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SAOIRSE
Ice crustsover my backbone as fear-driven tremors quiver beneath my skin. My breath snags in my throat, held prisoner by my clenched lungs. The weight of Liam’s open palm rests heavily on my lower back as he prompts me forward, towards Fiadh’s office and away from…him.
Liam referred to him as Rí, and even though my Irish isn’t as good as it should be, I know the term translates to King. Which, unsurprisingly, matches his demanding air.
The moment he stalked into the octagon, with confidence that screamed arrogance, all the air from the gym dispersed as though the energy he expels controlled everything and everyone around him.
Maybe it was how a dare marred his darkened brow, similar to that of a fearless predator. Or perhaps it was how he moistened his dry teeth with a swipe of his tongue. Whatever it was, he held everyone’s attention as they, myself included, waited with bated breath for his next move.
He stood nonchalantly, shoulder muscles locked, ramrod straight, with his head held high. An air of importance swirled around him like a hurricane as he, the eye of the storm, held the centre, calm but equally dangerous. My heart stopped mid-beat as I anticipated what was to come.
Then suddenly, those eyes honed on me, and they transported me to a night I would kill to forget — the night they ripped my mother from me. Even if he never opened his mouth, piercing me with the parting words he used on me that night in the forest, I would have known it was him — the man behind the mask.
The same man who has haunted my restless sleep for the past few nights. Those unmistakable moss-green eyes seared into my skin, instantly revealing his true identity.
Then I stepped back, hiding myself and my vulnerabilities behind Liam’s powerful frame. I couldn’t stand the burning shackle of Rí’s gaze as it roamed over every inch of my body, accessing every emotion on my face or the way my body stiffened at his presence. He saw it all, and I hated it.
What is it about him that crawls beneath my skin?
Every move he made, every word he spoke, every glance he stole, was perfectly executed to draw a response from whoever he directed his boldness towards. Unfortunately, that someone was me.
His presence brought a lot of questions to the forefront of my mind. Does he know what happened to my mom? How did he know where to find me? How does he know Liam? All questions I plan to find the answers to; not now, though. Not with Liam guarding me like I’m some lost lamb ready to be slaughtered.
I blink back our encounter, and next to me, Liam keeps our pace, ushering me further and further away. With each step, the pull in my stomach intensifies. Finally, the urge to turn around takes over, an unsettling need to seek him out and draw the answers I seek from him.
Realisation dawns. He knew.
That night in the thickness of the evergreen trees, he knew I’d come here. That’s why he let me go, giving me false hope for freedom. He fucking knew I’d end up here, subsequently, right dab in the middle of the lion’s den.
Rage filters through my bloodstream, and I narrow my eyes. The invisible thread tying me to this Rí guy forces me to halt my movements. Liam stumbles into me as my feet cement to the floor, unmoving. His smug smile flashes behind my eyes, and my teeth rattle with fury.
He thinks he’s won.
In the next breath, my neck cranes as my eyes steal another glance at the unfazed guy leaning against the octagon, stalking every step I take.
As if sensing my appraisal, those same eyes trail over me, head to toe. A slow, serene smile tugs against his lips, matching the arch of his knowing brow. A thought enters my head, and my lips purse as I realise it’s not my own but a silent conversation I’m reading on his taunting face.
The next move is yours, love. Use it wisely.
Suddenly, he slopes his head to the left as his brows jog behind the hair falling onto his forehead. I step towards him, but my movements halt when Liam’s tattooed hand grips my wrist.
“Come on.” The disdain in his voice makes him seem irritated. “He’s not worth your time.”
I hesitate for a second. My eyes jump between the two males who seem to be partaking in some kind of silent pissing contest. Then finally, my shoulders collapse and I turn my back on Rí, allowing Liam to lead the way. He doesn’t waste a second, splaying his hand across my back as he guides me across the gym floor and away from the moss-green eyes boring a hole in my skull.
Dropping my voice, the words stumble from my lips. “Who is he?”
An array of emotions crosses his face as he diverts his glare my way. His hardened stare cuts, eyes narrowing into slits and his lips drawn tight. “Who is he to you?” He cocks his brow as he waits for my response, calling me out before the words leave my mouth.
Uncertainty coils in my gut. Do I tell him about that night, about how the guy he called Rí, chased me through the woods before pinning me to a tree with only a look and a devious smile? Do I lay all my cards on the table, or do I keep it to myself?
Once again, before I can answer Liam’s request, my eyes betray me. Peering over my shoulder, I seek him out. He’s still there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest, amusement dancing across his lopsided smile.
Sweat licks his forehead, forcing the falling strands of his onyx hair to stick to his damp skin. His chest is bare, showcasing his lithe, muscular frame dotted with a scattering of patchwork tattoos. Finally, my attention drifts south, following the simmering glint of sweat that lingers in the crevices of his carved abdominal muscles. He oozes power, danger, and everything I should run from, but just like that night, I can’t look away, and even worse, I don’t want to.
How can a person look so dangerous yet so alluring at the same time?
Powerless to his chokehold gaze, I swallow back the lump swelling in my throat, then fight to free myself from his stare. Once successful, I allow my answer to filter through the thick air. “Nobody important.”
