"Wow. Thanks. Not that it helps, as she probably won't talk to me again and also, good to know you think I'm stupid, too."
"I don't think you're stupid, Verity." Why did she always see herself that way? It was fucking infuriating. "Saoirse feels bad. She's truly sorry for the things she said." I'd read them all the riot act before leaving. Ronan had been utterly unrepentant, of course, but Conal and Saoirse had taken my opinions on board.
"She is?" I hated the sadness in her eyes. Like she needed someone to wrap her up in a thick blanket and give her the biggest hug ever. I wished it could be me, but that would send entirely the wrong message. And I couldn't afford to cross any more lines.
"Yes. Once you get to your sister's house, call her." She nodded while chewing her lip. "And next time you two have a falling out, fucking talk it through instead of running away!"
This time she said nothing, but I noticed the way she scowled when I looked down at my phone. Probably because she knew I was right.
"I have a call to make, but when I'm done, let's watch a movie."
"A movie?" Her eyes widened in surprise at my suggestion. She probably figured I'd leave her to her own devices for the rest of the night. Not fucking happening. I didn't trust her to stay put if I left her alone.
"Yeah." I picked up the TV remote and passed it to her. "Pick something while I call Conal." At the mention of my brother's name, her shoulders curled inward again, and she sniffed. I knew then that whatever had gone on between them wasn't over. Not by a long stretch.
Ronan answered Conal's phone. "Is she OK? Let me talk to her."
"Yes, she's fine, and no."
"What the fuck, Dec? Put her on the phone!"
I gripped the phone and fought to contain my temper. Yelling at my stupid brother wouldn't help my cause.
"You two have already put her in danger, so this ends now. Once the storm passes, I'm flying her to the US, delivering her to her sister, and then we all move on. Now put Conal on. Where is he, anyway?"
"Getting a coffee." It sounded suspiciously noisy in the background. Way noisier than our kitchen at home. "Ronan, what's going on?"
"Sorry. Got another call!" The line went dead, leaving me frowning at my handset. My brothers were up to something.
I dialed the main house, where Mrs. O'Mara picked up.
"Everything alright, sir?" She sounded confused about why I'd rung the house phone.
"Are my brothers there?"
"No, they left for the airport a while ago." I swore under my breath.Those fuckers. I'd warned them to stay at home once Saoirse returned to college. We couldn't afford to take our eyes off the ball with the O'Rourkes looking for any excuse to attack us.
"OK, thanks," I gritted out, not wishing to alarm her. "Just checking." No doubt she was busy scratching her head over my odd behavior, but whatever. I hung up and tried calling Ronan again, but this time, my call went straight to voicemail.
I had no fucking clue what their plan was, but good luck to them reaching us while a major storm battered the region. With the airport closed and local ferries canceled, they'd be stuck on the mainland. And by the time they got here, we'd be back in the air.
Verity fell asleep again before the end of the movie. Once the credits rolled, I picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. The suite had a Super King bed, which was plenty big enough for the two of us, but lying next to her wasn't an option.
My self-control had officially reached its limit.
I placed her down on the mattress and gently pulled the covers over her. With a bit of luck, she'd sleep through until morning, at which point the airport would have reopened.
Outside, rain fell in sheets while the wind howled around the edge of the balcony, screeching through the cast iron balustrade like a banshee. In here, though, silence reigned.
I wandered back into the living room and switched to a satellite news channel with the volume off and subtitles on. A faint knock on the door came as I poured myself a drink from the minibar.
Ash stood outside when I unlocked the door, his gun tucked away. I gestured at him to enter, and he walked in, casting a brief look around.
"She asleep?"
"Yeah. Drink?" He nodded. I picked up the bottle of Macallan I’d ordered from Room Service and poured him a glass.
"The twins are on their way." I handed him his drink before taking a seat on the sofa. On screen, a news reporter stood overlooking the ocean as enormous waves battered the shore behind her. There were flood warnings in place across various regions, including Sicily.
