Kiernan couldn’t imagine having to live in constant fear of someone hurting him or one of his family members, and he respected Torin for doing everything he could to keep Alannah out of trouble.
It was at times like this when Kiernan had to remind himself that his life was easy. Even though he was striving hard to establish himself as a successful businessman in his own right, he couldn’t take for granted the privileges he’d gained by birth, the advantages these poor immigrants didn’t have.
“Did something happen to Alannah?” Torin asked.
“No, she’s still safe.” Guilt pricked him. Maybe he was overstepping his role and needed to simply leave Alannah and Torin to work out their differences regarding the matchmaker for themselves.
Torin glanced toward the far end of the mine. “Saw a couple fellas from the Farrell gang loitering out there today.”
Kiernan’s gut hardened. “We knew it wouldn’t take them long to track you here.”
“Was hoping to buy more time.”
Kiernan had hoped with the move that Shaw would finally stop harassing Torin, but clearly that was wishful thinking. “They wouldn’t risk coming in here and starting problems any more than they could come into the factory.” Kiernan had already gotten the police involved in the gang activity outside the glass factory. The officers had informed Shaw and his men—at Kiernan’s prompting—that if they came into his factory to stir up trouble, they would be arrested.
Torin shrugged. “As long as they don’t figure out where Alannah is, then it doesn’t matter if they know where I am.”
“Just one more reason to tell Bellamy to call off the matchmaking for her. We don’t need fellows coming out and courting her and giving away her location.”
Torin opened his mouth to respond but then just as quickly closed it. His blue eyes scrutinized Kiernan, confusion creasing his brow.
“I spoke with her again last night about it—”
“Last night?” Torin’s tone dropped a notch.
“She likes living at Oakland, and there’s no need to uproot her again so soon.”
Torin narrowed his eyes upon Kiernan. “Or maybe ’tis you who doesn’t want her going.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I thought I could trust you, and now I’m not so sure.”
Kiernan wanted to pretend he didn’t know what Torin was talking about. Even worse, he wanted to deny the insinuation.But how could he? Not when he’d blatantly lusted after Alannah last night and then again this morning.
Before Kiernan could come up with an honest response, Torin bumped against him, pressing the tip of a knife to his chin. The look in his eyes was lethal—a crazed hollowness of someone who’d killed before and wasn’t afraid to do it again.
Kiernan knew he ought to be frightened, but he wasn’t. Torin wouldn’t kill him right here and now at the brickyard. If he really wanted to kill him, he’d do it in private later.
Besides, Kiernan had his revolver tucked away under his coat, which he’d started carrying when the gang problem had landed on the doorstep of his glass factory.
Torin pressed the blade harder. “Tell me you haven’t touched her.”
The prick against Kiernan’s chin wasn’t drawing blood, at least not yet. “I haven’t touched her.” Patting her hand to comfort her in the carriage hadn’t counted, had it? Thinking about touching her didn’t count either. Thank the sweet Mother Mary for that because he’d be a dead man for sure with all the thoughts he’d had since meeting her.
He couldn’t deny that he’d been thinking about her since the first time he’d met her, and maybe he had made up excuses to stop by Enya’s to see Alannah and talk to her. Maybe he’d even orchestrated the move to Oakland so that in addition to keeping Alannah safe, he could see her more often.
Whatever the case, he hadn’t done any of it purposefully, hadn’t set out to seduce her. In fact, the very thought of using her made him sick.
Torin was watching him without twitching a muscle, hisgaze still filled with murder. Could the young man somehow read his thoughts?
That was impossible, but still Kiernan needed to be careful with how much he revealed to Torin of his inner struggle.
“I won’t deny Alannah is a desirable woman,” he stated carefully, the blade still sharp against his chin. “But I don’t have any designs for her. I vow it.”
Torin’s hardened face didn’t look convinced.
Kiernan grabbed Torin’s arm and wrestled against the hold, unwilling to be intimidated any further.
