Page 10

CHAPTER 10

A fter Patrick released her, Fi remained leaning against the wall, out of breath from the suddenness of his reaction. He’d saved her from a severe burn at the very least and possibly a heart-stopping electrical shock at the worst. His anger was born of fear, and she recognized some men reacted strongly in a situation such as theirs.

Was she afraid of him? No . To date, he’d been like a crusty old dog, all bark and no bite, but time would tell if he was as docile as he appeared. She suspected he wasn’t. When the moment came to confront their enemy, Patrick O’Malley would seek to destroy him or her. No questions asked.

A shiver of appreciation traveled Fi’s spine. Who wouldn’t prize a male like him? She certainly did. “I’m sorry, Patrick. I wasn’t thinking when I saw our captor walk by, and I was seeking answers.”

His back tensed an instant before his shoulders dropped. When he faced her, he was contrite. “I’m sorry I manhandled you, Fionola. ’Twas purely fear driven.”

“I know. I’m not angry.”

The tightness left his features, and a small smile curled his engaging mouth. “Aye, and that’s a good thing. There’s nowhere for me to run, and I’ve a mighty respect for a furious woman, I do.”

A laugh bubbled up, and she shook her head at his silliness.

“I’ve the feeling you could coax the birds from the sky, Patrick O’Malley.”

His smile didn’t falter, but an underlying sadness lingered in his eyes.

She clasped his wrist. “What did I say that was wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You told me you wouldn’t lie when it came to Tadhg. I’m asking you now, please don’t lie to me about anything else. I can’t abide a liar.”

He gave a single sharp nod and strolled to the breakfast tray, prepared to pick through what she’d left untouched. Fi knew he’d been allowing her to have her fill of the tastiest bites, but she was also aware his body required more calories than hers. For that reason, she’d curbed her desire to stress eat, leaving him enough to maintain his strength.

She frowned as she contemplated the arrival and disappearance of the tray. It always manifested while she was sleeping, but she hadn’t thought to ask Patrick if he was awake for each magical delivery.

She voiced her question.

It struck her as strange when he did no more than shrug his answer.

Things weren’t adding up.

“So you’ve been awake when the food comes?” she demanded, unwilling to let him blow it off. Somewhere inside, she knew the answer was important, but she couldn’t quite figure out why. Once she had all the facts, the puzzle pieces might fall into place.

“What’s it matter if I’m asleep or not? It’s not as if I can make it to the door before they leave.”

He sounded surly, as if he were upset she’d even mentioned it.

“Who delivers it? Is it always the same person?” And wasn’t it queer that she’d been asleep every time? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What were the odds? Was she being drugged? And why only her? Why not Patrick?

“I can’t see their face, so how am I supposed to know if it’s the same person?” His scowl would scare another, but she was learning his moods, and his said he was being evasive.

Fi charged across the room and knocked the croissant from his hand. For a second, she was distracted by the quality of their fare. Why were prisoners receiving delicious meals? Shouldn’t they be tortured with gruel and left with scummy water?

“Not two minutes ago, you agreed not to lie to me, Patrick O’Malley.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“You’re not telling the truth, though, are ya?” she snapped.

“If I’d known you were a harpy, I’d have left you behind,” he snapped back.

They were toe-to-toe and nose to nose, and neither was prepared to budge on the subject.

Fi jutted up her chin. “You promised.”

“That word never left my lips, woman. Not once. Promises are for fools, because life is ever-changing, and at any moment, they can be broken.”

“Are you talking about our situation or your own?” she taunted. “I’m not your faithless wife, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like I was.”

“No, but you’re Noah’s faithless girl, yeah?”

His comeback stung. “I don’t belong to Noah. I don’t belong to any man. Nor will I,” she said stiffly. “And I’ve never been faithless. I’ve been the one cheated on and left behind. The one made to feel worthless.”

Patrick’s eyes grew dark with remorse. “I’m sorry?—”

“No. You don’t get to say hurtful things and then apologize like you didn’t mean it. Your intent was to wound and get me to back off.” Proud of her even tone, she lifted her chin and glared. “I won’t. We need to work together to solve the mystery of who abducted us. They’ve the key to Tadhg’s location, too. I’m certain of it.”

“If there was anything to tell you, I would,” he said by way of a peace offering.

“Yeah, and that remains to be seen,” she muttered. Stomping away, she flopped on the mattress and focused on the dull gray ceiling. If she didn’t get out of here soon, she’d go mad. Fi was the sort who needed to keep busy, and without any way to do that, she was bound to lose her temper, too.

“Whenever the food is delivered, I’ve been holding you,” Patrick confessed as he approached the bed. “Our jailor has been long gone before I can untangle myself.”

She turned her attention on him, but remained silent.

“You’re a bleeding octopus in your sleep, ya are,” he teased. With a gentle nudge of her hip, he sat down and lifted her hand to toy with her fingers. “I find myself always having to apologize to you, Fionola. And it’s not what I’m used to. I’ve been alone a great many years and imprisoned by Loman twice in all that time.”

Fi curled on her side and propped her head on her free hand, doing nothing to draw away as he continued to touch her.

“I don’t know how to be human most days,” he said with a rough sigh.

“Why the dig about Noah?”

“I’ve a hard time trusting women.” Patrick shrugged and met her steady gaze. “But I want to trust you. I’m not sure how, though.”

“You can trust that there’s nothing between Noah and me.”

His struggle against skepticism was visible in his unhappy frown, but he didn’t argue.

She closed her fingers over his. “Noah ended our relationship when I began working for him. He has some outdated notion about protecting his reputation and doesn’t want anyone to believe he’s taking advantage of an employee.”

“He’s a fool.”

“I’ll not argue the point,” she said dryly. “But he’s moved on.”

Patrick’s green eyes sharpened. “And you, love? Have you moved on?”

“If you’re asking if I care about him, the answer is yes. If you’re asking if I’m waiting on him for marriage and weens, the answer is no. He made his choice.”

After another long moment spent watching her, Patrick slowly nodded. “What if he came to you and told you he regretted his hasty decision?”

“He said something similar right before you arrived with news of Tadhg.” Fi grimaced. “Is it wrong to want to be someone’s first choice, Patrick? To not be an afterthought or a gut reaction to jealousy?”

“No. I don’t believe it is,” he replied in a compassionate tone. “But then again, I don’t know what being first feels like. I’ve never been anyone’s priority.”

Her heart ached for them both. They were two peas in the proverbial pod.

“I’d put you first,” she said, and it felt like a promise of sorts. Especially when he caressed her cheek and graced her with a smile sweet enough to make her teeth ache.

“Any man who doesn’t put you first is a fucking eejit, Fionola Bohannon.”

The sudden onslaught of tears stung, and she blinked rapidly to dispel them. She was unprepared when he hauled her into his arms, providing her with the comfort she wasn’t aware she needed. A sob escaped, and in the next instant, they were lying on the bed with her face buried against his throat as she cried out years of heartache. Not just because of Noah’s defection, but all the ones before.

“It’s all right, love. Sure, and I’ve got you now,” he assured her as he rubbed circles over her back and cradled her close. “I’ve got ya, Fi.”

Despite being imprisoned with little hope of escape, she felt the safest she had in a long while. Patrick’s strong arms were the haven she’d always longed for. Once, she believed Noah would be her North Star, but she’d been wrong.

“I was thoroughly destroyed when my wife cheated on me the first time,” he told her. “The first blow’s the worst when you don’t see it coming. The second is a wee bit easier to suffer, and by the third, you’re calling yourself all kinds of fool and blaming yourself for staying.”

Fi’s arms tightened in response.

“In the end, she betrayed our entire family for Loman O’Connor. Sure, and it would be difficult to find a man more evil than him.” He sighed heavily. “He’d parade her in front of my cell—this exact one—showing off the bruises on her face and neck. And bugger it all if she didn’t stay with him, suffering through the beatings. I’ll never understand it.”

“Oh, Patrick! That had to be difficult, especially loving her the way you did.”

“I didn’t,” he said roughly. “Not since before Carrick was born. I stayed for my children. But I was faithful to her, a woman I could hardly tolerate.”

Fi recalled Eoin and Dubheasa. “One assumes the passion was still alive, if you fathered the twins after.”

“When you refuse to step outside your marriage, the alcohol is plentiful, and a spouse is willing, there are a few gratifying moments to be had,” he said dryly.

With a snort, Fi released him. “You’re to be admired for holding to your vows.”

“Or pitied for the feckin’ eejit I was.”

“No.” She cradled his face between her palms. “Don’t do that, Patrick. Don’t belittle your selfless act. Another would’ve been gone the first time.”

“Aye, and likely I should’ve been, but I’d only to look into Bridget’s fearful eyes to know leaving her with Rose wasn’t an option. Protecting her and her brothers from my wife’s wicked temper was paramount.”

“Why didn’t you kick her out?”

“By the time we all finally saw her for what she was, she was pregnant with Dubheasa and Eoin. I couldn’t.”

Fi didn’t want to be the one to bring it up, but she had to ask. “Do you ever wonder if the twins are yours?”

“No. Their eyes are the same as mine. Few possess such a color green as the O’Malleys.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For asking? Don’t be. It’s a question many would ask if bold enough.” He huffed out a laugh. “I appreciate your boldness, love.”

She wanted to show him just how bold she could be, but they were in a cell under the watchful eye of their jailor, and the timing was shite.