“Aye. How did you hear that?” I look to Tiernan and feel my brows draw together. How does she know this?
“Vivian told me.”
“Vivian told you… what?”
Vivian? Tiernan’s lips thin and he gets that look on his face that scares me a little. I mute the phone. “Will you stop looking like you’re going to murder someone with your bare hands?” I unmute the phone and he only narrows his eyes on me.
“That you were with the McCarthys and that they were keeping you safe.”
“Oh, aye,” she says with a sigh. “That’s why they ransacked our place.”
Jesus.
My head is spinning. Who knows what? There are people in Ballyhock who know I’m with the McCarthys. There are people right here at the school that know my identity as well.
I hate that I’ve brought more trouble to these good people. I hate it.
“I have to go, Karla,” I tell her. “I’m so sorry but I can’t talk right now. Thanks for calling.”
“Aye, I understand. Stay in touch, love, will you?”
I nod. “Will do,” I whisper. My throat is tight, and my nose is all tingly. Tiernan takes the phone from my hand and stares at the screen, swipes, and glares at me.
“What are you looking at me like that for?”
“I don’t like Fiona giving my number to your mates.”
“‘Tisn’t mates. It was one mate, and she was worried.”
The truth is, though, I hate that I’ve brought trouble here to the McCarthy Clan, I need to ensure I don’t do so again. I get to my feet and pace the room.
“We need to do something, Tiernan. Keenan said that he wanted me to bait the headmaster.”
Tiernan scowls. “I hate that idea. There has to be another way.”
I shake my head. “I won’t let him actually touch or hurt me, for real. But we need to know. Who knows what? Who’s after us? Keenan doesn’t want us leaving until we’ve found some answers, for real. So let’s find him. Let’s bait him. And let’s find out some answers for real.”
Tiernan nods. “Fine, but under one condition.” I turn to look at him.
“You do exactly what I say, Aisling.”
“Of course, of course, I know that—” he crosses the room, picks me straight up in the air, then sits heavily on a chair and pulls me onto his lap so I’m straddling him.
“This is no joking matter, lass.”
His uncompromising gaze meets mine. He holds my chin in his hand. “You have to do what I tell you.”
I blow out a breath. “Fine, Tiernan. I will, okay?”
He nods. “I mean it, Aisling. You put yourself in danger and I’ll whip your ass raw. Don’t tempt me.”
I lean over and kiss his forehead. “Tiernan, honestly. I don’t have to put myself in danger for you to do that.”
That gets a chuckle out of him. He chucks me under the chin. “Let’s go. Keenan just texted me, says the headmaster’s by his office.”
“Convenient,” I mutter. “You can’t exactly saunter in with me, can you?”
He shakes his head and grimaces. “No. I’ll have to stay apart but within earshot. Bloody hell, maybe this is a bad idea.”
“Nope,” I say with a nod. “This is a fantastic idea.”
I head out to the door. “You’ll be by real soon?”
He scowls. “I’ll follow behind as soon as I can, but Keenan said to give you a bit of a lead.” He looks like he doesn’t like this plan. He takes something out of his pocket. “Here. This is a burner phone, we’ll get rid of it as soon as we’re done here. My number and Keenan are programmed in in case of emergency. Hope to hell you have reception if you need it.”
I take the phone and slide it in my pocket, feeling as if this means something. He must trust me if he’s given me a phone, even a temporary burner.
I hope I don’t have to use it.
He goes on. “You’re not to let him hurt you. I don’t care how close you come to finding out the truth that you need to know, he does not hurt you.”
I nod. “Of course not. Absolutely.” I nod my head. “You have my word.”
I leave, and it feels odd walking by myself. Even though I know he’s monitoring me, even though I know he’ll be right behind me, I feel alone, and I don’t like that. It’s been a while since I’ve been apart from him.
I remind myself there was a time not too long ago that I enjoyed being independent. That I could handle things on my own just fine, and I’m still capable of being a strong, independent woman.
A light’s on in the headmaster’s office. I remind myself of my purpose.
Go to him. Try to find out who’s with him, who’s behind the plot to get us.
Allow him to seduce me, but not touch me.
Nice guidelines, Tier.
My phone rings. I frown at the screen and quickly silence it.
Tiernan.
“Hello?”
But there’s no answer.
“Hello?”
Again, no answer. I hear him moving around the room, and figure he likely butt-dialed me.
“Tiernan?”
Nothing. I’m just about to hang up the phone, when I hear something that makes me freeze in my tracks.
Is that… a woman’s voice?
“She just left,” says the voice. “You’ve got her occupied, don’t you?”
A low, manly chuckle. Oh, God.
I’m standing outside the headmaster’s door with the phone up to my ear. Oh God oh God, no.
No no no no.
I’m trembling as I hear panting, and the unmistakable sounds of clothes coming off and kissing.
I take my phone and whip it as hard as I can. It hits the wall and shatters into shards, making a terrible noise. The door to the headmaster’s office opens. He looks at me in surprise, then his face breaks out into a slow, wicked grin.
“Hoped you’d take my offer.”
I’m sick to my stomach. I want to vomit.
Tiernan sent me here so I… Christ, I can hardly think straight.
“Come into my office,” he says, tilting his head to the side. He gives me a wicked grin which makes my queasy stomach ache. No. No.
I go into the office, dread suffusing my limbs.
I brought trouble to the McCarthy clan. This isn’t going to work.
And whether Tiernan’s an arse or not, I will do my part in bringing trouble away from them.
The door shuts with a sickening click. He reaches for me, his hands on my arms. I shiver. I can’t believe I used to let men touch me for money. The thought of letting this one touch me for information is almost more than I can bear.
“Just like that,” a female voice comes from the other side of the room. “She loves a little foreplay.”
I whip my head to the back of the office but can’t see who’s sitting in the shadows.
“Who’s there?”
I should run. Tiernan made me promise I wouldn’t let myself get hurt, but here I am, outnumbered.
The woman rises to her feet and crosses out of the shadows into the light.
I gasp.
“Vivian.”
Clifford is still touching me, his sick hands on my back, stroking up and down. I push him away. I feel dirty and tainted.