“I haven’t done anything to him. That’s the problem,” he sighed. “I think if he gave me the chance to do things to him, then we would both be better off.”
Bridget sensed a story there but knew better than to ask.
Less than ten minutes later, they pulled into a side street, and Lachlan put a code into a keypad that Bridget swore hadn’t been there a second beforehand.
“Let’s hope Ironwoods are still on the friendly list,” Lachlan said.
The wall beside them shivered and melted to reveal a driveway leading down into a parking lot. A thrill shook Bridget to her core. She had always been in love with magic in books, but seeing it for herself made her want to cry and laugh at the same time.
Bridget let herself believe for one moment that she really could have magical abilities, and her whole body filled with light before she shut it down again. Some things were dangerous to want that much. Her eyes drifted down to the man in her lap.Definitely too dangerous to want him, too, but she did, gods damn it.
Lachlan pulled into a spare parking bay in an underground garage full of cars.
“Oh, shit,” he murmured.
Bridget followed his gaze where Apollo had come charging in, eyes blazing gold and so angry, he looked like he was about to blow the car up.
“Are yousureyou didn’t do anything to him?” Bridget asked.
Lachlan groaned. “Believe me, I’m sure.”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Apollo demanded.
Bridget opened the back door before Lachlan could reply. “Help me with Bas, Apollo. He’s unconscious.”
“What the fuck did you do to my brother, Lachlan?” Apollo demanded, voice going up an octave.
“I found him this way with Bridget,” Lachlan said, lifting Bas out of the car in a fireman’s carry.
“Put him down. I won’t have your hands all over my brother after being on every whore in Dublin,” Apollo snarled, his eyes turning golden bright.
“Enough! You two shut the fuck up and help Bas into a bed or help me, God, I will kick both of your whining asses,” Bridget shouted, bringing both men up short. “He needs help, you dicks.”
Apollo’s eyes didn’t dim, but he held the garage door open for Lachlan to carry Bas through. He must have been heavy, but Lachlan didn’t seem bothered by it as they took Bas up to his room.
After being outside in the glare, the dark blue walls and ebony wood palate of Bas’s bedroom made Bridget want to curl up beside him and stay there. She was upset and overstimulated, and she really needed him to wake up already. Bridget pulled off Bas’s boots and put a very soft throw blanket over him.
“What happened to him?” Apollo asked, checking Bas’s pulse.
“I think he got burned out trying to help one of the victims,” Bridget said. Tears were choking her, panic building for his safety like she had never felt for another person before.
“He seems to be breathing normally, let’s take this out in the hall and let him rest,” Apollo suggested.
Bridget didn’t want to leave Bas, but she allowed Apollo and Lachlan to lead her out. Cosimo was coming up the stairs toward them, and all three men were now staring at her for answers.
“He’s okay, Dad. I think he’s just sleeping,” Apollo told Cosimo as if he knew exactly what his first question was going to be.
Cosimo took a long look at Bridget and then hugged her. She didn’t realize how hard she was shaking until he tightened his arms around her. She didn’t usually like being touched, but somehow, it was exactly what she needed. What was with this family? It was like being around them was changing her suspicious hardwiring.
“There now. You’re all right, and so is Bas. He’s okay,” Cosimo said, stroking her hair. Tears spilled over her cheeks, and she couldn’t hold them back, no matter how embarrassing it was. “You’re in shock, little one. Just breathe. Tell us what happened.”
Bridget pulled back and wiped at her cheeks before telling them about the Beauchamps, how Bas had taken the woman’s hand and had gone into a trance for over an hour. He had started shaking like he was having a fit, and that was when Bridget slapped him.
“I didn’t know what else to do. I was worried that the creature was getting hooks into him too,” she said, sniffing back fresh tears. “It scared the shit out of me. And then he came around andgave them a protection sigil like everything was cool, but when I got him outside, it was like all his strength left him.”
“Magic drain,” Lachlan suggested and then swore. “Kenna shouldn’t have sent him on his own like that.”
“He will need more than the average sigil to keep this creature away.” Apollo pulled out his phone and looked at Lachlan. “Where is Charlotte? I need her and Reeve.”
