Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“Lorcan,” Kierse said, keeping her voice steady and her head high.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he said in his soft Irish accent.
Niamh snorted as she sauntered into the office and went to feed the bird, her namesake. “You knew she was coming a mile off.”
Lorcan grinned, a bright blinding thing. “I’m still glad to see you regardless.”
“I bet,” Kierse said.
“I see you still haven’t forgiven me for what happened last year.” He swept a hand through his dark hair, brushing it back off of his face. His high cheekbones were accented by the quick movement. His eyes raking over her. “That’s understandable.”
“So glad to have your approval.”
He laughed, leaning back in his chair and resting his arms on the brown leather. His white button-up was crisp, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, muscular forearms on display with just a hint of biceps. He wasn’t bulky by any means, but fit. Like he could take down a grown man without even reaching for his magic.
Kierse averted her gaze, taking a few controlled steps into his office. She ran her hand along a hardened oak bookshelf, across a small stack of books. Her fingers closed around a gold letter opener before continuing her perusal.
“And all I want is your approval,” he countered.
“Do you think it will be that easy to achieve?” she asked, skimming the titles and avoiding his predatory gaze.
“I’m afraid that I’ll have to earn it,” he said with a softness to his voice.
“Just tell her you’re not going to try to kill her or her friends,” Niamh said with a sigh.
“I did tell her that last time.”
“And then held them at gunpoint,” Niamh reminded him. She swatted at the back of his head, and he shot her a quick glare. “Maybe try to be nice.”
Lorcan pushed his chair back against the plush rug and stood. “Thank you for that insight, Niamh,” he all but growled. “I will be very nice.” She finally lifted her eyes to meet his and stilled under his heated gaze.
Niamh cleared her throat. “Declan doesn’t like that I’m back.”
Lorcan severed the look to draw his attention back to his second. “I’m sure he doesn’t.”
“He almost offered a challenge, and this is only my second day.”
The muscles in his jaw twitched. He was clearly annoyed Niamh was still here. “Don’t be so infuriating, then.”
“Can’t help it,” she said, swinging up onto his desk and letting her long legs dangle.
“She really can’t,” Kierse added. “It’s why she’s so wonderful.”
Niamh beamed under the praise. “So glad you sent me to check in on her.”
Lorcan’s gaze swept between the women in his office. For a second, Kierse almost saw that anger swimming in those bright blue irises, but then it was gone. “How good it is that my girls are friendly.”
“Like the good old days,” Niamh said. She jumped down and headed toward the door before Lorcan could respond. “I’m going to check in with Maeve. You should take her to Ethan. That’s what she wants, after all. She’s going to sneak off if you don’t do it yourself. So be nice and show the girl some Druid hospitality. Not whatever shit you’ve been getting into since I’ve been away.”
Lorcan growled under his breath, but Niamh blew Kierse a kiss and disappeared. Now she was completely and utterly alone with her enemy. No, Graves’s enemy. They weren’t the same thing.
“I am glad that you’re home,” he said as he walked around the desk.
“I’m glad to be home.”
He held his hand out. “Though I forgot your proclivity for stealing my possessions.”
She huffed and placed the letter opener in his hand. “How’d you guess this time?”
He flipped it around to point at her chest. “Your heart skipped a beat. Was it joy or fear?”
“Neither,” she said. “You can’t sense my heartbeat.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps not. Perhaps I’m just that good.” His smile was swift and heart stopping. “Now, allow me to demonstrate the Druid hospitality that Niamh mistakenly thinks I haven’t shown you. We did have a wonderful dinner once before.”
“I was kidnapped that night,” she reminded him.
He laughed. “You like that sort of thing.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he gestured to the door. “Come on. Unless you don’t want to see Ethan.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The thought of finally getting to see Ethan overrode all reason. She followed him into an elevator that dropped to a subterranean level, depositing them into a hard concrete passageway. The ceiling was arched as if it might have had some grandiose use before this, but she couldn’t discern what.
“It’s a bank escape shaft,” he explained on their walk.
Her eyes lit up. “An exit.” Her favorite.
“It connects to the original Williamsburgh Savings Bank across Broadway. We purchased the bank after it went under and had it restored to its former glory. The tunnel had caved in at two different locations. We dug it out so that we could use the corridor to connect the acolyte training space to their dormitories.”