Page 82
Story: Retribution
“You work fine with Finn.”
“He’s not pissed at me. Least not anymore. I’m pissed at him. ’Tis not the same.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me. It matters a hell of a lot when I see you sidled up to my brother like a horse in heat.”
I scrunch my face, stuck on the visual. “Horses sidle up to each other when they’re in heat? I didn’t know that.”
Lorcan lets out a grunt of frustration.
“You can’t be angry with me about that. You hired me to do what I was doing in the hallway.”
“Didn’t think you were actually doing it.”
“Of course I am!”
“I don’t like it.”
“Too bad.”
“I hired you to do that, I can fire you from doing that.”
“Suits me fine.” I throw up my arms and go to the walk-in closet to pull out my suitcase. I toss it on the bed and unzip it.
“What are you doing?”
“You fired me.” Taking a large armful of clothes from my dresser drawers, I chuck them into the suitcase.
“From seducing Finn, not from finding my father’s killer.”
“Well, if you’re going to tie my hands in how I can get information, it’s probably best you fire me.”
“You’re being irrational.” Lorcan moves to the bed and flips the lid on my suitcase so when I throw the next load of my things in that direction they scatter on top of the suitcase and across the bed.
“A man’s first line of defense and offense—call the woman irrational. You know what’s irrational? Showing up at my door in the middle of the night to fire me. That’s irrational.”
“I’m not firing you from the job. I’m firing you from sleeping with Finn.”
“I can sleep with Finn if I want…” I glance at Lorcan and then away. “Or not. My body, my choice.”
We are mere inches apart. My breathing is heavy, labored as though I’ve been doing more than packing. His hazel eyes, when I look up, are darkened with desire. The things I wish for when I look at him can’t be said aloud.
“Choose me,” he murmurs.
“I can’t.” Everything in me strains to give in.
“Why are you mad at me?”
I close my eyes, unable to look at him. “I want you to be better. Better than you are. I know that’s not fair. I thought maybe you were decent, and it turns out you’re just like your brother.” My voice is a whisper now, and the words spill from me. Saying this is reckless.
“I’ll put a stop to the trafficking.”
I open my eyes and our gazes connect. “Finn will be pissed.”
“He’ll understand why I did it.”
“Ah.” I take a step back, prepared to close myself off. “We’re back to that again.”
“He’s not pissed at me. Least not anymore. I’m pissed at him. ’Tis not the same.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me. It matters a hell of a lot when I see you sidled up to my brother like a horse in heat.”
I scrunch my face, stuck on the visual. “Horses sidle up to each other when they’re in heat? I didn’t know that.”
Lorcan lets out a grunt of frustration.
“You can’t be angry with me about that. You hired me to do what I was doing in the hallway.”
“Didn’t think you were actually doing it.”
“Of course I am!”
“I don’t like it.”
“Too bad.”
“I hired you to do that, I can fire you from doing that.”
“Suits me fine.” I throw up my arms and go to the walk-in closet to pull out my suitcase. I toss it on the bed and unzip it.
“What are you doing?”
“You fired me.” Taking a large armful of clothes from my dresser drawers, I chuck them into the suitcase.
“From seducing Finn, not from finding my father’s killer.”
“Well, if you’re going to tie my hands in how I can get information, it’s probably best you fire me.”
“You’re being irrational.” Lorcan moves to the bed and flips the lid on my suitcase so when I throw the next load of my things in that direction they scatter on top of the suitcase and across the bed.
“A man’s first line of defense and offense—call the woman irrational. You know what’s irrational? Showing up at my door in the middle of the night to fire me. That’s irrational.”
“I’m not firing you from the job. I’m firing you from sleeping with Finn.”
“I can sleep with Finn if I want…” I glance at Lorcan and then away. “Or not. My body, my choice.”
We are mere inches apart. My breathing is heavy, labored as though I’ve been doing more than packing. His hazel eyes, when I look up, are darkened with desire. The things I wish for when I look at him can’t be said aloud.
“Choose me,” he murmurs.
“I can’t.” Everything in me strains to give in.
“Why are you mad at me?”
I close my eyes, unable to look at him. “I want you to be better. Better than you are. I know that’s not fair. I thought maybe you were decent, and it turns out you’re just like your brother.” My voice is a whisper now, and the words spill from me. Saying this is reckless.
“I’ll put a stop to the trafficking.”
I open my eyes and our gazes connect. “Finn will be pissed.”
“He’ll understand why I did it.”
“Ah.” I take a step back, prepared to close myself off. “We’re back to that again.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140