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“Both,” she said. “Look, I know you surf in the morning, and I don’t want to hold you up. I’ll walk into town. I’m sure there is a bus I can take into Milford Haven.”
I added milk and sugar to her cup, stirring it vigorously. “If you think I’m going to let you walk to the village and wait for some fucking bus, you’re mad.” I handed her the mug.
“I’ll do what I want to do,” she argued.
“Over my dead body. Now take your coffee and go get changed.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” she challenged. “And yes, I get it. As long as I’m on your property, you’re going to protect me, but don’t worry, I’m going to find a hotel when I’m in town, so you won’t need to worry. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
“Out of my hair?” I questioned. “Watch it, darling. You’re treading on thin ice.”
“Really, so what?” she protested. “What are you going to do? Threaten to have sex with me?”
I closed the space between us. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You seem to like that too much. What I have in mind won’t be so pleasurable. In fact, you’ll be begging me to stop. Now, if you’re finished arguing with me, you can go and get changed before it is too late to speak to the counselor. And you won’t be moving to a hotel.”
She stared at me with round eyes but turned nonetheless and headed to the bathroom.
“It’s okay that people want to help you,” I said before she shut the door. “It’s because they care. I care.”
She paused, and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile before quickly disappearing.
* * *
I waitedin my car while Navy talked to the counselor inside the school. The parking lot was quiet. The start of school was still a while off. I put my phone on speaker, calling Keir.
“What’s wrong?” he answered on the second ring.
“Why do you assume something is wrong,” I said. “Maybe I’m just calling to chat.”
“We never chat.”
“True. Where are you?” I inquired.
“Edinburgh. I’m meeting with our new man today. Why?”
“We need to talk. I’m headed to London this afternoon. Can we meet tomorrow?”
“I’ll try and work it out,” Keir said. “Why?”
“I’d rather not say too much on the phone.”
“Our connection is secure,” he pointed out. “I pay a lot of money for it.”
Bloody frugal Scotsman.
He was a fucking billionaire and still complained about money.
“It’s time we prepare and come up with a plan,” I said.
“You’ve seen the Dearg Due.”
“I’ve felt her,” I attested. “Vortigern felt her. This morning.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure, or I wouldn’t be calling. Christ, it was enough to send a man running to the hills.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow with a time,” he said, concerned. “And the lassie.”
