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Kris’s lips twitched, but she managed not to laugh. “Why do you dislike him? You don’t even know him.”
His gaze softened, the way it did when he was deep inside her, and her breath caught on the memory. How was she ever going to leave this place, this man, this … whatever it was they had between them?
“He hurt ye, mo chridhe. I could see it in yer eyes, hear it in yer voice. Anyone who made ye ache like that deserves a broken nose.”
“No one’s ever…” She paused, embarrassed.
He sat on the couch and took her hand. “Ever what?”
Kris had meant to say stood up for me; then she remembered. She was a big girl; she didn’t need anyone to stand up for her. She didn’t need anyone to fight her battles. She could fight her own. Had been doing so for a very long time. But it had felt amazingly good to have someone fight just one.
“No one’s ever called me mo chridhe,” she blurted. “What does it mean?”
Liam glanced away; then his face took on an expression of shock before he jumped to his feet.
Kris did, too, whirling with her fists up, ready to face the next fight. But nothing was there.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Dawn. I have to go.”
The window still appeared pitch-black to her, but with the mist it was a little hard to tell.
“I’m going to start thinking you have a wife and five kids the way you rush off at the slightest threat of sun.”
“Just like a woman.” His lips quirked. “‘T think wife and not vampire.”
“I’m funny that way. But—”
He stepped in close and kissed her. She forgot what she’d been about to say.
Then he was gone—out the door and into the mist. She wondered if he’d run into her brother. That could get ugly.
Kris shook her head. Her brother.
What the hell?
CHAPTER 19
Liam thanked God for the mist that shrouded everything. Dawn was still an hour away, and he needed the time.
There was something strange about Marty Daniels. Liam planned to find out what. Or at least talk to someone who could.
That Kris hadn’t seen the man in years, had no idea even what he did for a living, was troublesome enough. That he’d shown up at Loch Ness at the same time as a murderer was bloody disturbing.
Not that Liam thought Marty had tried to kill his own sister. What possible reason could he have? But the guy was hiding something—most likely himself—from someone who might.
Liam had been wondering why anyone would want to hurt Kris. Certainly she’d come here to debunk Nessie, the livelihood of hundreds, if not thousands. But Kris wouldn’t have been able to, and everyone in Drumnadrochit knew it.
Most likely the culprit was an outsider. Most likely the same culprit who had been snatching and killing young girls. Kris’s brother was the first lead they’d had.
As usual, the lights were on at Alan Mac’s house. Sometimes Liam thought the chief constable slept less than Liam did himself.
A soft knock on the back door was answered so quickly Alan Mac had obviously been nearby. The steaming cup of tea on the kitchen table proved it.
At the sight of Liam, the big man stilled. “Another body?”
“No.”
