“Second floor,” Sophie is sounding rattled. “The third door on the left, the one with-”
“The fecking arseholes outside in the hall?” I shout. There’s two sons of bitches outside the door, turning at the sound of my voice. One is smart enough to instantly step away and disappear down the hall.
The bigger, stupider one speaks up. “What the hell do ye want? This isour-”
My fist shoots out, flattening his nose, blood spurting, before he can finish the sentence.
“Get the feck out.”
His friend returns long enough to haul him up as he’s gurgling insults through his bloody lips and they immediately head for the stairway.
I tap on the door. “Sophie? I’m here.”
It flies open and she’s there, clutching a table lamp. “Thank you for coming!”
“Are ye gonna brain me with that?”
“Oh!” She sets it down hastily. “Maisie’s in here, she’s on the bed.”
My sister is sprawled across the flowered bedspread, snoring softly.
“Has she boaked up yet?” I ask, eyeing Maisie’s blissful slumber.
“No.” Sophie helps her sit up. “Hey girlie, your brother’s here.”
“Wha...?” Maisie groans. “Oh, hey Michael. Ye do love me!”
“Was that ever in question?” I ask wryly. “Up ye get, sleeping beauty.” Scooping her up in my arms, I head for the door. Sophie's apologizing again.
“I’m really very sorry, Mr.- Michael. It was just a little party until everyone got hammered.”
I ignore the clots of gawking teenagers, some still in their school uniforms as we head out the door. “I’d like to ask who the host is, but I dinnae want to punch an eighteen year old in the throat,” I say, turning sideways to get my sister into the backseat, strapping her in. “Maisie Grace, dinnae ye spew in my Maserati or you’ll be the one cleaning it tomorrow.”
She mumbles something as Sophie slides in the other side. “Here, you can use my sweater,” she offers.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, lass! Put it back on,” I sigh. “Maisie, just tell me if we need to pull over. Grunt. Sign it to me.”
There’s some kind of vocal affirmation from my sister before she falls asleep again on Sophie’s shoulder.
“Where to, boss?” Ian taps his thumbs on the steering wheel.
I groan inwardly. If I drop them off back at their school dormitory, they’d likely get probation, not that they dinnae deserve it. Dropping them off at home would probably be even worse. “My place.”
Sophie tries not to gawk as we drag Maisie through the front hall, her good manners taking over. “You have a very nice home, Mr.- I mean, Michael.”
I carry my sister up the stairs, settling her in one of the guest bedrooms. “We’ll have a discussion tomorrow about what happened.”
The blood drains from her face. “I’m terribly sorry. Oh, god. I’m going to lose my scholarship, aren’t I?”
Frowning, I shake my head. “Haud your wheesht lass. Do ye think you’re the first one in the clan who’s gotten pished underage? My father had to bail Duncan out of jail when he was fourteen. He drank half my father’s liquor cabinet and decided to steal our neighbor’s car.”
“It was still stupid,” she says, shaking her head.
“I’ve no doubt my sister dragged ye along with her,” I say dryly. “Maisie is relentless in her pursuit of trouble.” I get the trash can from the bathroom and put it next to my slumbering sister,along with two bottles of water and some Ibuprofen. “You’re gonna need these in the morning. Try not to worry so much, aye?”
Her smile is dazzling and for the first time, I see how beautiful she’ll be as an adult. Her slate-grey eyes are silver in this light, chestnut brown hair up in a ponytail and a perfect little pink mouth. She’s gotten taller, her head reaches my shoulder and there’s curves in places she dinnae have them before, and-
“Get some sleep,” I say curtly, striding out the door and shutting it behind me.
