Page 7 of A Temptation Too Great (Knights of Purgatory Syndicate #3)

Chapter Four

Moira

T he night has been dragging, and I glance at the clock, glad I get to clock out in an hour.

It’s just now six in the morning, and I can’t wait to get off my feet and collapse into bed.

The doorbell chime signals someone stepping into the lobby.

I walk out to the counter and watch as a tall man enters.

When he pulls off his knit cap, revealing his bald head, and turns toward me, my stomach drops.

Feck! What is he doing here? I take a deep breath, bracing myself.

He’s probably just as upset with me as my father is.

Brody’s father can’t be happy that his son is chasing after a future police officer.

“Hello, Mr. Tiernan. How are you this evening?” I address him before he reaches the counter. His hard features soften, and he smiles at me. In that smile, I see Brody, even the small cleft in his chin.

“You do remember who I am, lass.” He steps up to the counter and leans against it, then glances around. “I sincerely hope you aren’t in here by yourself.”

“No, sir. There’s security making rounds right now.

Why? Are you here to kidnap me?” I joke, and he throws his head back laughing.

It’s a full, genuine laugh that makes him look so much younger.

I can’t help but compare him to my own father, who rarely laughs or finds joy in anything anymore.

I used to think it was because of my mother’s death, but now I’m not so sure.

“Would you come with me willingly, lass?”

I love how his voice has nearly the same timbre as Brody’s. It softens my heart a bit. Fiona will get the rest of his life to joke and tease with him just like this.

“Right now, I’d jump at the chance to get out of here.

It’s only the start of my work week, and I’m already exhausted.

” I half joke, but I’m serious. It’s only Thursday, and I’m ready to call it a week.

I’ve been in classes over the last three days, and midterms are coming up in a couple of weeks.

I don’t know how much longer I can manage three days of classes and five days of work.

I’ve already tried talking to my boss about switching to weekends only, but she’s not too keen on that right now.

“Ah, mo stóirín , I would rescue you from this castle if you’d let me.

I’ve wanted to be a knight in shining armor for a long time, but I fear I’d have to be the black knight, because your knight isn’t me.

” He chuckles softly and reaches out to take my hand in his.

I feel the warmth, and that’s when his words hit me.

“Wait. My knight?”

“My son. He wants to be your knight, but we’ve advised him to give you some space to protect you.”

I shake my head, even more confused. “Protect me?”

“Come, come, mo stóirín . You and I both know you were attacked because of Brody. No matter what you say, there is no other reason. Now, you have about thirty minutes, and I’d like to take you to breakfast. I’m sure you know this perfect little bakery that has the best French pastries.”

That’s the second time he’s called me mo stóirín —my little darling in Irish.

“I can’t.”

“You can. There is no reason not to. I’ll make sure you get home safe, and it will keep my son from getting arrested for breaking a peeler’s knee.”

“I don’t understand.” I shake my head again, still not sure why he’s doing this.

“I’ll be waiting outside. You just have to come out and get in my auto.” He lets go of my hand and turns to look at me as he walks away. “Don’t try to leave through another entrance. My men have them covered. We need to talk.”

I nod slowly, glancing around, unsure of what I’m going to do.

Being in his presence isn’t any better than being around Brody, at least in my family’s eyes.

But I do want to know what he has to say.

I want to understand what he means, why he thinks Brody would do that for me.

I told Brody to leave me alone for a bit, and it’s been a couple of days.

I haven’t seen any of his men following me.

Honestly, I thought he’d finally given up and decided to leave me alone.

“I do know a place,” I tell him as he raises a hand and walks out.

I watch him slip his hat back on, then I close out my till and finalize the reports for the morning staff.

When I step out the front doors, I see his SUV parked at the curb. A man standing beside it opens the back door. I walk over and climb in. I’m exhausted, but something deep down is telling me to go through with this.

We pull up to the bakery where Fiona still works once a week, and the door opens. Mr. Tiernan only made small talk during the short ride. He comes around to my side and takes my hand, wrapping it around his arm as we walk up to the front entrance.

Mrs. O’Sullivan stands at the counter and smiles. “Hello, Mr. Tiernan. Well, hello, Moira, it’s been so long since you came in. Welcome to you both.”

He leads me to a table in front of the big window and sits across from me. After Mrs. O’Sullivan takes our order, she heads for the kitchen. The door to the back opens again, and out steps my best friend.

I want to cry. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her. I jump up and pull her into my arms. She holds me tight, apologizing over and over for Patrick taking me.

“It wasn’t your fault. I’m okay,” I reassure her.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t do anything about your brother sooner.”

Her words shock me, and I pull away, my eyes wide, shame coloring my voice. “You knew?”

“I thought it was your father, but I suspected there was something weird with Eoin.”

“My father has just never done anything about it. I should’ve told you.”

“No, hello, Da?” Mr. Tiernan interrupts with a smile.

Fiona returns the smile as she moves to the table, and her father-in-law pulls her into a hug.

“Where is that man of yours?” He jokes.

“He’s at the track for a couple of hours, at that office, while I’m here. Seamus is with me.” As she says this, Seamus steps out from the back to check on her. He lifts his chin toward Mr. Tiernan.

Of all Aidan’s men, Seamus scares me the most. He has long black curly hair and dark brown eyes that almost look black at times. He’s tall and muscular, but that’s not what frightens me. It’s the look in his eyes—cold as death. He wouldn’t think twice about killing, and he’d smile as he did it.

I’ve seen the long knives he carries. They’re practically short swords.

When I was rescued from Patrick, he came into the room ready to kill and did.

One of the guards stepped out of a side room, and Seamus sliced him open, letting his innards fall to the floor in front of him before cutting off his head.

He’s dark and menacing. But for some reason, Fiona loves him, and he is different with her. She’s like a little sister he wants to protect.

Seamus walks over to our table, and I force myself not to step back. No matter how tough I think I am, I know he’s the deadliest person in this building. I don’t stand a chance against him.

“Sir.” He nods his head at Mr. Tiernan.

“Seamus, my boy, you find yourself a girl yet?”

I watch as Seamus blushes, and I’m shocked. It’s the most emotion I’ve ever seen from him.

Seamus shakes his head, and the blush is gone instantly. “Sir, no woman would want my black soul.” He turns and walks away, leaving us to chat.

Fiona leaves Mr. Tiernan and me alone to fetch our order, then returns to the kitchen to finish whatever recipes she’s preparing for the week ahead. I look down at my cup of tea and the éclair Fiona brought me.

“Why do you want to be a police officer?” he asks me out of the blue. I look across at him. He’s not being flippant but serious.

I take a calming breath, thinking about how to say this without sounding stupid. “Sir,” I start, but he holds up his hand.

“Call me Niall or Da. No more ‘sir’ from you.”

I nod, my lips tipping up softly. “Okay, Niall. This is going to sound selfish, but I have to prove to my father and brother that I can do it. Originally, I wanted to be a police officer to become an investigator and solve my mother’s murder.

The police have buried her case and aren’t in a hurry to solve it.

It’s been six years since she was killed.

” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “It’s not a want anymore. It’s necessary for me to have closure.”

“What if I told you I could help you? That you don’t have to become an officer to do that.”

I lean back in my chair, cross my arms over my chest, and cock my head to the side, raising an eyebrow as I take him in. He mirrors my stance, watching me closely.

“Why? What’s the cost?”

He shakes his head and lets out a huff. “You think I’m doing this for a cost? Like, say, a favor? So when you’re an officer, you’ll give me something?”

I notice he said when, not if.

“Well… are you?”

“Lass, I’d do it out of the goodness of my heart, because like you, my boys lost their mam when they were young. I searched until I found her killer.” He points toward the kitchen. “That man in there took my revenge for me.”

I glance toward the kitchen where Seamus is with Fiona.

“He didn’t do it because I ordered it. He did it because what happened to her was wrong. He was avenging her, for her and for himself. She loved him too. But now you have information that, if you shared with your family, could take that man away from us. Will you?”

I look at Niall, then back toward the kitchen. If the person who killed my mam was close by, I’d kill them too. I’d avenge the pain in my heart from losing her. The Bible says an eye for an eye.

I shake my head slowly. “No, I won’t. Can I ask you a question?”

He nods. “I might not be able to answer you, but I’ll try.”

“I like your honesty,” I tell him. “People say you’ve got the police in your pocket. So tell me, is my brother one of them? Is he dirty?”

He leans forward, takes a sip of his coffee, then inhales a deep breath as he considers my question. I’m about to say never mind when he finally speaks.

“I’m not in that game anymore. Aidan would know, and from the conversation we had the other night, I can tell you he’s not in our pockets.

I suspect he’s not exactly on the up and up, but that’s for you to figure out.

Same with your father. Now, I have a meeting to attend, and you have to get some rest. You are safe.

We’ll keep you safe. Keep your eyes open, and don’t trust everyone, even if they have a badge. ”

He stands, drops a hundred-pound note on the table, nods at me, and walks out.

I ponder his words all the way home, and even as I lie in bed, they swirl through my mind while I drift off to sleep. I don’t have to become a police officer to solve my mam’s murder. But is it worth it to prove my father and brother wrong? To show them I can do it? I know I can.