“You’re still a—”
“I’mfifteen!”A long cord from the piano magnifies the bite in Kiera’s tone. Satisfied with acting like a bairn, she shares, “I was so afraid of Little Brody. I whispered in Aunt Nan’s ears, asking if he was born like that.”
I break into a grin. “Aye, he came from Nan’s personal, ahem, area looking like a burly bear.”
With a smile, my sister pushes away from the piano. After a few seconds, the elation evaporates. “Kieran, why am I not allowed to live with the MacKenzies?”
Without a valid reason, I say, “There are seven sons. Theweansare growing. I suspect even little Jake has eyes for girls now.”
“Yuck! All of them see me as cousins, Kier.” Kiera’s mouth pinches together. A pensive expression clouds her face. “I know something happened to Jamie a long time ago. But they got him back, brother. Please.”
I lift off the doorframe. “We’re not the sort to go around begging, Kiera. Stop.”
“No. Please and thank you were magic words to say. Mam sang that tune while I was awean. Did she do the same with you?”
Nodding curtly, I exit. While closing the door behind me, Kiera shouts that Uncle Ewan trained me to become anobedient devil.
Heaving a sigh, I grab the hair at the top of my head and pull. “When I go off, I’m the bad guy. When she . . .”
Feeling a pair of eyes on me, I look up, and Ava’s bonny brown gems are staring at me. Her crisp, clean scent calls to me. If that’s not enough, she drops her hands to cover herfeckingpussy as if the new pair of jeans will keep me away.
Ava steps back a few paces. Good. I’m not slighted by her fear of me at the moment. I pull the door to her bedroom to the frame behind me.
“I heard screaming,” she murmurs.
“All Kiera.”
“Should I check on her?”
My hand catches Ava about the waist, and my nose nudges her neck. “I should nibble on you.”
“Or I could assist you with the monologue you were just having. I think it was something along the lines of, when anyone other than you has a fit, it’s not okay?”
I’m astonished by the smile on Ava’s face until she wags a finger. “You said you never abducted someone before, Kieran.”
“You are the first,” I snarl through stiff lips. “Look at me,” I glance down at my jeans and shirt, which have dried like cardboard to my skin. “I’ve got sand on mybaws. Why must you torture me so.”
She chuckles, sliding into the chair across from her bed, legs crossed. “We’re having an important discussion, and it has nothing to do with sex.”
I shove my fingers into my hair, and bits of sand dust my shoulders. “Okay, what thefeckare we talking about?”
“You stealing me.” Ava kicks up a brow. “Oh, maybe I should broaden the specifics. Holding someone against their will. Caging them like an animal.”
Making the connection, I roll my eyes away from her. “In Kiera’s situation, no. In both of your situations, I’m keeping you safe. Kiera’s under lock and key for her protection, same as you, Ava.”
“In the state of California, if someone’s crazy, they’re held involuntarily by a psychiatrist. You,Kieran, are not a psychiatrist. Or are you? I don’t know anything about you.” She thrusts her hands out, gesturing between us.
“I’m not.” I run a hand over my jaw. “But honestly,eun beag, you know a helluva lot more about me than I know about you. I’ll let you go this instant—”
Ava pops up from the chair, stopping right in front of me. Like aweanwho has set their eyes on a shiny, new toy truck, her eyes seem to plead. “Yes—”
“Hold on.” I hold up a hand, a cocksure grin on my face. “You know of my parents, my clan, the MacKenzies, now my sister.” I wriggle my jaw. All the precautionary measures I’ve created to ensure Kiera’s safety flash through my mind. Plus, I’ll be needing to replace Marty by nightfall. “I’m what you Americans call an open book. You got family, Ava? Anyone crying their eyes out searching for you?”
I can’t be too sure she’s listening. A few beats pass, and Ava hasn’t responded.
I run a hand over her crinkly hair, saying, “Give me a name, phone number, address. I’ll fly you home this instant.” My abdominal muscles clench tight.I’m a liar, aye, damn right I am.
“Okay,” Ava whispers. “I have family, same as you, Kieran. You need to call and verify?”