by Brianna West
Calm down, Carl. Breathe.
Conall was wearing a tank top under the leather jacket that he’d worn out whenever he had the chance. His five o’ clock shadow and unkempt hair appeared to be in slightly more disarray than the last time I’d seen him. I couldn’t put my finger on it but, in some fashion, he seemed to be less like the man I remembered him being. Perhaps it was the pale complexion that almost appeared sickly, as if he hadn’t had blood in weeks. Confusion twisted my stomach as I looked at Conall’s sallow appearance.
Was this what Aidan had referred to when we’d spoken on the phone?
Conall’s radiant green eyes fixed to mine, our gazes locking before I managed to look away. I attempted to calm down my already panicked heartbeat, on the cusp of letting the anxiety show in my expression. Aidan’s arm squeezed around my shoulders, his subtle sideways glance offering me just the slightest bit of reassurance.
Conall walked over with a wide smile, having been leaning against Aidan’s Mercedes since we’d exited the building. “Aren’t you just a sight for sore eyes,” he commented, his thick accent buttering the words with natural flair. “Good of you to come back. We’ve missed you.”
Aidan’s body tensed next to mine, causing me to look up to where his eyes had narrowed on Conall with blatant frustration. “Old Man,” Aidan warned.
Conall put his hands up, feigning surrender. “Just saying hello, Aidan. No need to bite my head off.”
“No one would believe that bloody nonsense for one bloody minute,” Aidan countered with his jaw clenching.
Conall’s smile wavered slightly, luminous green eyes glinting. “Then someone’s reading too closely between the lines. What could I possibly stand to gain by starting something here?”
Aidan’s expression darkened, his teeth gritting loudly. “Fair point, Old Man. Even for you that’d be pretty daft.”
Conall smiled broadly, tilting his head to the side before glancing at me. “See, I knew we’d agree on something eventually.”
It was as if I’d walked into a cold war between the two. Their eyes never truly left the other, even with the pointed glances they paid me. There was a feeling of intense emotion between them, their scents smelling of rich musk that I often attributed to men who were quarreling. The air felt distinctly similar to when the two had argued at the bed and breakfast. Aidan had widened his stance some, while Conall appeared to reactively posture.
Worried that the intensifying air might actually catch fire if I didn’t intervene, I nodded my head at Conall and ignored the lure of his eyes, their depths very close to captivating me.
“Thank you for having me back,” I said politely, feeling Aidan’s arm drop from my shoulder. I strode forward with renewed confidence and opened the trunk of the car in order to throw my luggage inside.
Before coming here, I’d promised myself not to turn tail and leave. I’d knowingly entered a situation that had been a mess when I’d left, and I didn’t intend to run away again. I was going to face it head-on and figure out what these feelings were that I had towards the two men. I’d be brave. I’d stand my ground. Or I’d go out fighting. At the very least, I’d know that when I left the next time, it wouldn’t be so that I could run away. It would be because there wasn’t anything here for me.
Conall perked up perceptibly as he followed me into the car, giving Aidan more reason to glare as the were-bear Guardian was forced to take the wheel while I was crowded into the back seat by an Irishman.
Aidan peered at us through the rear-view mirror, obviously concerned. It was clear in his movement and constant grumbling that Aidan wanted to interfere but couldn’t. Not that I needed him to, since I was fully capable. Or so I told myself.
Conall sighed happily, staring at me blatantly as I afforded myself a little more space by scooting closer to the window. “So, what’s the craic?” Conall asked with his usual excitement, the conversation from before all but forgotten by the eager Irishman.
*
When we arrived at Conall’s home, I’d spent the last hour and a half answering question after question by the overly enthused team leader. Despite his appearance, he was quite literally bursting with energy. Aidan had growled and grumbled, upset by a few untoward touches, but I’d handled them with a grace I didn’t think I was capable of as of late.
Laura met us on the doorstep, arms tightly crossed against her chest as Conall stepped out of the car and had mind to look sheepish the instant the gorgeous blonde Guardian beelined for him with the intent to kill glinting in her expressive blue eyes.
“You’re in big trouble, Old Man!” she hissed, face menacing.
Conall’s smile faltered as Laura took him by the ear and half-dragged him inside. “Ow! Wait, why am I being punished?!”
“I told you specifically to let Aidan get Carl,” she barked as Aidan shouldered one of my bags, then took to walking beside me as we followed the other two inside. “I was in the bathroom for one bloody minute, and then you were gone!”
“It’s boring here,” Conall whined, rubbing his ear when she’d finally let it go. “There’s nothing to be done here, anyway. What harm did my leaving do, really?”
“Paperwork. Debriefing. Mission logs. Intelligence memos. Weaponry logs,” she listed, enunciating each task. “Things that a bloody team leader is responsible for!”
Conall looked at me over the shoulder, fingering through his ginger hair. “There’s not many of them left.”
The blonde Guardian’s smile was violent as she tapped her foot, pointing to a large pile of things in the corner. “Who would believe such folly?! Since you’ve chosen to handwrite everything like a bloody imbecile, the evidence of it is sitting over there on your bloody desk, you daft fool.”
“Right.” He smiled dismissively, chuckling as Laura fumed in front of him. I couldn’t help but love her for it. “Hide the evidence next time,” Conall said to himself.
Laura backhanded him, snarling in her tiny red dress. “No, you useless prat, do what you’re supposed to bloody well do!”
“Right. Do my job,” he acquiesced with a grin, stealing another glance my direction and beaming happily when he found me smiling against my will.
As time went on, it was becoming more apparent that the one who had trouble keeping to their tasks was Conall and not the other two. I’d been in their company long enough to know that in the most peculiar way, the team was perfectly match, if not a little small. Adding another to the mix, it was honest to say that that person would have to pair well with the other three, otherwise the entire team would fall apart. I was starting to see why it’d been so difficult to find someone who fit.
Laura clicked her tongue at the smiling team leader before turning swiftly and smiling sweetly at me. She looped her arm through mine and led me towards the kitchen, the previous anger absent from her expression. “Let’s leave Conall to his work. I’ve prepared us lunch,” she said, glaring at Conall when he whined about being left out. “Come have a bite.”
“I’m mighty honored,” I said, thankful for her consideration as she took me to a nook table inside the kitchen area and retrieved the freshly prepared meal.
Aidan strode into the room and somehow fit himself into the seat beside me, his large body barely managing the feat in the tiny space. “Since when do you cook?”
Laura’s blue eyes shot over to him, glaring. “Shut it, you big blubbering bear. I cook.”
“No…no, you don’t,” Aidan rejected pointedly, “Not once have you cooked for me.”
“Why would I? Besides, there’s not enough food in the world to feed you,” she sassed, fixing me a plate of eggs, bacon, and a couple of biscuits.
Aidan peered across at her, his shoulder touching mine as he attempted to steal a biscuit, but quickly got his hand smacked before he could. “Oi, you daft cow, hand over the food.”
“Not on your life, you bloody prat,” she hissed, spitefully plating me the biscuit Aidan had been intent on stealing. Then, lifting the large s
erving spoon she’d used for the eggs, she pointed it at Aidan with her chin lifted. “You and Conall are still blacklisted. Carl left us because of you two imbeciles, and I haven’t forgiven you yet.”
Unable to keep from smiling, I took a long sip of the coffee Laura had poured and watched with amusement as she glared down at Aidan with enough heat that it was lucky the man hadn’t caught fire yet. I listened quietly as the two exchange silent insults before Laura finally took a seat next to me.
Aidan huffed unhappily as she gleamed her pretty smile my way before flipping the other Guardian off. With their antics somehow breaking the tension, I settled into my seat and drank the rest of my black coffee after politely thanking Laura for her hospitality. My nerves had settled thanks to her, and I was incredibly grateful for it.
Conall finally entered the room, noticing that there wasn’t a seat left at the table for him. “Spare a chair for your incredibly adorable team leader, would ya?”
One look from Laura and Conall was immediately slumping with defeat, walking dejectedly towards the kitchen sink instead and propping himself up against it. I felt Aidan’s eyes on me. Looking over at him, his impassive face came to life as his lips eased upwards into a tender smile.
My heart started again. I hadn’t been prepared for the fluttering sensation in my stomach, so I busied myself with the food to keep from overreacting to the emotions now blossoming inside of my chest. Interestingly enough, the food was surprisingly delicious considering Aidan made it clear that Laura wasn’t one to cook. Magical beings could use magic to make food, but the taste wasn’t the same. Not bad, just not incredible. This food was astonishingly wonderful.
Conall watched the three of us, sighing with discontent. “There’s talk that Niko Lindberg has been spotted in Cork again,” he said, stealing my attention instantly. “Care to check into it?”
Dropping my fork, I nodded. “If I may.”
Aidan had stiffened beside me, his face darkening with anger. “Laura and I have a mission elsewhere today, was it?”
The side of Conall’s mouth lifted into an impish smile. “You two can join us once it’s been completed, of course. I’d only been told about the information just a moment ago.”
“Bloody convenient that,” Aidan growled.
Conall shrugged nonchalantly. “Carl can say no. I won’t push for him to look into the matter.”
Aidan’s hands slammed down onto the table as he stood, causing my head to jerk towards him. The rage in his expression was murderous. Laura watched the two, her expression equally enraged. Conall crossed a leg over, peering over at the two without an ounce of upset, and I could see that the situation was quickly becoming hostile, so I nodded and touched Aidan’s arm to reassure him.
“I’ll go with Conall,” I said, confident I could handle the Irishman now that I knew what would happen if I gave into him. I was thankful for Aidan’s concern, but I’d been a Guardian long enough to handle myself. “You two have a mission already and Niko is my problem.”
Aidan’s jaw tautened as he stared down at me, the muscles in his arms strained impossibly. “Are you sure?”
Knowing that his reassurance relied solely on how I answered the question and the genuine confidence I expressed, I nodded firmly. “I am. There are some things I need to know before I let this matter with Niko go. If I have the opportunity, then I want to take it.”
Aidan’s eyes glistened hotly as the tension in his jaw intensified before he exhaled his defeat and sat back down. His caramel eyes lifted, pinning Conall with a glare that insinuated he was doing this for me and not because he agreed with it. His musk was definitely tainted with upset, and I was sure it had everything to do with the circumstance at which I’d be going, but I knew he’d respect my decision to go anyway. For which I was grateful, despite my slight anxiety over being alone with Conall.
The information gathered on Niko was enough to put my hopes to rest, but I wanted to confirm it somehow for myself before I completely let go. Victor had given me the permission to do so, and I wanted to utilize it to its fullest extent before calling it quits. In the memory of our friendship, I wanted to do at least that much before I determined Niko was lost to us.
Chapter Fifteen
Conall whistled to himself, tapping his fingers on the wheel of the car as he drove us all the way to Cork, in spite of my suggestion that we use the countryside and our speed to get us there without the use of roads. I’d kept my eyes to the horizon outside the passenger side window, nerves unfortunately not calming like I’d hoped they would over the course of the trip.
“You don’t need to be so wary of me,” Conall said, causing my shoulders to unintentionally hunch. “I won’t bite,” he teased, giving me reason to glare over my shoulder. “Right, bad joke.”
“I’m not wary of you,” I argued, not sure I believed my own words.
“Are you not? Well, that’s grand then. Where we’re going, you’d want to warm up to me beforehand.” Conall glanced at me with a sparkle in his eyes that made me immediately uncomfortable.
I hadn’t been given a chance to review the information on where Niko had been spotted. But, from what was stated by Conall himself, the last week Niko had been appearing there without fail. I suspected there was someone he was seeing wherever it was and, for that reason, I didn’t see any need to look any further into the location. Conall had the information, which would allow him to figure out point of entry. Even still, our information was sometimes gathered most upon arrival. Yet, the gleam in Conall’s eyes suddenly made me want to know the location.
“Where is it that we’re going?”
Conall smiled, his face giving nothing away. “Just somewhere you and I can let loose and have some fun.”
Angry by not only his intent to make this more of an outing than a mission, but also his vague reply, I kept my eyes directed out the window. “You can go on and have fun by yourself. Some of us have a job to do.”
Conall chuckled happily, his gaze meeting mine in the reflection of the glass. “Now, now. I couldn’t possibly have fun without you, Carl.”
Baited by his words and hoping to catch him off guard, I redirected the conversation. “Why do you look like you haven’t had blood in weeks?”
Conall’s smile wavered, his eyes no longer carrying their excited sparkle. “Because I haven’t.”
“Why not? Have you had trouble finding a donor?” I asked, hoping that the change in topic might help settle the tension between us.
Instead, I was offered a new kind of tension as Conall’s startlingly serious eyes fixed to mine, his face absent of humor as he responded, “I won’t take another donor. Not now.”
Unsure what he meant, I waited. Conall exhaled deeply, grasping the wheel of the car tighter. The normally obnoxiously relaxed Irishman was suddenly tense all over, much of his body depicting the internal struggle he was under by the slight spasms and constrictions in his chest. The silence was weighted with unspoken words as Conall appeared to consider what to say next, which was unusual for the tongue-in-cheek Irishman. Finally, he looked at me, his smile returned to its previous brilliance.
“It’s nothing you should bother yourself over,” he replied dismissively, making my stomach clench with frustration. “We’ll be there soon. Let’s have ourselves a pub crawl before we get down to business, yeah?”
“No,” I rejected, unable to pry into the topic any more than I already had.
Conall turned on the music, loudly belting lyrics alongside the singer in a way that put our conversation to rest. Mostly because my ears were hurting from the tone-deaf singing. Even Bernie couldn’t hit the awful range that the Irishman did. I worried my acute hearing would be deafened with long hours spent listening to it, and I seriously wondered whether or not it would be considered more of an insubordination or self-preservation to knock the Irishman out and take over driving.
Bitterly, I focused my mind elsewhere. Honestly, I was confused by Conall’s vague replies. It almost appe
ared as though he’d struggled over how to respond himself. I could smell the emotions he was attempting to smother, and I knew there was something off about the way he’d replied to my question about why he hadn’t found a donor yet.
Using typical body language deduction with him was harder than others, because very rarely did he give much away without intending to. Conall was clever, that much was clear. He knew how much to say or not to say, and his actions were always calculated with careful consideration of who it was he was speaking with. Even I was being perfectly profiled and my every action exploited by his careful cleverness.
In my observations, Conall acted the part of the nonsense team leader, but everything he did had a purpose. Whether to be used immediately or in the future, it remained to be seen. I’d dealt intimately with his type. Known them in the Guardians, because the job required a certain amount of harbored intentions. With enough time, I could figure them out or, at the very least, anticipate what they might say or do. However, Conall was difficult to pin because sometimes there were openings, almost as if he’d forget himself. The minute his mistake was detected, he’d use his personality to smooth it over.
But I couldn’t get any deeper into the topic of his lack of blood-taking without inadvertently starting something I definitely didn’t want to finish. It was best to drop the issue altogether. Conall didn’t owe me any sort of explanation. If it didn’t outright impact me or the mission, I had no right to demand he explain it.
*
“No,” I rejected instantly. “We’ll find another way to infiltrate.”
Conall huffed with a slight grin still painted onto his face. “I’ve brought the perfect outfits, so we’re not letting them go to waste. Which would you’d rather be, a policeman or a fireman?”
