Page 18
Story: Ring of Ruin
He gave me a somewhat wry look. “I’m surprised you don’t know. You’re the scheming matchmaker in this particular outfit.”
I grinned. “In ten years’ time, when you’re happily married and have all these mini Lughs and Darbys running around your feet, you’ll appreciate said scheming.”
He snorted. “Darby might not. Especially if said littlies inherit my height and come out large.”
An interesting comment, given he’d yet to do more than kiss the woman.
“Besides,” he continued, “the only way we can find out if Borrachero or indeed a similar drug has been used on him is by blood tests, and even then, it fades pretty quickly in the bloodstream.”
Borrachero—the drug used on Mathi—pushed you into a twilight zone between consciousness and unconsciousness, making you chattier and disinhibited while leaving no memory of events when you woke up. It was a banned substance but could still be purchased on the black market if you had the money and the contacts.
“Getting him to test will be the problem,” Lugh went on. “He’s not going to appreciate the inference that I don’t trust him, either.”
I hesitated and then said, “What if I have a word with Cynwrig? The council has instigated regular blood testing for all councilors thanks to the Mathi situation, so maybe they can widen the order to include the heads of all government departments to have one.”
“The museum isn’t a government department.”
“But it is funded by them.”
“I think it’s highly unlikely to be approved, but I guess it’s worth trying.” He cast me a somewhat deadpan look. “I’m thinking you’re just looking for an excuse to see Cynwrig tonight.”
“Oh, I don’t need an excuse, trust me on that. Which reminds me—” I pulled out my phone and tapped the text app. “Better contact the man and see if he’s actually free.”
The reply came back in minutes and was a simple,your place or mine?
I grinned and sent backyours.Should be there around seven. Be naked.
Only if you are too.
Is that a dare?
Yes.
Dare accepted.
He sent back a questioning emoji.If you wander naked through the streets, you’ll get arrested and that’ll do neither of us any good.
There are such things as Ubers.
No man with even an ounce of sexual drive left in his body is going to be paying attention to the road when you’re sitting naked in the rear seat. Trust me on that.
I sent back a smile and a heart. He replied with a row of hearts and one hungry face in the middle. I laughed.
“I take it the man is available?” Lugh said, voice dry.
“He is indeed, and you can step on it if you wish.”
“I am not going to get a speeding ticket just so you can satisfy your raging hormones half an hour earlier.”
“What about Darby’s raging hormones? Are you ever going to satisfy them?”
He rolled his eyes. “You know, in most families, a sibling’s sexual life would be off-limit, conversation-wise.”
“We’re not most families. Besides, if more people were open about relationships, maybe there’d be less emotional hang-ups and problems in the world.”
“I tend to agree, but that doesn’t mean I really want to discuss the ins and outs ofmyrelationships.”
I sniffed. “It’s okay. I can get all the gritty details from Darby.”
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 (Reading here)
- 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