Christ.
“Hurston,” one of the men greets us. “You’ve brought us a tribute, have you?”
My blood boils and my grip on Fiona tightens so hard she winces. I quake with the effort to control myself.
“He’s testing your mettle, Lach,” Tiernan whispers. “He knows she’s yours.”
“Brought a brother of the Clan,” Tiernan says with a forced laugh. “As if you need another woman by your feet, you manky bastard. You’ve only one fucking cock.”
The man throws his head back and howls with laughter. Tiernan knows exactly how to manage him. Hell, I’m proud of the lad. He’s come into his own.
“Calum, meet Lachlan McCarthy, McCarthy family Clan.”
The men get to their feet when they hear the introduction. A sign of respect.
“Lovely to meet you,” Calum says. “Any man of McCarthy Clan stock is a friend of ours.”
Fiona shivers.
When we draw nearer, he takes in every detail. The chain around her wrist, my teeth marks on her neck, the bright red places where I suckled her sweet, decadent skin. “She’s yours.”
“Aye,” I say, my response immediate and harsh.
Calum holds up his hands in surrender. “Now, no need to fear us,” he says. “We know a claimed woman when we see one.” He gives Fiona one appreciative look. “I will say, you’ve got good taste though.”
My hands clench into fists, but I school myself.
“Thanks very much.”
“Have a seat, lad.”
They gesture for us to sit and quickly get down to business. “Tell me what’s happened.”
We tell them how Fiona’s come here for college, and how the guard we sent was murdered. I tell them how I came here with Keenan’s permission.
Calum frowns. “Do you have anything to do with the O’Gregors?” Rival mafia.
“We’ve had skirmishes with them, aye. But years ago, they paid their debts to us and relocated here, didn’t they?”
“Aye,” Calum says. “I wondered if they had any reason to retaliate.”
“None that I know of.”
“Same,” Tiernan says.
“And who’s the patriarch of your group?”
“Keenan McCarthy.”
“There’s none higher ranking?”
“Not now, no.”
“And his father was the late Seamus McCarthy, no?”
“Aye.”
We go through family history and I bring him up to speed. Finally, after a third pint of Guinness, he nods.
“I’ve a few suspicions about who could be a threat to you,” he says. “And I can guarantee our protection and alliance. There will, of course, be a price.”
My body tightens. Of course there will be, this I know well. Keenan’s given me an ample sum to pay and permission for trades as well.
He eyes Fiona, and my jaw clenches. My fists form under the table where he can’t see, and I quickly take inventory of my weapons. I’ve got two handguns in a harness, a knife in my pocket and another in my boot. I could gut him dead before his body hit the floor. I’d pay for it, but it’d be worth it.
“We’ll negotiate,” Tiernan says. “You know the McCarthy family won’t touch human trade, so that’s off the table.”
Calum grins at me. “Drives a hard feckin’ bargain, this one does.”
“Aye, he does.”
“We’ll call Keenan. Negotiate our price.”
“You can deal straight with us,” Tiernan says firmly.
“Well, well, if he isn’t pushing even harder now.”
I know that steely glint in his eye. I’ve seen lesser men than him pull a weapon when he got a look like that. He watches as I wrap my arm around Fiona’s neck and draw her closer to me.
“Protection’s worth a hefty price,” I tell him.
He eyes Fiona again, this time not bothering to mask the lust in his eyes. “Do all the McCarthy men have such young lasses in their keep?”
“Some do,” I tell him. “Some don’t.”
“And I’m guessing this one is clearly off the table.”
“Yes,” Tiernan and I say in unison. My grip on her tightens.
Calum swallows hard, then finally concedes with a nod. “Does she have any friends?”
Fiona’s eyes go wide, and she opens her mouth to speak but I tug the little chain that binds her to me. She clamps her mouth shut.
“I said that human negotiation was off the table,” Tiernan says with a sigh. He gets to his feet as if he’s about to leave. I follow suit. We face the door, as if we’re leaving, when Calum stops us.
“Alright, then. No women for trade.” He sighs. “Tell me what else you have to offer.”
As Tiernan outlines every option we have to trade, I sweep my eyes around the room. No one looks familiar, of course, but I’m noting something else. Fiona’s the only woman in the inner circle. All the other men are single, sitting around tables with pints and shots and glasses of whiskey. Why are there no women here?
“Alright, we have a deal,” Calum says. “As long as you can promise me you’ve nothing to do with O’Gregor scum, and I have your word you’re born and bred McCarthy stock, you have a deal.”