AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The engine of the truck behind her car went silent. Malcolm shook his head. “Seems he has engine trouble too. Maybe we all were the unfortunate purveyors of bad diesel. It happens in Ireland.”
That was some story…and this showdown was going nowhere fast.
The roar of a fast-approaching motorcycle reached her ears. Malcolm and his minions whipped their heads around and then darted out of its way as it carved a path between the two parked cars. The rider swung the bike in a circle between Taylor and the roadblock and cut the engine. Then he slammed the kickstand down and threw his leg over the bike, walking toward her, a long line of male attitude in a black motorcycle jacket and dark jeans.
The energy around him was palpable, the electricity in the air before a thunderstorm. His black boots slapped against the pavement in time with her heartbeat. And then he stopped right in front of her, pulling off his helmet. All she could focus on was the brilliant light in his intense leaf-green eyes before his features registered and her heart tripped into a new gear.
Liam!
“I’m Bets’ son, Liam O’Hanlon,” he announced in a deep baritone voice, his gaze sweeping over her face. “I heard you might need a friend. Are you all right,a stór?”
She smelled oranges—the scent which often surrounded Sorcha—and imagined the ghost wasn’t very far away. So this was where she’d gone off to.
Suddenly breathless, Taylor tried to smile to reassure him. But she was aware of their audience. “I’m fine.” Her gaze tracked to the beefy minion heading toward Liam.
A surge of wild protectiveness shot through her. “Hey, you! You’re basically on TV, remember? Malcolm, call off your goon. Right now.”
Liam was already setting his weight. “I can—”
“Clodagh was just coming over to greet Mr. O’Hanlon appropriately,” Malcolm lied with a nefarious smile.
She snorted. “And you and I were just having a pleasant chat on an empty road with your four goons ready to bring us tea and biscuits after everyone’s cars simultaneously broke down. Right, Malcolm?”
Liam took up a position beside her, nearly shoulder to shoulder, as Malcolm opened the back door of his sedan. One of his minions got in and started the car after his signal. “Isn’t that a bit of Irish luck? The car starting like that. But don’t worry, I’ll have my mechanic look into the issue. Next time wemusthave tea and biscuits. Liam, give my best to your mother and Linc. And all the residents of Caisleán. I can’t wait for our next encounter. Taylor… It was most enlightening.”
Car doors slammed as they left, nearly making her flinch. Then she walked to the STOP sign and hefted it to the side of the road, kicking it down for good measure with her boot.
Aware of Liam eyeing her every move, she walked back to him with a smile. “Give me a moment.”
The truck driver must have understood her intent as she angled her camera down to document his license plate. He started his engine again and honked at her, but she only grinned as she zoomed in on his face before heading for his door. She motioned for him to roll down his window. He shook his round head briskly before she rapped on the window. When he finally did as she’d asked, she held up the camera and said, “Care to tell me why you followed me all the way from the Dublin airport?”
His smug expression told her she’d get nowhere. “Miss, you’re mistaken.”
“I can pull the video feed from the airport and place you there,” she told him in a hard tone. “Do you want to admit Malcolm Coveney asked you to follow me so he’d know where to set up a roadblock?”
“Yeah, Denis,” Liam called out. “Tell Taylor why a recently fired Garda officer from Caisleán would be following a new employee at the arts center you tried to shut down.”
Ah, she’d heard about this guy. “Got a new employer, Denis? Or simply coming out of the closet about working for Malcolm all along?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he protested angrily. “I was picking something up.”
Bullshit.
“Then you wouldn’t mind opening your truck and showing me, would you?”
“Miss, I need to get home to the wife and kids.”
Sure he did. “Denis, I’ll have the new Garda officer question you—”
He suddenly reversed his truck, grinding the gears in his haste, and then he was heading off in the other direction like the hounds of hell were after him.
“Guess he didn’t like your questions, Taylor.”
She turned around and clicked her camera off, her now tired arms falling to her sides. She gazed at Liam—the man Sorcha had told her was her soulmate. Her soulmate! It was all too weird. But she suddenly wanted to walk over and hug him—for coming as much as to calm herself down. Thinking Malcolm’s beefy goon was going to hurt him had scared her out of her wits.
“Thanks for coming. I’ve never had a Prince Charming show up unexpectedly.”
And what a Prince Charming, although in truth, he looked more like a rakish pirate, standing in that sexy wide-legged male stance with a gold earring winking in his left ear. His sandy blond hair was long enough to tangle her fingers in and so thick she could already feel it brushing against her hot skin. He was tall and lean and all muscle, but it was those green eyes that held her spellbound. They were warm, interested, and filled with a dancing light she could only describe as delight. Like he was happy to see her.
