I glare at her listlessly. “Something personal, lassie.”
“What do I have to gain? Clearly, my freedom isn’t up for grabs!”
“I’ll buy you something shiny.” The second I retort, it’s like I might as well have slapped the lass in the face. The Adnan fellow has money. It was clear the nugget hadn’t spared any expense on his wedding. My head cocks in thought.
You’re the spitting image of your da right now, running after a lass. Go on ahead and seal the deal.
The line I never toed, which made me a different lad than my father, has receded.
“I’ll give you anything in the world, aside from freedom.”
Incredulous laugher lifts from her lips. She leans back against the wall.
“Listen,eun beag, you gotta understand, from the way I see it, you’ve never been so free.”
“Because I intended to smash my brain matter all over my ex-husband’s wedding venue?”
I step closer to her. I can feel her warm breath tickle my jaw as she turns away, escaping the only way she can.
“Ava, you had your reasons for wanting to commit suicide.”Tell me them.
Eyes the color of fresh earth land on mine. When Ava inhales, I smash her chest with my own. I’m not trying to hurt her now. I need to know something about her.
“Listen, to Adnan, any life other than his own—besides his father or mother—those were lives to twist and bend.” She bites her eyes closed. “People are pawns to move across his perfectly strategized board. It’s a game to him. To own. To hide away,” she adds, mouth terse, and I catch the connection. My little bird infers how I’ve hidden Kiera away. How I’ve hiddenheraway. In Ava’s eyes, I’m cut from the same cloth as her ex-husband. All these months, and we’ve gotten nowhere.
23
Kieran
Aweek later, I stop in the corridor of the dining hall while massive ceilings carry Ava and Kiera’s carefree conversations. My little bird has avoided me much of the time since Kiera’s arrival. The time I’ve caught them chatting, such as at breakfast or dinner as they’re doing now, Ava will clear her place at the table. She’ll offer the same excuse, saying I should spend more time with my sister. Tonight, I suspect she thought I’d be detained longer with my calls. But my mate, Blythe, has proven he can oversee Boston while playing for the minor leagues there.
Silently, I eavesdrop and can only imagine the grins on Kiera’s and Ava’s faces as they break bread together.
“I’d love to know how you deduced that I play the piano,” Kiera asks.
“People watching,” Ava offers. While it’s a whole heap more than she’s ever shared without coercion, I lean a shoulder against the textured wallpaper, eager to know more.
“I’d give the world for that kind of freedom,” Kiera sighs.
“Hey, your brother has his faults; however, keeping you safe is probably the least of them, in a long, lengthy list of sins.”
Shocked to the core by Ava’s statement, I bite my fist as my sister punctuates her agreement with a chuckle. “Yeah. Long, long, long list.”
“You don’t know how special you are, Kiera. Oh, don’t give me that look!” Ava's voice seems to smile. “Your brother loves you madly. He’s exceeded the call of duty. As I see it, you’re a princess locked in a tower until the day true love sets you free.”
“There’s no way my brother will agree to a boyfriend in my life. Now, you’ve convinced me Kier fell in love at first sight, sheesh. The two of you must’ve just met and can’t see past each other’s . . .”
Kiera mutters something about opposites attracting.Feck, if she only knew. Ava sputters on what I suppose is a drink, drowning out the rest of her statement.
After collecting herself, Ava snorts, “Althoughwearen’t in love, may I ask how old you are?”
“Almost sixteen.”
“Hmmm . . . you’realmostold enough to date.”
While Kiera giggles in agreement, I decide it’s time to up the ante of my intrusion. I stroll into the massive hall. A sequence of brass chandeliers loops around to create one massive, opulent monstrosity. And no expense was spared on the table that could sit fiftyfeckingclans. You’d have a yelling match to host guests on opposite ends of the table. A custom, royal blue silk runner decks the center. My ward and my captive have made themselves at home off-center, sitting across from each other. While digging into a salad with silver tongs, Kiera notices me first.
Bubbling in excitement, she says, “Brother, Ava agrees I can start dating. Between the two of us, if you want things to work out with this one, you’ll listen to her.”