“Mary, we’ve got a guest bed on the third floor for you as well,” Keenan says, and Mary’s eyes grow wide.
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.”
McKenna yawns widely. “Now, up to bed with the both of you,” I say. “Maybe tomorrow we can get in touch with your mum again?”
McKenna yawns again. “Aye,” she says sleepily. “I’ve got to be at the school at seven, but I’ll be done at three.”
“Good night, then,” Mary says with a smile. A staff member takes her upstairs, and we head to our room as well.
“I’m so tired,” McKenna says.
“Oh?”
“Aye. I think it’s time for me to get some rest.”
We’ll see about that.
“My God, Tully, this place is enormous. How many rooms are there?”
I shrug. “Not sure, lass. When I was a younger lad it was smaller, but since Keenan’s leadership and the additions to the family, he’s had more work done on the house and added full suites, rooms, and floors.”
“Amazing. It’s like a mansion.”
“It isn’t like a mansion. It is one.”
Her voice lowers. “How much do you reckon a place like this is worth?”
I grin at her. She’s adorable, and I’ve definitely wondered the same thing myself. “Last I heard, something in the neighborhood of fifteen million euros.”
She blinks, and her jaw drops. “What?”
I chuckle as I open the door we’ve been led to. “As I said, it wasn’t worth quite that much before, but with the new additions and the like, the value’s increased significantly.”
I place our bags by the front door, and shut and lock it behind us. This is a fairly large and spacious room, with a small entryway foyer in front of us, a small dining area with a circular table and bar off the kitchenette. Beyond the dining area is a sitting room with built-in shelves stacked with books, comfortable-looking leather furniture, and a spacious armchair.
“Ooh,” McKenna says. “I could get used to a place like this.” She’s focused, of course, on the books, while I’m looking at the layout and high-tech security features. Bars and alarms on the windows, though we’re several floors above the ground. Speakers, a small desk with a computer and charging station for electronic devices. A small red light blips above every window and the door, and right outside the door that led us here, we’ve a guard in place, like all the men of the clan do.
I stretch and yawn, pretty tired myself, but I want to look at this place. It feels almost like arriving to have a place here in the McCarthy mansion, if only for a little while.
“Tully!” I run to the door, but she’s only calling out in excitement, not fear, as I first suspected. Still, my heart pounds hard and fast.
“Look! There’s a hot tub.”
I lean in the doorway and watch her as she takes in every detail. Even though her mum was married to a man of the Clan, rumor had it he gambled all his money and her mum was not much better. McKenna grew up with humble means. I did as well, though I’ve gotten a bit more used to the McCarthy ways.
“There are little soaps shaped like roses,” she gushes. “Bottles of body wash, and look, those washcloths are folded so they look like swans.” She opens the medicine cabinet, and her eyes widen. “Oh my goodness. Organic cotton swabs and sea salt scrub, and there’s a little paper thing here that says I can write down whatever I need, and when the staff comes twice a day—twice a day—they’ll bring me what I’ve requested.”
She suddenly frowns, turns, and looks at me seriously. “Did someone have to die for us to get this place?”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “No, lass. Keenan’s given us this room to keep us safe. Even though this might feel like a luxury vacation, we need to keep in mind our purpose here.”
She turns and waggles her eyebrows at me. “Oh, aye, I do know, but I’ll definitely enjoy it while I’m here.”
“Will you?” When she looks at me, I crook a finger at her. I want to know if she really will.
Hesitantly, she walks my way, biting her lip as she comes. “What?”
“Come here.” I point to the ground in front of me.
As she walks to me, my dick gets hard just watching her move, just watching the way she looks at me from beneath those lowered lashes.
I flick a finger under her chin. “Now that we’re here, there’s no getting away, you know.”
She swallows, and I swear her pupils dilate. “I’ve noticed. There are… bars on the windows and such, hmm?”
I nod. “Aye. So no one can get in…”
My voice drops and I bring my mouth to her ear. “And no one can get out.”
She nods, placing one hand on my shoulder, the other around my waist.