“Extenuating circumstances. Just tell me if Abby Boy is still going after Niall.”
“It’s been a fun little game, hunting fae.”
“Great. Keep enjoying it.”
Wade ended the call, apparently happy with that explanation, even if Riordan wasn’t. “Are Lucien and his Night Court sticking around Boston?”
“No idea, but I won’t be paying for any more of their help.”
“I’m betting that yacht belonged to Niall.”
“Sucker’s bet. I know better than to take them.”
“I don’t think anyone will be happy if Lucien sticks around after all this.”
Wade shrugged, turning to face him. “No one ever is, but he doesn’t really settle down. He was in New York City only long enough to keep a promise to the mother of all vampires, and then the second the fight was over, he was gone.”
Riordan hoped Lucien only targeted Niall’s people and not anyone else. “If Lucien is going after Niall’s property, Niall may think what happened at the hotel yesterday was because of the vampires.”
“Maybe. But if telling him it was me works to our advantage, I’ll shout it from the rooftops.”
“I still don’t like the plan.”
Wade turned to kiss him on the lips, just a quick peck. “Yeah, you yelled about that all day yesterday. I know you don’t like it, but I’m not going to let anything happen to Saoirse.”
Riordan pressed their foreheads together, hands gripping Wade’s hips with tight fingers. He was perfectly willing to give up his skin and his freedom if it meant his sister and his clan would be safe with Donal to lead them. But apparently, Wade and his siblings weren’t willing to let that happen. “I’ll make us breakfast.”
All the eggs in the carton were put to use, as were the two packets of bacon and some shredded cheese. Wade found a loaf of sliced bread in the cupboard and set about toasting the entire thing. When everything was finished, they ate over the pan on the stove, scooping scrambled eggs onto pieces of toast and eating it.
It was enough to tide over his hunger, but it sat heavily in his stomach for the entire rainy drive over to Lady Caith’s in Beacon Hill. The home looked intact when they parked out front, no hint of damage in the magic that surrounded it. Niall and his people must have steered clear even after everything, on the run from vampires during the night and the day.
The front door opened before they even reached the porch, Saoirse peeking her head out and smiling in relief at them. “Hey, boyo. Glad to see you in one piece.”
“I told you I’d keep him safe,” Wade said.
Saoirse wrinkled her nose at Wade when they reached her. “It smells like you did more than that.”
“Nope, we are not talking about that.”
He didn’t sound embarrassed, but Riordan understood why Wade wouldn’t want to talk about sex. “Let’s get inside. This storm looks to be getting worse.”
“Sure thing. Lady Caith has breakfast ready in the dining room.”
Wade perked up at that, bustling past her. “Oh, good. I want some fruit.”
He disappeared into the home, and Saoirse stepped out of the way so Riordan could enter as well. She shut the door behind him, eyeing him with a faint frown. No other fae were in the hall, their hospitality from before still holding.
“You have your skin,” she said.
Riordan reached out to tweak one long lock of her auburn hair. “Of course I do.”
“Why haven’t you offered it to Wade yet?”
“You know why.”
If this plan didn’t work, then Riordan needed to be free to offer himself up in lieu of everyone else. He couldn’t do that if Wade held his skin, not after the younger man already held his heart, even if Wade didn’t know it. Fixation was such a terrible thing when you couldn’t give in to it.
“But—”
