I feel the tension start to tighten in my muscles. I can’t hold my tongue any longer. “Well, that’s hilarious, Seán. Since the girl kicked your arse the first day of school.”

  “She just needs a firm hand, that’s all,” he says defensively. “To be honest with you, Jamison… I don’t think your brother has what it takes to control her. In fact, when he leaves for his fancy medical school, I think I’ll take it upon myself to court Elizabeth O’Connor. I’ll teach her what her body is for, and how to properly serve a man.”

  “Shut the fuck up!” The nerve in my temple begins to pulse.

  “Look at those luscious lips,” Seán says, with a vile smirk. “Every time she showed me disrespect, I’d teach her a lesson. She’d soon learn her place and what her insolent mouth should be used for.”

  Fire flashes through my veins, “Don’t you ever talk about her like that again,” I warn through gritted teeth.

  “Trust me,” Seán says, indiscreetly adjusting himself. “Eventually, she’d learn to enjoy sucking my ...”

  Blind rage takes over, and my fist flies through the air, landing on Seán’s jaw with a powerful force. Screaming women scurry out of the way. He picks himself up off the floor and throws himself at me. Tackling me with his full body weight, he knocks me backward several feet. Strong hands grab his shoulders from behind and pull him off me.

  “I can look after myself,” I yell at my brother, as he drags the redheaded asshole away in a chokehold.

  “I can see that,” he says sarcastically. Seán struggles and breaks away, taking another swing at me. I duck and quickly step to the side. Big burly farmhands step in to break it up, and before I know it, Owen and I are being escorted out of the building by the scruff of the neck. I stumble as I receive a firm push out the door and into the night.

  Owen reaches out to steady me, and I push him away. “I said I don’t need your help.”

  He holds his hands in the air in defeat. “Okay.” He pulls a hankie out of his pocket and hands it to me. “Here, your nose is bleeding.”

  I don’t really care if it’s bleeding or not, all I can think about right now is that she’s in there alone with that asshole. I try to shoulder past the largest man I’ve ever seen, who’s guarding the door, but I’m not getting past him. I begin to protest loudly when the door swings open and Elizabeth joins us outside. She looks at me sympathetically and reaches out to touch my arm. Time stands still when our eyes connect, and energy passes between us. I’m convinced she must have feelings for me; I can sense it.

  “Go back inside,” Owen instructs her. “It’s cold out here. There’s no reason for you to leave. Stay, and have a good time.”

  “I’m not staying here alone,” she insists.

  “I’m sorry, Liz,” I say, feeling horrible I’ve ruined her evening.

  She shrugs and gives me a smile that makes my insides churn upside down. “That’s okay, Liam. I’m not a very good dancer anyway.”

  “Is there any point in me arguing with you about staying?” Owen asks curiously.

  “None at all,” she says, assuredly.

  “What got into you anyway?” He swats me in the back of the head. “Since when do you let that arsehole, O’Reilly, get to you?”

  Thunder rolls in the distance. I look between them, feeling ashamed. Looking up at the cloud-covered moon, I quickly change the topic. “We better get her home before it rains.”

  The clouds hide the moonlight, making it a long, dark walk. I know from the feel of the air, we aren’t going to make it home. The wind picks up as the rain begins to fall in torrential streams. Only a few moments exist between the lightning strikes that brighten the sky. Elizabeth jumps and grabs for Owen’s hand. He tries to screen her from the rain, but within seconds, we’re all soaked to the bone. She shivers uncontrollably. I curse, angry with myself for not keeping her safe and warm. Over the echoing crack of thunder, I try to get my brother’s attention. “We need to get her out of the rain,” I yell over the gusting wind. “We’re close to the old cabin by the river. I think we should head there for shelter.”

  Looking around at their surroundings, Owen agrees. Heading off the pathway, we make our way through the heavily wooded area toward the river. The trees provide some protection from the driving force of the rain. Before long, the abandoned wooden shack Owen and I found during a fishing trip comes into view.

  My muscles are tired and cramped up from the cold. It takes every ounce of energy I have left to push open the door, so I can get Liz out of the storm. Not much has changed since the last time I was in this rundown cabin, but at least we’re dry here. “I’ll get a fire started.” I walk toward the hearth, bumping into my brother in the dark. “You get her out of those wet clothes and try to get her warmed up.”

  Owen chuckles, as Elizabeth stands erect, her arms crossed angrily in front of her, “Excuse me, Liam Jamison? I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. I don’t need your brother’s help.”

  Bloody woman is always arguing with me. She’s going to catch pneumonia and die if she doesn’t get out of those wet clothes. Even with all the money Father has to buy medicine, it might not save her. Why can’t she just do what she’s told? How hard is that? I establish eye contact with Owen, and he knows my unexpressed thoughts.

  “Don’t worry, Brother,” Owen says, as he lights what’s left of the wax candle stubs. “I’ll look after it.”

  Elizabeth gives him an unimpressed eyebrow.

  Placing his hand firmly on her back, he ushers her toward a small room and holds back the blanket that’s nailed to the doorway.

  They seem to be gone forever. I keep myself busy with the fire and try to ignore the giggling and whispers from the other room. I park my ass on a very uncomfortable wooden chair next to the hearth and try to take the chill off. When they return, Elizabeth is holding up a pair of pants that are three times too large for her. I’d make a comment, but it wouldn’t go well for me. She doesn’t always get my sense of humor. It’s earned me a few hard wallops in the arm over the past year.

  Owen strips off his wet shirt, laying it out to dry in front of the blazing fire. Elizabeth stares at his broad shoulders and muscular chest. I struggle with jealous feelings when he sits beside her and pulls her into his arms. That should be me. I’m not entirely sure when it was that I fell in love with her, but it doesn’t matter. Her heart belongs to my brother.

  The fire crackles and roars; when she finally drifts off to sleep in his arms, he carries her to the only bedroom and then returns to the lumpy sofa beside me. At least he’s that much of a gentleman. Exhaustion takes over, and as the room quickly warms from the fire, my eyes become heavy, and I’m soon sound asleep. I’m awoken by a strange thumping noise, and I lift my head to see the silhouette of my brother hopping into the room with only one leg in his pants. I can’t believe he’s going in there. Anxiety prickles through my body and I can’t stand it any longer. I’m going to haul his ass out of the room, and then tell her how I feel about her.

  I stand outside the door with my hand on the blanket, prepared to pull it to the side and pronounce my love. Instead, I wait, listening to the conversation between them and looking for the right time to interrupt. How do I deny my brother his true love? Then a thought gets stuck in my head. What if I’ve been imagining the chemistry between us and she doesn’t have feelings for me? What then? My brother still gets the girl, and I would live a lonely life of misery and endless awkward Christmas dinners. That’s if they ever spoke to me again.

  “Owen, I want to,” I hear her whisper.

  He’s my brother. Despite the rumors that suggest otherwise. I love him, and I’d do anything for him. I let my hands drop to my side and take several deep breaths before heading to the couch where he was sleeping. I settle into the dips in the cushions and try to get comfortable. I might as well; he won’t be returning to this couch tonight.

  All day long I’ve been haunted by that memory and I can’t get Olivia out of my mind. I leave work on time, for a change, to meet John and Shannon for dinner. O’Connell has something going on tonight, and he’s not very forthcoming with his plans. I could use a break from him about now anyway. I get an eerie feeling when I enter the underground parking garage at the hotel. I give up on finding a spot near the entrance, so I park in the first spot I find and reach down for my phone. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end when I look up to find an elderly woman standing at the hood of the rental car.

  “It’s a difficult decision,” she says watching me.

  I reluctantly get out and quickly lock the door. “What is?” I study her long silver hair and frail body. I’m sure we’ve never met, but there’s something familiar about her.

  “You have to let him have her. In this life, she’s not your destiny.”

  We stare at each other for a very long time, remaining silent. As if my life couldn’t get any stranger, I nod, acknowledging her message. Now I know I’m out of my mind.

  A loud honking distracts me, and I turn to see what’s going on. It appears this woman may have some answers to the million questions that have been rolling through my mind. “Why am I having these dreams?” I turn and find myself alone. Baffled, I scratch my head. Great, now I’m hallucinating too?

  I’m starting to feel anxious… edgy. The hotel elevator is taking way too long. Slowly, the doors begin to open, and I impatiently push them apart to get inside. On the other side, a woman stands in the doorway, waiting to exit. Her sapphire blue eyes stop me in my tracks. Strange how our paths keep crossing.

  “Excuse me,” Kate says annoyed.

  I shake my head, snapping myself out of it. “Sorry.” Feeling like an asshole, I step to the side and press my hand against the heavy elevator door to keep it from closing. She murmurs something about the rudeness of foreigners as she exits and her shoulder brushes against my chest. Normally that kind of comment would bother me, and I’d have a sarcastic comeback, but I breathe in her perfume, and it calms me. I have a very acute sense of smell, and I’m intrigued. All the way to the penthouse, her perfume accompanies me. It’s like vanilla cupcakes with a very subtle hint of jasmine… and if I’m not mistaken, kiwi.

  It’s odd not being harassed by O’Connell every twenty minutes. John has no idea what he’s up to tonight either, and since Scott was the only person he included in the secret plans, we decide we’re going to ignore his SOS requests for backup. I laugh at his last plea for help and shut off my phone. “Scott’s hidden O’Connell’s keys.”

  “That can’t be good,” John adds, scrolling through his list of missed calls.

  “It’s good for us. We don’t have to deal with him for a change.”

  John raises his brow. “Remember last time I wasn’t around when he was drinking?”

  “Scott can babysit him this time.”

  John gives Shannon a worried look. “He’s right,” she assures him. “Scott can deal with him for a change. You deserve a night off.”

  Sitting in the back seat of John’s car, on the way for a nightcap, my knees press uncomfortably into the back of Shannon’s seat. I should have taken an Uber.

  I begin to curse when John’s phone rings, for what I estimate to be at least the tenth time. “The fucker just doesn’t know when to stop.” I’m in the middle of an angry rant when John shouts my name, trying to get my attention. Shocked, I stop and wait for him to speak.

  “It’s Olivia.”

  “You better answer it,” Shannon says concerned. “If she’s calling, then something’s wrong.”

  She’s right, something is wrong. I can sense it.

  “McCabe.”

  “Hi, John,” she says in a soft tone.

  “Hi, Olivia. It’s getting late, is everything okay?”

  “I’m sorry, John. You’re trying to spend time with Shannon tonight. I’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t let her hang up,” I shout from the back of the car.

  John glances at me in the rearview mirror and furrows his brow.

  “Wait!” he says to Olivia, sternly. “Don’t hang up. You’re not interrupting anything. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “O’Connell and I had a fight, and I walked out…”

  I knew it!

  “Well, that explains why Ethan has called eighteen times in the last half an hour,” John says calmly.

  “I’m starting to freak out a little. I keep hearing things, and I think someone is following me. Do you think it’s Ethan?”

  “There’s no way Scott gave him back his keys,” I add from the back seat.

  A look of concern washes over John. “Can you tell me anything about where you are? A street name would be helpful.”

  “I don’t see any signs and it’s really dark, I was just so upset I kept walking…”

  I can’t stand it; I’m going to lose my shit if we don’t get to her, right now! I fidget nervously. “For fuck’s sake, McCabe. Can you drive any slower? Put the hammer down, man. This is not the time to have a senior moment!”

  I take out my phone and dial her number.

  “Olivia, it’s Carter.”

  “Carter!”

  “Are you okay?” I’m no John McCabe, but I try to keep my cool.

  “Carter, I keep hearing footsteps, like I’m being followed. I think someone is hiding in the shadows,” she says quietly into the phone.

  “Listen, I’m with John and Shannon.”

  “I know. It was kind of hard not to hear you a few minutes ago.” She lets out a small laugh.

  “I’m going to stay on the phone with you until we find you.” I’m concerned. Beyond concerned. I read all John’s research on her piece of shit ex-boyfriend, so I know what kind of danger she could be in. He’s the kind of lowlife scum that skulks around in dark alleys.

  “Talk to me while you’re walking. Tell me what happened.”

  She lets out a deep breath. “Stupid stuff, really. Ethan was mad because I wouldn’t agree to a committed relationship, so he asked one of his coworkers out on a date.”

  “He did what?” I feel my face turn red, and I know there’s little I can do to hide the anger in my voice. “You’re messing with me, right?”

  “I wish I was joking.”

  I feel the tension wind tightly throughout my body. I’m not even sure I can relax my jaw enough to speak. “I see. Have you passed any street signs yet?”

  “No, but I see headlights coming toward me.”

  “John, flash the lights. She thinks she see’s us.”

  “I can see you, Carter!”

  John screeches to a halt and then jumps out of the car, while I pry my legs out from behind Shannon’s seat.

  Before I can even get out of the car, John surveys the area for assailants. I rush toward Olivia, giving her the once-over. My heart is pounding in my chest right now. “Are you okay? Are you hurt or anything?”

  “I’m fine, Carter.”

  I cock my head to the side, giving her a look of disbelief. I know how frightened she really is. Every emotion this girl has runs through my veins as if they were my own. Unconvinced, I raise my brow and wait.

  She sighs. “I’m okay, Carter. Really. I’m just a little freaked out.”

  I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her body, holding her against my chest. I don’t know what possesses me, but I press my lips to the top of her head. She holds on to me for a long while; her breath warms me and I like it. I’ve dreamt about it. I’ve longed to feel her body against mine… again… for real.

  I begin to think about the things the silver-haired woman said. In this life, she’s not mine. There’s no denying that Olivia and I had an instant connection the moment we met. I know she feels it too. I can see it in her eyes. There’s something there; more than friendship. A past love. I’m convinced of it. I won’t act on it, out of respect for Ethan, because that’s the kind of man I was raised to be: strong, true, and loyal, right down to my core. But if Ethan fucks things up, well that’s a completely different story. I have no idea what place Kate has in my life right now, but she may have to wait.

  Olivia trembles in my arms. “Come on then.” I take off my jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. “Let’s get you in the car and take you home.”

  She responds to my authoritative tone, and it flips a switch inside my brain. My body starts to tense and respond. I slide beside her in the back seat and pull her close, hoping that she doesn’t notice the bulging in my trousers. Or maybe I hope she does.

  There’s an unbearable tension in the car when John’s phone rings. We all know who it is. He holds the phone several inches away from his ear, wincing at the loud screaming. “Ethan, stop screaming and listen to me. ETHAN!”

  Now I’m tensing up for completely different reasons.

  “Carter and I are going to pick you up in about ten minutes. Lay off the scotch.”

  In the dull glow of the passing streetlights, I can see the tears begin to stream down Olivia’s cheeks. The sight of it is like a sharp knife to my chest. Despite Shannon’s assurance that she’s got things under control, I walk them to the door. I pause on the landing, outside the open window, long enough to hear Olivia break down into a hard sob.

  The sound of it energizes me like a lightning strike. On the way to the restaurant, angry energy surges through my bloodstream, looking for an outlet. John’s car hasn’t even come to a complete stop when I open the door and jump out.

  “Carter!” he yells, knowing me all too well. “Don’t do it!” I hear him curse, but I don’t give a fuck. I push myself through the crowded bar until I find O’Connell.

  I call out his name, and he slowly turns toward me. Before he has a chance to say a word, I swing, hitting him in the jaw with such a powerful right cross that he stumbles back. He looks at me completely stunned and lifts his hand to wipe a small trickle of blood from his lip.

  Stepping forward, I poke my finger angrily into his chest. “I told you to take care of her!” I yell. “Treat her right, is what I said!”

  “Carter,” he begins.