“Have to get ready to land, Fiona,” Lachlan says. There’s a firmness to his jaw and a hardness in his eyes that sets me on edge.
“Oh?”
His gaze swings swiftly to mine. “Yeah. We’ll be near Ballyhock momentarily.”
My heart soars with hope and the promise of the joy that I lost. I want to see my friends and family. I want to be back home.
I don’t know what we’ll do when we get back. I don’t know who I even am anymore. But I long to be home.
The jet lands without much ado. He gets my bags, and I don’t bother to fight him. I exit the plane, and to my joy, I see Sheena and Nolan, waiting for me. Sheena looks pale and wan, but she manages a smile when I exit, and Sam grins at me. I run to them, and Lachlan trails behind me.
“You alright?” Nolan asks, kissing my cheek.
“I’m fine,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
Chapter 18
Lachlan
I let her go. I let her run to Sheena and Nolan, and I carry her bags to her. Sheena wraps her up in her arms, and when Nolan finally gets a chance to hug her, he lifts her straight up in the air. She squeals like a little girl. Adorable.
“Got her bags,” I say quietly, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion.
“Thanks for that,” he says. “Everything alright, Lach?”
“Fine,” I say. “How’s Sheena?”
His face falls, and he shrugs a casual shoulder. But his voice is hoarse and affected when he responds. “She’s alright. Reckon it’ll take a bit of time to recover.”
“Absolutely.”
“Glad to have you two back home.”
“It was bigger than we could handle, Nolan.” I fill him in. “And why does it make sense for Tiernan to stay? We need him home, too.”
His brows draw together. Fiona’s somewhere between a sister and a daughter to him, and Tiernan’s somewhere between a brother and a son.
“I hate that for him,” Nolan says, helping me carry the bags to the waiting car. “But Keenan’s already sent back up.”
“He has?” I look at Nolan incredulously. “Keenan pulled me, though. Why the hell didn’t he leave me?”
Nolan rolls his eyes. “Seriously, you couldn’t figure it out?”
I only frown.
“He wanted you near Fiona, of course,” Nolan says. “And moreover, he wants you home.”
I look wistfully at Fiona with her sister ahead of us.
Not sure she wants me, though. Nolan looks from me to her and then back again.
“You two alright?”
“I don’t know,” I answer truthfully. I swallow hard. “I’ve claimed her, Nolan.”
Nolan drops the bags on the ground right where he is. “You fucking what?”
“Claimed her,” I say with conviction, meeting his flinty gaze.
Nolan’s eyes go heavenward. “No need for me to kick yer arse,” he says. “Sheena will do it for me.”
“Problem is, I’m not sure she still wants me,” I tell him, and even the words make me feel like a petulant teen again. “She’s been… distant or something.”
Nolan shoves all the bags in the car, and turns to me. “Nothing to worry about, Lach. She’ll come around.” His jaw clenches. “If you’ve claimed her, she’ll have to.”
There’s no turning around from a Clan claiming. Bloody hell. Does Fiona know that?
Nolan stares off at Fiona and Sheena. They’re got their arms around each other, and Fiona’s head’s on Sheena’s shoulder.
“You don’t need me to tell you those girls have had a hard go of it, do you?”
I shake my head. “Course not.”
“They’re… how do I say this.” He strokes his chin. “Hard to get past, sometimes. Sheena had a chip on her shoulder and pushed me away. You remember how we met, don’t you?”
I remember it well. Sheena was an investigative reporter bound and determined to bring down the Clan, when she thought them responsible for the death of her father.
“She was brazen and tough as nails,” Nolan says softly. “But I’ll tell you, Lach, once I broke through—well, it’s just her exterior, isn’t it? She put up a wall, and you know why if you think about it, don’t you?”
I nod. “I think so.”
“She’s just afraid, lad,” he says. “Afraid to get hurt. We all learn certain coping mechanisms at our mam’s apron strings, don’t we?”
I nod. I would guess so.
“Damned miracle those children came out of that fucking situation as good as they did.”
“I always thought Fiona so innocent,” I say with a laugh.
“And it’s why you treated her like a child,” Nolan supplies. “I get it. She is sweet, the sweetest girl there is. But she’s got her sister’s temper. I promise you, Lachlan, if you pursue her, if you truly don’t give up, and you hold your ground, she’ll reward you so richly you’d think yourself feckin’ Midas.”
I swallow hard and nod. “Aye.”
“And honest to God,” he says. “Never underestimate the power of a firm hand.”
I raise my brows to him in surprise, but he only chuckles. “Will bring down the walls of the most stubborn little wench.”
“If she doesn’t fucking kill you.”
He grins. “Do it right, lad, and she definitely won’t be trying to kill you.”
He jerks his chin at the car where the luggage is. “Tell you what.” He raises his brows. “Just remembered an errand I’ve got in town. I’ll take this car, you take that one.”
He gestures for Sheena to join him, and she reluctantly pulls away from her sister. Fiona watches me apprehensively, and I swear to God I can see her constructing the fortress around her heart again, brick by fucking brick.
“I’ll go with Sheena,” Fiona begins, but Nolan shakes his head.
“So sorry, lass. Can’t have you come with us. Back seat’s filled with things we picked up for Keenan, see? We’re off to town. Lachlan will take you back.”
Sheena kisses her cheek. “See you soon.”
I open the car door and jerk my chin. “Get in.”
Fiona flops in the seat and sighs.
“Was good to see them, wasn’t it?” I ask. She doesn’t respond. “Now Fiona, I’ll not have you freeze me out, lass. I don’t care what the hell’s going on in that head of yours, this isn’t how we’ll deal with things.”
“With what things?”
“Conflict.”
She looks out the window as I start the car and we begin to drive.
“Lachlan, I just don’t know if this is the right time for us… for you…” her voice trails off.
“Ah, no you don’t,” I interrupt. “No evasion, Fiona.”
“I’m too young to be claimed!” she says loudly.
“Are you?” My brows furrow together.
“I want to… see the world and stuff,” she says. “Do more than spread my legs for you and have your babies.”