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Standing next to them, unable to pull Addy into his own arms, Oliver felt like Tantalus—everything he wanted right there, but forever out of reach.
How would she react if he took her hand in his, pulled her close? But she’d asked for one thing and he’d honor that. She had feelings he couldn’t afford to reciprocate. Continuing as is would break them both.
A breeze tossed up Addy’s ponytail. He’d never see marshmallows without thinking of her. He breathed her in while he still could.
Addison pointed out Brendan first. Head down, shoulders hunched, he cut across the road toward them.
Stopping, the Irishman glared at Addison. “Where the fuck is your brother?”
Oliver stepped closer to her before he knew he was moving.
But Addison didn’t need him hovering. She lifted her chin and regarded Brendan with the kind of look he suspected she saved for dealing with wayward staffers. “Why’re you looking for him?”
Brendan shifted from foot to foot. “He’s managed to piss off a fair few people. Someone came to me, knew we were mates. Made it worth my while to find him.”
Oliver knew the list of people Yarrow had pissed off was endless. “Who came to you?”
Brendan flicked him a glance. “That’s between me and them.”
“I saw you at that hospital,” said Addison. “Why were you looking for Kyle there?”
Surprise flashed in Brendan’s features. “Ah. You spotted me.”
“You disappeared before I could talk to you.”
“You led me to the hospital,” said Brendan. “When you landed in Ireland, drove to some random half-abandoned house, I figured you were halfway to finding Kyle. But I watched the pair of you for days—neither one of you ever left—”
“You watched the house? I knew someone was out there.”
Addison had thought someone was watching the house? She’d never told him. Oliver didn’t know what he’d have done if she had. He’d been useless to her then.
Brendan lifted a shoulder. “For a while, yeah. Then the two of you drove off. Finally, I thought. I followed you, figured you’d lead me straight to him. Instead, you pulled into that hospital. Didn’t realize you were there because you were sick. Waste of an afternoon.”
The disappointment on Addy’s face was easy to read. She’d hoped for more. “We need to find Kyle before Netta’s custody hearing. What do you know?”
“I know nothing. The fucker blocked my phone.”
Addy practically vibrated. How badly he wanted to pull her close, to offer comfort. He didn’t touch her.
“He’s blocked everyone’s phone,” she ground out. “Tell us who hired you. Maybe they know something we don’t.”
“He doesn’t,” said Brendan. “It’s the fiancé of one of his exes.”
Oliver studied the Irishman. “Caity O’Halloran’s fiancé?”
Brendan went still. They had their answer.
“But that makes no sense,” said Addison. “I know he put up an insane sum of money for whoever finds Kyle, but that’s because he thought Caity was legally married to my brother. They now know that marriage doesn’t hold up. I told Caity everything when Oliver and I saw her. They can get married without a divorce. They don’t need Kyle anymore.”
Brendan shrugged, tight-lipped.
At this rate, they’d be here all morning.
Roman cursed. “Brendan, spit it out.”
The distillery wouldn’t open for hours, the street around them empty except for the occasional car. Brendan scanned the surroundings anyway, dropping his voice before speaking. “Patty wants a word with him. Kyle tracked him down outside some private members’ club, told him he’d plaster naked pictures of his fiancée all over town if he didn’t pay up. Said he’d stick a video online, too. Apparently the fucker filmed her. Patty isn’t going to let that go.”
Oliver knew how Patty felt. If someone did that to Addy, Oliver would tear them limb from limb.
