Page 3

CHAPTER 3

“ Y ou’ll have to explain it to me, love, because I’ve not seen anything out of the ordinary.”

Fi stared at Patrick with horrified wonder. Was she going mad? How had he missed the scenery change? One second, the village was before them, but in the next, what appeared to be a glass-and-cinder-block cell had taken its place. She’d scarcely had time to register the change before the room disappeared. What the hell had she witnessed, and where had it gone?

“It was like a telly flickering from one station to another and back again,” she explained as she tried to wrap her brain around the phenomenon she’d witnessed. “The village was gone. Completely gone.”

His concerned expression sent the back of her wrist to her forehead to check for fever. Slightly warm, not overly so, and no reason to worry on that front. A broken mind was another matter entirely.

His wary look disturbed Fi, making her distrust what she’d seen. Checking the time, she sighed heavily. There was nothing for it. Work beckoned. As it was, she’d be late clocking in, and she’d be subjected to Noah’s sour puss for the shift. Her boss did nothing to hide his anger when riled. Of course, he was carrying a grudge the size of éire since their breakup, though he was the bleeding reason for it. Goddess forbid she even smiled at another man. The wanker would double her workload. She’d be damned lucky if he didn’t fire her for being late again this week, and if she was any worse at her job, he would.

Jaysus, what she’d give to find Tadhg and get the hell out of this place! To go back to London and forget small-town life. Everybody was up in everyone else’s business twenty-four-seven, and she was done with it.

“Where have ya been?” Noah ground out the instant she stepped across the threshold, cementing her latest opinion that he was a horse's behind.

After wiping his hands on the stark white towel across his deliciously rounded shoulder, he gestured with his stubborn chin toward the far side of the pub. He ran his fingers through his coal-black hair, mussing the thick strands, thereby waking her ovaries from a deep slumber for the second time today. One prodded the other, and together they dropped eggs in anticipation of an epic shagging, like in days gone by.

Fi pressed her palm low on her abdomen and sent them a silent signal to cease their foolishness. Noah Riley wasn’t for the likes of her, despite how often his midnight eyes heated when they saw her. Or, like now, when they filled with ire as he noticed her handsome companion.

“Your da’s pissed. Take him home, then get your arse back here, yeah?” With a frustrated glance at her father, Noah reached for another pint glass to fill.

“Don’t talk to her in that tone, or you’ll be facing my wrath,” Patrick snarled.

Fi didn’t know which of them was more surprised, Noah or herself. Even the piss-faced patrons of Noah’s pub appeared stunned. The energy in the room turned dangerous on a dime, and the fine hairs rose over her entire body, similar to the disappearing-village incident earlier.

Placing a calming hand on Patrick’s arm, Fi gave a little rub. “He didn’t mean anything by it. It’s Noah’s way to be a bear.”

Black brows clashed over eyes filled with consternation as her ex watched the two of them. The subtle shift of Noah’s body indicated he was preparing for action should the need arise. Although not the most powerful warlock of her acquaintance, he possessed enough magic to defend himself and those present. He also wasn’t opposed to underhanded means to subdue an out-of-control customer.

“Well, Noah the Bear needs to check his bleedin’ attitude,” Patrick growled. “That’s not the way to talk to an employee.”

Fi dropped her hand. She’d begun to feel particularly kindly toward him during his posturing, but her goodwill flew out the window the second he’d said “employee.” Why the hell was she mentally drawing hearts around their initials when the man was simply viewing her as a pub worker, and not a woman to be protected? All because he’d asked if she was married?

And it wasn’t as if she needed to be protected. She could damned well take care of herself! But that didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate a male going to the mat for her if he believed she’d been wronged.

“Sure, and you’re right,” Noah said as he slid a Guinness to a patron on his right. “And how would you be knowing how a boss talks to anyone? What’s it you do?” Noah asked conversationally, walking around the end of the bar toward Fi’s father. He didn’t wait for an answer as he hoisted the burly James Bohannon to his feet with a grunt and scowl. “Have ya been packing on the pounds there, Jimmy?”

Da rubbed his belly and grinned. “Me Clara loves to cook, she does.”

“And you don’t miss a meal,” Fi muttered as she positioned herself under one of her father’s arms to help Noah. A smile curled his full lips, and she saw a flash of sparkling white teeth before he remembered they weren’t friends anymore.

“I’ll ring Katie for tonight, Fi,” he said in a low voice. “Take care of your da and get that other fecker out of here. You know better than to bring your lovers in my pub. Especially one looking for trouble.”

“He’s not… We’re not… No! I…” In her agitation, she released her father.

Noah’s dark eyes narrowed. “You’re not what?”

“Together,” she replied in an equally low voice with a quick glance at Patrick, who happened to be watching them like a Peregrine Falcon summing up a rabbit for its next meal. Slipping her father’s arm over her shoulder, she grimaced. “He’s here to help me find Tadhg. And you don’t give a shite about me or my lovers, all the same. So don’t be pretending you do.”

Noah stopped short, and she almost lost her grip on Da.

“Why would you be saying it like that?” His deep voice held incredulity, and his expression was dumbfounded, like she’d smacked him with a wooden plank. “Of course I give a shite!”

“You ended it, Noah. Not me. I?—”

“Oh, for the love of Pete!” Patrick edged her out of the way and put his shoulder under Da’s belly, hauling him up. The fact he was able to lift someone of her father’s stature and size without staggering was impressive as hell. “I’ve things to do and don’t plan to sit around all day listening to lovers’ quarrel, to be sure.”

“We aren’t lovers!” Fi protested.

“We were,” countered Noah, amusement heavy in his voice.

She spun to glare at Noah, and he backed up a step with his large, capable hands in the air. But the smirk on his stupid face was begging to be smacked off.

“Shut yer gob, Noah Riley!”

Patrick turned his back, but not before she saw him grin.

What was wrong with her that she found either of these two eejits attractive? For the second time in less than thirty minutes, she pressed the back of her wrist to her forehead to check for a fever. Maybe her brains were slowly being eaten away by a deadly amoeba.

“You all right there, Fi?” Noah stepped forward and settled his palm against the skin of her forehead as she dropped her arm. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m grand,” she snapped, shoving him away in the process. “Just feckin’ grand.”

Again, his grin flashed. “Aye, ya are.”

With a snarl, she turned to leave, but not before he clasped her elbow.

“So what is this about your brother?”

Had he not exhibited concern, she’d have stomped off, but his genuine caring for Tadhg halted her exit.

“He went missing. Sure, and he’s been a touch off since the island, since, well, you know. But he always tells us when he needs to escape for a bit.”

“What’s the deal with him, Fi?” He nodded in the direction Patrick had gone. “Why bring him into family business?”

“He was a captive of Loman O’Connor’s, too. I’m thinking if anyone can find Tadhg, Patrick O’Malley can.”

Noah’s expression turned thoughtful. “O’Malley? As in the Unlucky O’Malleys?”

“Well, I can’t say I know about all that, but he came by about a month ago to check on Tadhg. Said he was contacting all Loman’s victims to make sure they were adjusting to the real world after their ordeal.” She shrugged. “He mentioned a few were having a rough go of it and went missing. It seemed best to call him when my brother disappeared on us.”

“I’d have helped ya, Fi. You know that, yeah?”

It hurt to look into Noah’s intense, dark eyes. She’d loved him once, and he’d broken her heart for no reason she could discern other than he didn’t love her back.

“You’ve got enough on your plate, Noah.” She offered up a smile, but it pulled down at the corners of her mouth. Not wanting to appear pathetic and sad, she shifted to leave again.

“Fionola.” Her name was spoken achingly sweet, stopping her in her tracks, and the salt from unshed tears burned her lids.

“Please don’t,” she croaked. “I’ve got to keep it together until I find Tadhg.”

He drew her into a hug, and the feel of his solid embrace was welcoming. “We’ll find him, love. I promise.”

“You can’t promise me that, Noah. You didn’t even know he was missing.”

The soft black material of his shirt against her cheek shifted when he shrugged, and the sensation wasn’t at all unpleasant. But it felt too fecking good to be held by him again, and she pulled away, then made the mistake of glancing up. An unidentifiable emotion burned in his eyes before he blinked it away and pasted on his standard devil-may-care grin.

“You’re giving me mixed signals again,” she accused with a scowl and a hard jab of her index finger against his forehead. “You’d best quit before you find yourself in my bed again.”

“That wouldn’t hurt my feelings in the least, love.”

“It would hurt mine. The next person I shag will be someone who intends to commit to me.” The single circuit wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and she was lonely in a way only a soulmate could ease.

“Fi—”

She pressed her palm over his mouth, ignoring the tingle it caused her nerve endings. “It’s been almost seven months, Noah. You’re only showing interest now there’s another on the scene. And a stranger I’ve no connection to, at that.” Dropping her hand, she stared at his beautifully formed mouth, which was a helluva lot easier than meeting his probing gaze. “Don’t try marking a territory that’s no longer yours to mark.”

“What if I want it to be? Would you be willing to give me another chance?”

His question seemed heartfelt, but Fi wasn’t prepared to consider what his about-face meant. Not when she had other pressing matters to attend.

“Are you coming, or am I expected to break my feckin’ back by standing here all bleedin’ day?” Patrick growled from the doorway.