Jesus.
I roll over and tug her onto my chest, my temper not yet sated. I grasp her chin between my fingers and hold her gaze.
“I’m sorry I was a fucking douche. I wish I’d kicked Clifford’s arse from here to fucking Wales. Given the chance, I still might. Next time, I will. You deserve that and so much fucking more, and I’m sorry.”
She blinks, her eyes watering. “I’m sorry I lost my temper, too. And you can’t beat up the headmaster. That’d be terrible for… publicity and public relations and all.”
“Like I give a fuck about publicity and public relations. Tell me the truth. Did he touch you?” Screw beating him. I’ll slice his fucking neck.
“Only my arm.” I reach for her arm and drag it to my lips.
“This one?”
She nods, her eyes widening as I plant kisses along the length of it.
“You’re a wild one, Tiernan Hurston.”
I snort. “You ought to talk, love.”
She reaches up to me, holds my face in her hands, and kisses me full on the lips. “Sometimes only wild things understand other wild things, I think.”
I smile and lay my hands atop hers. “I think so, too.”
She sighs. “What do we do now?”
“I bring you home,” I say. “I’ll confirm with Keenan.”
“Home?”
She must wonder where “home” is.
I nod. “Back to the mansion.”
“And then what?” I hold her to me.
“Then we find who’s after you. We end the threat against us. We clear your name.”
She sighs. “This isn’t over, Tiernan.”
“I know, lass,” I say. I kiss her cheek. “But it will be.”
We clean up and pack our bags. I still have no cell service, but she shows me how to use the internet connection to call Keenan. I tell him everything.
“Bloody hell,” he groans. “I’ll have Carson dig around.”
Carson, Clan bookkeeper, is also our resident techie. He’ll dig and see what he can find.
“Thank you.”
“Is she safe?”
I hold her to me. “For now. And I won’t let anyone hurt her.”
She squeezes me tightly as I hang up with Keenan.
“I want to take you home,” I tell her. “I need you safe.”
She pushes herself up on her elbow. “Listen, babe. Seriously. I don’t know if going back is the right thing.”
“We aren’t staying here—”
“Just listen.”
I blow out a breath. “Go on.”
“The headmaster’s here, and he obviously knows something. I don’t know if he’s in touch with anyone, but I’m a wanted woman, and my identity’s likely been outed. Yes?”
“Yes.”
“If we go back… if we run… we miss any potential chance of finding out who he’s with. Right?”
I nod warily. “Right.”
“But if we stay… he doesn’t know we’re onto him. He doesn’t know Deacon went to Malachy. If I…” She bites her lip and flushes. “Play into his hand, I could…” She grimaces. “Find out.”
“No fucking way.”
“Tiernan, I—”
“No. I will never allow you to use your body for anything else again. Do you understand me?”
Hurt flickers across her features, and she winces. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean it that way. And I hate that your mind went there immediately.”
I sigh. This is something we’ll have to overcome.
“And you can’t very well beat my arse and fuck me every time we have a fight,” she says with conviction.
“Why not?”
She blows out a breath in frustration. “Because that’s not how it fucking works!”
“Oh? And when do I give a crap about how it fucking works? I know how we work. And beating your arse then fucking you senseless works just fine.”
She throws up her hands in frustration. “You are infuriating, Tiernan Hurston!”
“You’re no peach yourself,” I say, rolling my eyes at her. She bends and kisses me.
“I still think you’re bloody adorable.”
She gets out of bed, when my phone buzzes.
I pick up the phone. Keenan. Bloody hell.
Second thoughts about you coming home just yet.
I clench my jaw. Why?
He pauses. Aisling watches me. She twirls a piece of her short black hair between her fingers.
Keenan: I want you safe, of course. But I also want to know who at the school’s responsible for the infiltration. Do you think you can work with Lachlan, Tully, and Malachy to find out? I’ll be there with Cormac later on this afternoon.
Aye, sir.
Keenan: I want Aisling safe, but I know she’s in good hands with you.
No pressure, Keenan.
Keenan: Let her bait Clifford. Find out what he knows. See what he’s made of, and who he’s in touch with.
My fingers fly over the keys, my temper flaring before I can stop myself.
No fucking way.
Keenan doesn’t reply for a minute. I’ve never flat out defied him. I could be disciplined for this, and harshly. But his response is gentler than I expect.
I’m not saying she should compromise herself, brother. Just a temporary situation to out our enemies.
I blow out a breath. I’ll talk to her and think about it.
I put the phone down and reach for Aisling. “Come here,” I say. I hold her to my chest. I never knew this woman was as fierce as she is. I never knew I needed the love of a woman like her, but I fucking do.
“Keenan wants us to find who’s behind all this here,” I say in a low voice. I don’t want to be overheard. “Thinks you should bait him.”
“Aye, it’s the only way, isn’t it?”
I grit my teeth. “I don’t like this. Could be fucking anyone. We know the headmaster can’t be trusted and he used a student to find out information. But he isn’t working alone, is he?”
She bites her lip and shakes her head. “No… likely not. You’re right. Who else would it be?”
“One of your roommates?” She shakes her head.
“Doubt it. Karla’s a good friend of mine, and Shane’s fucking clueless.”
“We don’t know that.”
She laughs. “Well, we may not, but be that as it may, Tiernan, I think they are the least likely suspects, really.”
I sigh. “I don’t want to use you as bait.”
Her face gentles, and she holds my face in her hands, the way she does. The way that makes my heart ache for her, every fucking time.
“You won’t
