“You should have said that to me instead of making it public.” He gestured to our table. “If I crossed the line, I’m sorry.” Forde didn’t wait for Cammie to reply. He strode back to the brunette at the bar and gave her an easy smile, like what occurred between him and Cameron hadn’t happened.
“So. Open mic night?” Cammie’s tone was tight with ire. “Any takers?”
No one got a chance to respond because suddenly an angry and very drunk Eoghan McCall stumbled into the Lantern. I was the first to see him and grabbed Quinn’s arm. “Eoghan.” I warned too late.
“I heard you were here!” Eoghan shouted, pushing past tables and chairs, falling into people and righting himself as Quinn stood up, blocking me, guarding me. The pub fell into a hush, only a murmur here and there.
“Call the police on me, eh!” Eoghan shoved Quinn.
Several things happened at once.
London cringed back in pure terror, Murray noted it, and dove out of his seat to stand in front of her, guarding her from the altercation. At the same time, Ramsay eased Tierney out of the booth to join Murray and Quinn to create a wall protecting us from the older man. And Akiva, sensing the tension, started barking at Ramsay’s side.
I couldn’t see anything but the men’s backs as Tierney reached for the Alaskan malamute, trying to calm her.
“After what you did to my boy!”
“You need to leave,” Quinn commanded.
“I’m calling the police.” Cammie rummaged through her bag, pulling out her phone to do just that.
“We didn’t do anything to Liam,” I heard Forde say. “Everyone knows you abused him and his mum. If it wasn’t an accident, it was a deliberate choice to escape you.”
“You wee—” There was a scuffle, and the men moved quickly.
Eoghan suddenly appeared in the shuffle, struggling between Quinn’s and Ramsay’s holds. Spittle flecked down his chin with his red-faced rage. Then he saw me and his eyes blazed. “I didn’t kidnap you, you wee bitch!”
Quinn yanked hard on Eoghan’s arm, face a mask of fury. “You don’t even look at her!”
“I admit I ran my car at ye!” Eoghan nodded, expression sneering and vicious. “I wanted to make him feel what I feel!”
Oh my God.
“And my car?” Cammie yelled.
“Aye, your car too.” Eoghan stopped struggling. “I just wanted to scare you. But I didn’t try to kidnap your whore!” Eoghan spat at Quinn, fighting him again. “How dare you! After you took my wee boy!”
At that, Quinn and Ramsay dragged Eoghan from the pub.
I sat stunned for a few seconds, my mind whirling with his confession.
“Everyone heard.” Cammie shook my arm. “There are a ton of witnesses to him admitting to driving the car at you and vandalizing mine.”
But he hadn’t admitted to the attack in Oban.
Or the break-in.
A deep sense of foreboding rattled through me as I dazedly followed my friends out of the Lantern while we again waited for the police to arrive.
36.Quinn
Maybe I was being an overbearing bastard, but I didn’t really give Taran much of a choice. She was coming home with me. After Eoghan’s confession, I wanted her nearby.
My hand gripped hers as we walked along the dark B road toward my house, the mini torch I had on my keyring guiding our way. I never saw any point in taking my car into Leth Sholas if I planned on having a pint or playing at the Lantern. After the police had taken statements from everyone, including those inside the pub, we were finally free to go.
As everyone dispersed to return to their homes, I walked Taran and London back to the bungalow and then changed my mind about leaving Taran there.
“Come back to mine with me,” I’d coaxed.
