The last thing I want to do is argue with her. I had hoped I could come here and have a conversation with the McDougal brothers and after I planned to stop in to see her at her gran’s.
“You’re Cole O’Brien. Aren’t ya?” One of the two men says.
“Aye, that’s me.”
“Come, ye shouldn’t be out here in plain sight. If ye want to talk, we should do so inside. Ye don’t belong here.”
My hackles go up. I’m not fond of anyone telling me where I should and shouldn’t be. The guy who spoke frowns.
“Dinna fash yersel. What he means is ye shouldn’t be seen with our niece. If it gets back to the wrong ears, that could be a problem,” the other guy says.
“Deja has been safe because we keep her that way and she hasn’t been a threat to Oland since she’s been here. He’s left her alone. Come, come inside before someone sees ye,” the first one who spoke says.
“Uncle Ken, what the hell are ye two talking about? Oland? As in Oland O’Brien? What does he have to do with anything?” Deja says, sounding confused.
“Inside,” the one she called Uncle Ken snaps.
I reach for her hand and lace my fingers with hers as we both follow the two men into the house. That ever-present connection is still there, no matter how much I can feel her trying to fight it.
Pulling my key for the car, I push the button to lock it. Then I look down at DJ, searching her face. She glances up at me, anger clearly written on her face. Giving her a wink, I then squeeze her hand. A mix of lust and confusion crosses her face.
Once we’re fully inside the house, she shakes her head as if to clear it. I take in the house and note some of the similarities to the Black Castle. The house where she lives with her great-grandmother is way more modest from what I could tell.
I can’t help wondering why they don’t stay here. I shrug the thought off as everyone takes a seat in the drawing room. Dejatries to pull away to take one of the seats across from me, but I tug her into the seat beside me.
Then I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lean into her ear. “It’s been two months since I last saw ya. Stop trying to run from me. I’ve missed ya. I want ya close.”
She blows out a frustrated breath, but begins to squirm a little beside me. I grin and plant a kiss against her temple. She smells like sweat and that delicious scent of hers.
Something like peaches and champagne. It’s so intoxicating. If beauty has a scent, it would be named Deja and I would clear every store out of it.
I want to bask in her body, her flavor, her scent, and the sight of her. I didn’t know how much I had been missing her until now. I don’t wish her grandmother any harm, but there has to be something I can do to get Deja back home with me.
“We need to be quick. The longer ye are here, the greater the risk we’re taking,” Ken says.
“What brings ye here now? Last I heard, Oland was still up to his old tricks. Deja will for sure be on his radar if he finds out ye’ve been here.
“Your granda isn’t eejit enough to step foot on this land for a hunch or rumors he can’t trust. However, mention of ye could change everything he’s willing to risk. Our conditions remain the same.”
“Uncle Ewan, what are ya talking about?”
“Dinna fash yersel. We mean to keep to our word more than ever. Ye are safe here with us,” the one she called Ewan says.
“Ewan, we’ve said enough,” Ken says.
“Ye have said nothing,” Deja bites out.
“That is for ye own good. Trust us.”
Deja jumps to her feet. “I trust no one but myself. This is starting to feel like a problem. Ye guys have never kept secrets from me. Why now?
“And ya, ya show up and bring trouble with ya. Go back to where ya came from. I don’t need ya or want ya here.”
I stand and tower over her. She takes a step back and glares up at me. I smile back at her.
“I doubt ya don’t want me here. As for needing me, I’m sure ya’re wrong about that too. I have a few questions I want to ask yer uncles alone?—”
“Fine, ya go on and have at it. I’m leaving,” she hisses and shoves by me to leave.
