Page 4 of Riordan's Revenge
“Can ye drive me to school?”
Ah, man, kids. “Not today, but I’ll be here when ye get home.”
The boy pouted.
Sin muttered about the time then collected his son from my lap. Magnus yelled in protest, so Lottie took over and carried him out, a look returning my way to say our conversation wasn’t done.
Left alone with me, Sin held his gaze on mine. “We have to get the kids ready. Do I need to be worried? Any more than I already am, I mean.”
He didn’t specify about what, but it wasn’t necessary. I’d turned up with a body at the crack of dawn and with no good explanation beyond my wild claim. He needed to know if I was running from something.
Slowly, I inclined my head, fear tightening my belly.
He gave a short nod. “Bad timing. Or maybe good. The older kids are at camp, and nearly everyone else is away.”
My four brothers, their wives, and a whole army of kids lived in our mansion. It was good that they weren’t here.
A yawn overtook me. “Can you activate security then we’ll talk later? I need to call Arran because of what I did.” I flicked my fingers at a still slumbering Riordan. “But first I need sleep. Give me a few hours?”
“I can’t protect ye if I don’t know the full story.”
“Why do ye think I brought him?”
Sin muttered about hot-headed women then left me to lock my door.
For a moment, I drooped against the frame. It was after seven, and the first tendrils of daylight filtered into my apartment. An apartment which held what would be a very pissed-off Riordan once he woke. Maybe it was better that Sin had trussed him up with tape. That way, he wouldn’t be able to escape until he’d heard me out.
With a sigh, I kicked off my shoes and shucked my jacket. Then I knelt next to Riordan on the sofa and examined his bikerboots. I’d seen him take them off once previously and figured out the buckles, dropping both to the floor with heavy thuds, the tape just out of the way.
“I’m sorry if I scared ye,” I said as I worked. Being busy with my hands meant I didn’t have to meet his eye. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I promise no harm will come to ye. Not from me and not from my family. You’re completely safe here. I don’t know how long you’ll be unconscious for, and I don’t want to ring Shade to ask. Not until I’ve spoken to Arran, and I’ll wait until you’re awake to do that.” Another yawn overtook me, and exhaustion threatened my consciousness. “I’ll explain everything soon.”
Climbing onto the sofa, I curled around his feet like a kitten. Then I let sleep claim me, secure in the knowledge I’d managed to get us both to safety.
Even if Riordan had no idea from what.
A few hours later,I woke, sensing someone’s focus burning into me.
I blinked and found Riordan’s furious eyes trained on mine.
“Oh, hi. Awake?” I stretched out my limbs and unfurled myself.
He didn’t answer, instead, slowly wriggling upright on the sofa cushions. His movements were slow and clumsy, and guilt oozed cold in my veins.
“I don’t know if you heard anything I said earlier,” I began.
“I heard.”
His gruff voice was music to my ears. His brown hair fell in his eyes, and I resisted the urge to reach out and brush it aside. With his cut jawline and protective-German-Shepherd energy, Riordan was too pretty. Which was a huge part of the problem I had with the man.
Well, aside from kidnapping him.
I needed to make a better impression. Spreading out my hands, I gestured around us. “Welcome to my home. It’s called the Great House, and we’re in the Cairngorms National Park. I live here with my family.”
“You told me your mother was dead and your father a people trafficker.” Riordan took in the room, probably looking for exits if he had any sense.
“All that’s true.”
“Then the two people in here earlier were figments of my imagination.”