust her again. Not when he thought she’d hooked up with Sean, even if that wasn’t the case.
And that crushed her.
“How could he possibly help?” He let out a ragged breath that seemed to come from his very core. “Maggie…I know this is hard on ye, but we need to keep our heads. Aidan’s life depends on it.”
“Which is why I want to include Conall. I’ve not met a smarter man, and he’d do what he could to help us.” Then she’d be able to tell him the truth and try to salvage what they had. The longer she waited, the worse things got between them and the less chance there’d be of him ever forgiving her. And the truth of the matter was, he could help get Aidan back.
Liam shook his head in frustration and continued to pace. “Or he could turn us in to Iain MacCraigh and get Aidan killed-not to mention ruin us.”
“He wouldn’t do that knowing Aidan’s life’s on the line. He wouldn’t turn us in.” Not if he still loved her.
“Well, he sure as hell isn’t going to let us steal the Hope, either. And if ye think he would, then ye’re daft.”
“I’m going for a walk.” She needed some air. Needed to get away. Needed to think.
He looked at her in disbelief. “Maggie…ye’ll get yerself killed. It’s dark and the cliffs plunge right into the ocean.”
“I’ll take my chances.” She was already shrugging into her jacket and zipping it shut, knowing the winds could be fierce coming in off the sea. Ignoring Liam’s curses, she stepped out into the open air. Lucky for her, the moon was close to full, cutting down on the chances that they’d be fishing her dead body out of the sea.
Out of habit, she wandered towards Conall’s home, though she had no real intention of seeing him. It had been days since she’d last spoken to him, their relationship still in pieces. Conall seemed to now prefer working from home so he could avoid her at all cost.
Yet she was desperate to see him. To tell him everything so he could see her betrayal and lies weren’t because she was trying to hurt him. If she could just get her brother back home safely. Surely he would see why she couldn’t have told him the truth.
But how the hell was she supposed to get the Hope? It was currently being guarded in an undisclosed location, and she was sure the security measures in place would be top rate. But what if…
Instead of trying to get the Hope, could she instead just try to get her brother? They’d likely be holding him somewhere in Ireland, since transporting Aidan out of the country without drawing attention would be difficult. But how could she track him down? Cell phones and signal towers might work. She could also track credit card purchases and bank withdrawals. But could she pull off that sort of hacking? Her expertise was primarily in the building of security equipment. She was good with computers and computer security, but this was something completely different. There was, however, one person near and dear to her heart who was amazing at it.
“A bit late to be going for a walk, don’t ye think?”
Maggie spun towards the voice, her heart racing. It sounded familiar, but in the dark, she couldn’t make out who it belonged to. So close to Conall’s, she’
d expect him to be the only one wandering about the heathered fields by the cliff, yet she knew his voice and it wasn’t him.
The accent wasn’t Scottish either. “Andrew?”
He stepped closer so she could finally make out his face. “Yeah…sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. I was going to stop by the cottage to see if I could interest you in dinner, when I saw you head out.”
With no one else around, Andrew’s presence had her shoulders going tense. “My brother and I ate already.”
“How about a pint then?” He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a small step closer.
She shifted and got ready to run. Maybe she was being paranoid, but better safe than sorry. Her life was a big enough mess without adding to her problems. “I was just heading to Conall’s. Those are his lights there in the distance.”
“Conall? Really?” Andrew’s laugh sent a chill crawling over her skin. “I thought that was over.”
“Not at all. We’re still together and quite happy, thank ye very much.” She was starting to wonder if there was more to Andrew’s interest. Most guys weren’t so daft when it came to picking up on the clues that someone wasn’t interested. It had her growing suspicious.
If she could just put some distance between them. Just in case she was right. Conall’s home wasn’t far. Maggie started walking. “If ye’ll excuse me, I need to go. Conall’s expecting me.”
“Let me walk you there, at least. It’s dark and you could easily twist an ankle.” When Andrew joined her, she stopped and turned towards him.
“I’d rather ye don’t. I’ve tried subtlety, but that doesn’t seem to be working, so let me make it clear-I’m not interested in yer company, and I’d appreciate ye leaving me alone.” She turned and started walking as fast as she could when he grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry, Maggie. Don’t go. There’s still so much we need to discuss.”
Chapter Sixteen
Conall tweaked the seasoning of the spicy pork he had simmering away, the kitchen windows steamed white with condensation. He ignored Piper, who was doing her best to beg for food-or at the very least be there on the off chance something fell to the floor. Conall didn’t know how to cook a huge variety of things, but what he could manage, he did well. Nearly done, he’d pair it with a bit of jasmine rice. It was a simple and hearty meal, the spiciness of it comforting on such a chilly night.
The doorbell rang-and rang again-as Piper threw her head back and let out a high-pitched howl which ended in a chorus of yips. Curious and annoyed, he abandoned his cooking and went to find out who the hell was visiting so late in the evening.
Yanking the door open, his curses died on his lips as his heart plummeted and Maggie stumbled into his arms, ice cold. “What’s happened?”
“Lock the door.” Maggie looked shaken and scared, but Conall didn’t see any injuries.
He pulled her in while searching the darkness just beyond her. There didn’t seem to be anyone out there, but he wasn’t taking any chances, and locked the door once she was safely inside. Now he just needed to find out what the hell was actually going on.
Motioning her towards the living room, she took a seat while he poured them a whisky, his mind racing through possible scenarios. What the hell was she doing here? She must have walked, cold as she was-and in the dark no less. “Here.”
“Thanks.” Maggie took a long sip, her hands shaking until she wrapped them tightly around the glass. “I’m sorry for interrupting your night. I wouldn’t have bothered ye if I could’ve avoided it.”
He was about to ask her what happened, when he thought of all the other times he’d asked for an explanation and got nothing. It had his back going up. “I suppose ye can’t tell me why ye’re here or what has ye looking so scared.”
Her gaze fell to her glass. “I didn’t want to involve ye, Conall. And truth is, I couldn’t. Still can’t, but I think…” She looked up at him with weary eyes. “I think I’m going to anyway.”
Part of him wanted to sit by her side and take her hand in his, and do what he could to comfort her. But there was another part of him that had him doubting her words and left him wondering if it was nothing but a lie to get him back. Not wanting to be a fool, he kept his distance and took the seat across from her, rather than by her side.
“So what’s this about? What was important enough to ruin everything between us?” His hurt tainted his voice with bitterness, and he let it. If this was a game she was playing, then she should know the pain she was causing him.
“It’s my brother.” He scoffed, not at all surprised he’d be involved, when she continued. “Not Liam-Aidan. The older of the two ye met in Dublin.”
He shrugged and took a sip of his whisky, thanking the gods for the fortification it offered, even if it was woefully inadequate. “What of him? He doesn’t like me either, I suppose. Is that what this is about?”
She gritted her teeth and glared at him, anger aflame in those ice blue eyes. “Ye know, you can be a real arse sometimes.”
“So I’ve been told.” He knew he shouldn’t be difficult with her, yet the hell she’d recently put him through left him in a less than amicable mood. “Well?”
She shook her head and got to her feet, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Ye know-forget about it. It was a mistake to come here.”
Stepping in her path, he grabbed her hand, his heart pounding against his chest. He cursed himself for being difficult with her when she was trying to open up to him. “It wasn’t a mistake-I’m sorry for giving ye a hard time. Ye came here for a reason, and I want to hear what ye have to say. But I swear, Maggie, I need ye to be honest with me.”
He steered her towards the sofa and, this time, sat by her side, pushing aside his uncertainties and reminding himself that she’d shown up at his door frightened. “So tell me about Aidan. Has he gotten himself into trouble?”
Maggie nodded, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling. It took some time, as if she were having some sort of argument in her head, leaving Conall to worry she’d back out before he got the explanation he so desperately needed. She leaned in and whispered on a trembling breath, “I’ll tell ye everything, but please…do a sweep of the room to make sure it’s secure. They might be listening.”
He wanted to ask who? Who the hell was listening and what the hell had she gotten mixed up in? But he did as she asked with his heart racing, finally returning to her side, relieved to find his home hadn’t been tampered with. “Now tell me. What the hell is going on, Maggie?”
She nodded her eyes, still shimmering ponds. “They’ve taken him. The Flahertys-Sean’s family-are holding him hostage. It’s why Sean’s been in the area. To keep an eye on me.”
He felt like he’d been waylaid, her words knocking the air out of him. It wasn’t at all what he’d been expecting-and upset as she was, she had to be telling him the truth. No wonder she’d been out of sorts. And here he’d been thinking the worst of her. “What do they want?”
She shook her head and sighed. “What they want is an impossibility, which means I need to try to get Aidan free. Except that I don’t know how. I’ve never dealt with anything like this.”
So, she needed his help. He was nothing more than a way to get Aidan back-not that he could blame her when her brother’s life was at stake. “Is that why ye came here? To ask for my help?”
“No.” She chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted around. “It was Andrew. Liam and I were arguing.”
“About?” Not that it was any of his business, but he was tired of not knowing what the hell was going on.
“Conall…I never wanted to keep any of this from ye. But from the start, Liam’s been worried that involving ye would only make matters worse for Aidan-and he’s probably right. Including you could be a deadly mistake.” She ran a rough hand through her hair. “Anyway, I needed to clear my head so I went for a walk-heading in this direction out of habit. Then Andrew showed up in the middle of nowhere. ”
He sh
ook his head, confused, still too many questions to sort through. “What does Andrew have to do with this?”
“I’m starting to think he’s been in on this from the start-maybe planted here by the Flaherty crew or persuaded to keep an eye on me.” She looked distracted in thought, her entire body stiff. “I doubt it was a coincidence that we ran into Sean when we were in Dublin. Andrew must have overheard us mention we’d be heading over there-or maybe they had someone watching my parents’ house.”
It all seemed so surreal, yet the fear in her eyes when she’d pounded on his door and stumbled into his arms was real. And it had his protective streak flaring.
He cupped her cheek gently, her skin still cool to the touch. “And tonight? What did Andrew want from ye?” He swallowed hard, not wanting to think the worst, but needing to know. “Did he harm ye, Maggie?”
“No. Though I thought he might.” She let out a ragged breath, her body so tense it was starting to shake. “It was all so odd. The way he showed up. I said I had to go-that you were waiting for me. He said he wanted to talk-that he had questions for me. When he grabbed my arm, I managed to twist out of his grasp. I just ran.”
Images of what could have happened flooded his head, leaving him furious. He pulled her into his arms and held her close, trying not to think past comforting her. “We need to call the police.”
She pulled away, her eyes wide with panic. “We can’t, Conall. They’ll kill Aidan.”
“Whist, love.” Cradling her against him, he moved them back to the sofa, as he tried to go through their options. “Then we need to figure out a way to get him back.”
She sat back, looking weary and worried. “I’m not sure I should’ve involved ye. Things are complicated.”
“What do they want in exchange for Aidan? I’m happy to help any way I can, but for fuck’s sake, Maggie, ye need to be honest with me.” He wasn’t sure they could bring their relationship back to what it had been, but at least they’d be taking a step in the right direction.
