Yeah, she really wanted to kick him in the balls. “Perfectly,” she replied icily.
He plastered a smile on his face and walked back to their guests, talking loudly. Fianna, however, was shaken. This was the Dorcha she’d known when they were growing up. She’d thought they were past all of that, but apparently, she had been wrong. What frightened her the most was that she would lose her freedom again if she didn’t do exactly what he wanted. And that couldn’t happen.
She teleported outside to get away from everyone. And to look for Rordan. She had seen him exit the manor. He wasn’t near the house, so she started down the trail to the back of the property. She wasn’t surprised to find him by the lough.
As she walked closer, she realized that he stood rigid, his eyes closed, and his hands fisted. Fianna was cautious as she neared. She didn’t want to startle him, but at the same time, he looked to be in pain. The fact that she had sought him out should be enough to send her straight to her room, particularly because of Dorcha’s recent threat.
But she stayed.
In the state he was in, being surprised could lead him to react defensively. Instead of calling his name, she tossed a stick into the water to alert him that he was no longer alone. Rordan’s eyes snapped open. “I’m sorry,” she said.
He turned his head to her, their eyes meeting. “For what?”
“My brother.”
Rordan swung his gaze back to the water. “You don’t need to apologize for him.”
“He’s normally not like this.”
As she spoke, Rordan’s hands unclenched, and he visibly relaxed. If she were smart, she would leave him with his thoughts. Yet the seconds passed as she remained. It was folly, but even knowing that, she couldn’t get her feet to move. It wasn’t as if she were doing anything. All they were doing was talking.
They just happened to be alone.
In the dark.
Rordan’s intense gaze speared her. Not even the darkness could hide the desire she saw there. Awareness stole over her. The nerve endings along her skin prickled, her blood heated. It had been so long since she had felt this. If Rordan came towards her, she wouldn’t push him away. A side of her silently begged him to approach. When he shifted to face her, she let out a relieved sigh.
“Why are you defending him?” Rordan asked.
Fianna kicked off her shoes to let her bare feet feel the earth. “He’s my brother, family. Doesn’t everyone defend their family?”
“No.”
One simple word. But with a wealth of meaning and emotion behind it. Fianna wanted to ask him what he meant but thought better of it. She shrugged as she dug her toes into the ground. “Dorcha and my father are all I have.”
“You have much more than that. Look around you,” Rordan told her as he swept his arm wide. “Not only are you a strong, independent female who can handle herself, but you’ve trained a number of guards who work for you.”
She cocked her head at him, surprise rushing through her. “How do you know all of that?”
“I asked,” he replied with a grin.
She couldn’t help but smile.
“The security here is very good, and all of that is because of you. Your guards respect you, and that isn’t always an easy thing to accomplish. You don’t need to stay here.”
And just like that, her smile was wiped away. “Why would you say that?”
“Family is nice to have. Up until they try to control you. That’s when you need to take a hard look at yourself and figure out if you really need them, or if they need you.”
She frowned at his words. “It sounds like you’ve had a difficult time with your family. And for that, I’m sorry. But mine is different. They were there for me when no one else was. They….” She stopped, shocked that she had been about to tell him the worst part of her life. Those words had never even come close to passing her lips, but for some reason, she had almost told someone she barely knew.
“They what?” he pressed.
Fianna pressed her lips together and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. They’re my family, and I will always stand by them. It’s too bad you don’t have that kind of relationship with yours.”
“I’m incredibly close with my family. I would do anything for them, and they for me. The only difference is, they aren’t blood.”
Before she could think of a reply to that, he kept talking.
“What I don’t understand is you. You’re smart, beautiful, and a true warrior. You shouldn’t be alone.”
She jerked back, offended. “Do you think a female isn’t complete unless she’s paired with someone?”
“I don’t. I just wanted to see your reaction.”
Fianna blew out a frustrated breath and looked at the water. “I came out here because of how Dorcha treated you. I’m beginning to regret that.”
“He’s very protective of you. That could either be because he’s making sure no one oversteps if you’re already spoken for, or….”
When he didn’t finish, she slid her gaze to him and prompted, “Or?”
“He wants you for himself.”
Fianna started laughing. “You’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I didn’t say he did. I said it was a possibility,” Rordan said.
Without meaning to, Fianna thought about Dorcha’s comment inside the manor about someone being suspicious of Rordan. She recalled how subdued he had been at the first meeting, as well as the second. He wasn’t as enthusiastic as the others who stayed at the manor. She had thought that might be because of his personality. But now, she had to wonder if there was something more.
“Why are you here?” she demanded.
He quirked a brow and removed his jacket as he said, “You heard my answer to Dorcha. It hasn’t changed.”
“If you believe in what my brother has been sharing, what Fae from all over the globe come to hear him speak about, then you would’ve given that as your answer.”
Rordan carefully folded the jacket in half and draped it over his left arm. “That’s the reason I came to the first and second meetings. I’m here tonight, staying in the manor, because I was invited.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, the silence broken only by the sounds of the night. Fianna was about to leave when Rordan sighed loudly.
“Why did your brother invite me?”
Fianna swallowed, not at all prepared to answer such a question. “I don’t know. He’s never done anything like that before.”
Rordan walked to her, stopping a few feet in front of her. “The fact he needs security should give you some concern. Also, you might want to make sure you have the same measures in place for yourself.”
“Me?” she asked in shock.
“You’re his sister. If someone wants to get to him, they could take you and force his hand.”
Fianna knew such a play would get nothing from either Dorcha or their father, but she kept that tidbit to herself.
“Be safe, Fianna.”
He strode past her. Their talk hadn’t been great, but she didn’t want him to leave. She turned around. As she searched for something to say that would stop him, she couldn’t come up with anything. So, she watched him fade into the darkness.