“Sixteen!”
“Ugh,turningsixteen!Still fifteen. We were at the MacKenzies. Nan had made all those summer strawberry cakes—”
Heart killing over in my chest, I snarl, “Skip the specifics.”
“It was nice having someone to talk to. After our mams died months away from each other, we supported each other. Just phone calls.”
I don’t have any idea why I’m attempting to poke holes in her story, but I vehemently object. “You don’t have a phone!”
With a defiant tone, Kiara retorts, “I told Pearla you okayed my conversations with mycousin! Although, I’ve never thought of the MacKenzies as family. They’re good friends and Brennan—”
Beaming brightly, Ava scoops an arm around Kiera. “A little too soon for that technicality.”
“Bren wasn’t answering a few weeks ago. But I had the two of you.” Her eyes flicker to both of us. “I tried calling him today. Went to Glasgow to look for him. Brennan’s—”
Leaning against the doorframe, Gowan snorts. “Tangled himself with the wrong crowd is what he’s done. So, I take it you’ve tried to talk him down from some of his schemes in the past?”
When Kiera nods, I roar, “This is unacceptable!”
Matching my aggressive stance, Kiera shouts, “So what?”
“Sister, you could’ve been—”
She bristles, “Raped, murdered? What else is there, brother?”
“What else?I’ve seen things you couldn’t even imag—”
“Maybe I’ll meet a man likeDa.Someone who’s incapable of protecting me.”
For a few excruciating seconds, nobody says a word. Defeat settles around me like ash after Armageddon. My shoulders slump, and now, I’m sitting on the edge of the nugget’s bed.
“Well,” Gowan speaks up, “I’m off to bed. My house is your house. Kiera. I expect you might want to let the two of them have the room. I’ll pull out the blankets for the sofa.”
“We ain’t staying.” I stop speaking and toss Ava’s glower right back at her.
A soft smile settles on her face as she glances at Gowan. “We appreciate you opening your home to us. Does that offer include maybe a small meal? When Kieran and I first met, hunger amplified his wrath. Which is evident tonight.”
“Ava.”
“Kier-an!”
“I’ll whip up a spread for you.”
“I’m a bit famished.” Kiera starts after Gowan.
“Thank you,” Ava tells him again and offers Kiera a back pat on the lassie’s way out. Once it’s just the two of us, Ava closes the door and descends to her knees.
While running her hands through my hair, she implores, “Stay . . . calm . . .”
Mam’s in my ear, dishing out the same old story.
I’m a dubious lad.
A monster.
The devil.
Suddenly, sweet kisses pepper along my face.