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It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. And I didn’t know what he saw in my face when he said it, but he nodded as if I had confirmed it. This was not good. I didn’t need him trying to poke holes in my story or deciphering every move I made. Twinkles turned her head towards me and sniffed my face. Oh, great, even the cow could smell that I was lying.
“Why are you obsessing over this? Shouldn’t you be focusing on being the perfect, wholesome man to impress Covington?” I asked.
Cian snickered and shook his head. He was standing directly opposite me now, arm’s reach away. Luckily, I had about a thousand pounds of Twinkles between us.
“You’re just a little mouse in a pit full of snakes.” He reached over and stopped my hand from furiously rubbing the top of Twinkle’s head. “If you aren’t careful, you will get bitten.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it. He was talking in riddles, just like the ones we had been chasing all day. There was a throbbing in my head. All I wanted was to be home, with Juliet, Owen and Thora, working on new designs for sex toys. But no. I was stuck in classy hillbilly hell.
Twinkles huffed, and I moved my hand from underneath Cian’s. “You’re upsetting Twinkles.”Change the subject, just change the subject.
He stared me dead in the eyes, as if searching for something. Twinkles poked her head against his chest, and he rubbed the top of her nose. “Fine. But we’re not finished.”
I scrunched up my nose and led Twinkles to the hay pile, where she happily lay down. I sat next to her, and Cian sat on the other side. I didn’t know what to make of what he was saying. Did he mean Ryzen, Covington and everyone here were snakes? He’d sounded so serious when he said it. Was I making one mistake after another by being here?
I needed to talk to Juliet. She would know what to do. All I had to do was focus, get this trip over with, and within a few weeks, my life would go back to boring ol’ normal. Just how I liked it.
We sat in silence for a while as the storm outside raged on. I could tell he wanted to say more about the situation, but for whatever reason, he didn’t. Good. I didn’t want to have to keep lying to his face.
“So”—I picked an invisible piece of lint off my leg—“I met your brother. He seems nice. And, uh, really big.”
Cian scoffed, his tone playful, and my cheeks warmed. OK. This was good. He wasn’t angry.Let’s just keep it lighthearted.“Eros. My right hand. Takes care of security at my clubs, among other things. If you think he’s big, you should see my other brother.”
“Oh, there’s more of you? God, I don’t think I could bear it.”
His head snapped in my direction, and I grinned at the look on his face. He threw a piece of hay at me, and I feigned shock. “Orin, second youngest. He’s not around too much. Out chasing bounties.”
“Are you the youngest?” I turned toward him and crossed my legs.
“Oldest. I have a sister who is the youngest. She’s a private investigator.”
“He didn’t really look like you, now that I think about it.”
“Foster siblings. Not related by blood, just heart.” Cian’s back tensed, but I couldn’t read his expression.
“Oh, well, that sounds nice of your parents. I used to think I was adopted because I’m the complete opposite of my family.” I laughed, but stopped when he looked at me.
“My father was a drunk who beat my mother. She fostered them for the money to make him happy. But nothing ever did. It wasn’t nice of them. It was selfish.”
Damn. So much for keeping it lighthearted. “Oh, I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t realize.”
He scoffed. “Nothing to be sorry about now. He’s dead. Drowned. And we’re all better because of it.”
Well, this conversation had taken a one-eighty turn toward crap. Yeah, Ryzen had told me Cian’s father was a drunk, but that was it. I wasn’t expecting all of that. How terrible for him.
Cian glanced at me and shook his head. “Don’t do that.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it again. I wanted to ask questions, to know more, but it wasn’t my place. And no matter what I might be feeling for him, whether it be lust or—well, more lust, I had to remember that we were not on the same team. He was Team Hate Ryzen, and I was on Team Get My Damn Lease Back.
“Rain stopped.” Twinkles’s head was lying in my lap and I scooted out from underneath her.
Cian stood and pulled the clue out, reading aloud.
Standing alone far from home
Reach for the stars, or maybe a dome.
Inside you’ll find everything you need
