I nodded. I tried to keep my hope contained, but it was hard.
Thomas left, and then it was just Liam and me in the room with Linda.
“Thank you for that,” I told him.“I know you’re a big part of why he volunteered.”
“He would have gotten around to it.” Liam made a small movement.“Eventually.”
But probably not until he’d tried to bargain with me, destroying any chance of an amicable relationship between the two of us.
“What now?” I asked.
He stepped closer, clasping the nape of my neck as he angled my head for a kiss. Desire rose between the two of us. It was quick but potent, as we drew back, panting slightly. The bedside of my ill niece wasn’t the place to indulge.
“I think your generation calls it dating,” he said with a wicked smile.
I raised an eyebrow.“And if I decide I don’t want to date?”
He nipped my chin.“I still have nine nights to convince you to my way of thinking.”
“Nine? I gave you at least four,” I said, jerking back.
His smile turned dark.“I only asked for the first.”
My mouth dropped open in dismay as he stepped around me and sauntered to the door.“You could save me the trouble and just move in with me.”
“Not in this lifetime,” I snarled.
“Ah well,I’ll enjoy the chase.” The door closed after him, leaving me almost fuming with anger as I stared after him.
Tricky, tricky vampire. I should have known I wasn’t getting off that easy.
*
Later that night, I rolled my bike to a stop in front of my apartment building, surprised at the brand-new stairway leading up to my door. Looked like Thomas had finally gotten around to repairing them.
I glanced at the space next to them where the black Escalade had once sat. And looked again. In its place was a Jaguar F-Type, with a burnt umber paint job.
I hesitated in front of it, a sneaking suspicion I knew where it had come from. It was identical to the car Liam had. In fact, it was that car.
I walked past it, undecided about what to do with it and not ready to figure out the tangled web it represented.
To my surprise, the light in Niall and Cadell’s apartment was on. They were still here. I thought with Niamh dead and the barrow established, they would have returned to the Summerlands. Not the case. It confirmed my suspicion they had other reasons to linger besides the Wild Hunt.
I put it out of my mind. That was a problem for tomorrow’s Aileen. Tonight’s Aileen was looking forward to a quiet evening watching Netflix and reading.
“Aileen,” my dad said, stepping out of a car that I hadn’t noticed until now.
I hesitated, the desire to disappear into my apartment strong. It had been a long couple of days. I didn’t know if I wanted to deal with family drama right now.
“Please,” he said.
Resignation filled me. This was my dad. As tempting it was to duck him, it wouldn’t help in the long run. I propped my bike against the stairs, turning to face him.“What is it?”
“I know you were at the hospital earlier,” he said.
I didn’t react.
“I’m sorry you felt you had to find a time when nobody else was there,” he said.
