Cian grinned and Keenan laughed. I shook my head at all three of them.
“You cold, my darlin’?” Cian asked me.
“What?” I breathed. I had no clue what I was. After he mentioned it, though, internally, I felt like I was on fire, but on the outside, I was freezing.
“Fiona,” Cian snapped.
Our eyes met for a brief second before she shook her head. “I don’t believe she’s in shock. Just nervous is all. She’s doin’ a mighty fine job drivin’. She’s good.”
Fiona said this as I took a sharp turn and she barely had to reach out and touch the dash to keep steady in her seat. Whoever she had called for help, though, hadn’t called back.
“Why isn’t she—whoeversheis—calling back?” I asked.
Fiona brought the phone to her ear and tried again.
Flashing lights swirled in my rearview, and I considered trying to outrun them.
Cian’s breath was cool on my shoulder as he said drunkenly, “Pull over, Maeve.”
“What? No, we don’t—”
“Pull over, love,” he said, his voice in better control. Our eyes met through the rearview mirror. “Trust me. This will only take a second.”
I pulled over, but my knee was bouncing on its own as the two cops approached from both sides of the car. I knew I looked as guilty as hell. My husband was bleeding in the backseat, and Dermot Craig was probably trussed up like a turkey in thecargo area. If it came down to it, I was going to lie straight through my teeth. Tell them Dermot shot Cian and Keenan was able to subdue the rogue shooter. I was on my way to the hospital when—
The police officer made a motion for me to roll the window down before I could finish writing the story in my head. He opened his mouth to tell me I’d been speeding, and to probably ask for my license and registration, but when Cian sat up and met his eyes, the policeman only nodded.
“Drive safely, Mrs. O’Callaghan.” The officer tipped his cap to me and went back to his cruiser with the second police officer.
I didn’t wait to watch them leave. I peeled out and made it to the gates of our house in record time, even with the stop. The gates opened as soon as the contraption in the car gave the massive iron figures permission. I hit the gas even harder and came to a smooth stop in front.
As soon as the car was in park, I jumped out, hearing Cian roar behind me to stop. But it was too late. I was already halfway to the front door, my heels stepping in puddles of blood and carrying the stains.
On our doorstep, two mangled animals, a small one, and a larger one—a doe—lay in a pool of their shared blood, steam rising from the warm liquid as it clashed with the cold air.
It smelled stronger than the bloodied scent coming from my husband. I shut my eyes tight and whirled around, running into a chest harder than steel.
Chapter33
Maeve
Cian took me by the shoulders when I whirled, and the next thing I knew, I felt like I’d levitated as he picked me up and rushed me back to the waiting SUV. Keenan passed us, calling for the dogs to come.
As soon as I was back in the driver’s seat, and the dogs were in the back with Dermot, Keenan took his seat, and Cian claimed the one in the back again. He seemed to sink into it, his eyes closing, sweat dripping down his face.
“Drive, Maeve,” Fiona snapped at me.
On autopilot, I made the turn around the horseshoe and gunned it down the long drive. The gate was already open. I flew through it.
“Where am I going?” I barely got out.
Fiona didn’t give me an address. She just started directing me like GPS.
My eyes flashed to the backseat. Keenan was applying pressure to Cian’s shoulder, but my husband’s eyes were on me. I didn’t know how I knew, maybe we didn’t even need words anymore, but I knew. He was silently asking me if it was true—was I pregnant?
I nodded, and two tears slipped down my cheeks. Those two innocent animals left to bleed out on our front step were not left there by accident. Somehow, my husband’s enemies knew about me being pregnant, and they were sending a message to the Beast.
Cian had just found out, though.
