“And stop there,” I said. “I know I can stay with you, or Seph, or Jackson and Vanessa if I wanted to subject myself to their night noises, and if I need to, I will. I’m good staying with Killian tonight, honestly. We need that time together anyway.”
He nodded. “Night noises? What the fuck are night noises?”
“You know, Jackson making whatever noise he does when – do I really need to think about this anymore?” I knew the look of disgust on his face was mirrored on mine.
“Say no more, for the love of all things caffeine. What are you doing tonight? Want to get a drink?”
“No. Killian and I are going out but we’re making it early.” The events of the day had taken it out of me and compounded with the unsettled night’s sleep I’d had, I knew I was going to need to climb into bed earlier than usual. “How are you? Missing your professors?”
Max shook his head and laughed in amusement. “Only another month until college starts again. I’ve enough to do until then without getting involved with anyone.” And by involved, he meant sleeping with someone more than twice. My brother was not known for having relationships that lasted. He was too interested in his career and the firm.
“You never know what’s round the corner,” I said and I realised the significance of the words. Without Katie’s case, I wouldn’t have been given the chance to speak with Killian again on this level and I had needed it.
The office door opened and the blonde man mountain came in, his hair damp from the shower. I felt my insides clench and my hands itch to touch him; just by standing there he lighted something in me than seemed to be refusing to ever go out. “There are panic alarms stationed in each office, reception and the gym,” he said. “And we added more cameras.”
Max nodded. “Thanks K. Make sure we get the bill. However, the extra bodyguard duty you’re putting in with my sister is on you.” His voice contained a warning.
Killian nodded. “Noted. Anything else?”
Max glared, then his face broke out into a grin. “You’re a fucker, but you know that. Take care of her because if you don’t I’ll stuff your testicles in a rugby ball and use it for practice.”
“Again, noted.” Killian looked at me. “You ready to go? We’ll pick your stuff up then head back to mine.”
I nodded, feeling anxious now about my apartment, understanding that it could be a target for Lacey to send his minions to search if he thought Katie had given us evidence that would incriminate him. “I won’t be long there.”
He nodded, as if he understood.
I hugged my brother and headed outside to Killian’s car, trying to process everything that was happening and failing miserably.
Chapter Twelve
Killian
I knew from when we were younger that if Claire went quiet for a prolonged period of time it meant that she was getting lost in thoughts that she couldn’t neatly compartmentalise. Her silence in the car and at her apartment worried me as I couldn’t read her like I used to and figuring out whether the cottage intruder or me was the cause of her worry was proving difficult.
We left her apartment with a suitcase full of clothes and a large overnight bag stuffed with toiletries. “You wouldn’t have survived military training,” I said, carrying both because there was no way she was doing anything after the day she’d had.
“Why’s that?” she said, preparing for an argument straight away.
“Because I don’t see you going for more than twenty-four hours without needing two changes of clothes and face stuff that probably costs more than two pairs of my shoes.”
She laughed and I wanted to punch the air in victory. “You’re right,” she said. “I have no grounds to contradict you. Tell me about your house.”
I shrugged, opening the trunk of my car and depositing her bags. “It’s a three-storey town house. Your sister advised on the renovations because it was nearly falling down when I bought it at auction, so I had it nine months before I moved in.”
“Jackson mentioned you’d moved. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
“What are you expecting?” I said, keen to hear her answer but wanting to keep her talking even more. She was starting to lighten up and I wanted to keep her in her happy place for the evening at least.
She smiled. “I should say monotone colours. Browns and blacks, but that’s not you. So, I reckon blues, green and greys. Seaside themes, coastal. I remember you loved the sea.”
She was right. Nick and I had grown up near the coast, a small village in Ireland first and then we had moved to Cornwall and then Bristol, our accents turned into plain English by the time we left to go to college, thanks to my mother who’d had elocution lessons when she’d been a teenager.
“There’s some yellow in there too,” I said, not wanting to admit she was right. “I had help from your sister.”
“I suspect everyone has help from Ava when it comes to decorating their homes. I think the only one she hasn’t managed to get her paws on was mine. I might let her do the next,” Claire said, watching London through the windows as we drove the short distance to my home.
I’d lived with a friend from the Navy when I first moved to London, not sure where I wanted to be based or really what I was going to do. I had considered moving abroad or closer to my parents who were back in Ireland, but I was offered accommodation while I made my mind up and my housemate worked the large cruise ships, so was away for months at a time. My friendship with the Callaghan brothers was a factor in me deciding to stay and my brother wanted to expand his security business which was attracting some serious clients. The house I was taking Claire to was a testament to the work I’d put in since coming home. I’d invested money well, knowing when to take a risk and I’d bought the townhouse for a song at auction as it had needed a shit ton of work doing to it and was a potentially money pit.
