Saving Kenna

by D. L. Raver

  “Because of this.” I pulled the leather pouch from my pocket and pulled out the Emerald, sitting it on the table in front of Irelyn, Zolt, and Brody. The stone was hot to the touch, and I knew then that the time Paddy had warned me about was at hand.

  “What is that?” Irelyn asked, cocking her head.

  “That is Cliodhna’s Emerald. You’re grandfather gave it to me a few years ago before he died. And my name isn’t Sloan Sullivan. It’s Kevin O’Shea, and I’m your cousin, Irelyn.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Sloan

  “UH, WHAT?” IRELYN stared at me wide-eyed, looking at me like I was a stranger. “Your name is Kevin?”

  “You’re her cousin?” Zolt looked at me and then Irelyn, and I wondered if he was looking for a family resemblance.

  “Aye.” I didn’t know what else to say as I waited for the impact to hit.

  “Whoa.” Brody said and sat back down in his chair.

  “Why did you keep it from me all this time, Sloan? Uh, Kevin.” Irelyn’s eyes darkened, first with disbelief, and then consternation.

  “Kevin O’Shea is believed dead. He died in an explosion in Belfast in the 1990’s. I had to keep it that way.” I knew it wasn’t a great answer but it was all I had.

  “I knew grandpa had a brother that died, but he never talked about him, or the fact Sean had a son.”

  “He wouldn’t have. Sean was killed by a fellow member of the IRA. I was presumed dead and Paddy wanted to keep it that way.”

  “Irelyn has family members involved with the IRA?” Zolt asked and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, resting his chins on his fists.

  “Only my father. Neither Paddy nor I are, or were. He’d left Ireland long before my Da died. In fact, I didn’t meet my Uncle until just before he died. Apparently though, years before, Paddy returned to Ireland in time to pull me from the burning house. It’s all quite clandestine.”

  “Oh. My. God. I can’t believe this.” Irelyn shook her head and placed her hand over her mouth, but I didn’t let her reaction sway me. If I stopped I might lose my nerve.

  “After the explosion, I suffered for years from post-traumatic stress amnesia. Only a few blurry images existed in an otherwise-black void. One of them was Paddy pulling me out of the explosion. Other than that, I was at a loss. I was told my name was Sloan Sullivan and that the Sullivans were my family. I knew they weren’t my real family, but they cared and loved me. When my memories slowly returned, I knew I couldn’t stay and endanger the Sullivan’s lives. So I left in the middle of the night without saying goodbye.”

  I paused realizing that event had been the beginning of a sad trend in my life that ended up costing me dearly.

  “I have family.” Tears filled Irelyn’s eyes.

  “You do.” I smiled at her, genuinely happy the truth was finally out there, and that she had taken the news so well

  “What does that rock have to do with any of this?” Irelyn reached out and touched it, and quickly pulled her hand back. “It’s hot. How is that possible?”

  I sighed and explained everything Paddy had explained to me about Cliodhna’s Emerald. How all the eldest males of the O’Shea family had been the keepers of the Emerald, and many throughout Irish history had apparently sought the mystic power of this stone, and how Michael Collins believed in the Emerald’s supposed ability.

  “I…” Irelyn’s mouth opened and closed, and her hand began twisting a strand of hair again. “I don’t know what to say. You don’t believe in this myth, do you?”

  “No, I don’t. At least I try not to. But…” I rolled my eyes not sure how to answer this.

  “But what,” Zolt asked.

  “But every time something major happens to a family member the stone heats and sometimes I swear it glows.”

  “It glows,” Brody said skeptically and arched a dark brow.

  “Look, I know it sounds crazy, and I’ll leave it up to you whether you believe any of this or not. I will tell you this is the hottest I’ve ever felt it. I think it has to do with Kieran McCarthy.”

  “Who’s Kieran McCarthy?” Zolt asked offhandedly as he reached to touch the Emerald. His hand flew back when he discovered for himself the stone’s strange heat.

  I almost laughed at Zolt’s reaction but none of this was funny.

  “Kieran is a man I work for and I’ll leave it at that.”

  Irelyn opened her mouth to say something and I shook my head indicating I wouldn’t elaborate further.

  “Anyway, my gut instinct tells me Kenna is with him now. Maybe he is helping her, but it’s more likely she’s there because he wants to draw me out. He wants the Emerald. Paddy told me that one day I would need to use it to secure the future of the people I cared about. You and Kenna mean more to me than anyone.”

  “Okay. So give it to him and bring Kenna home. Problem solved.” Irelyn said with an unspoken duh.

  “I don’t know where he is and I can’t be sure he knows I have it. However, I can’t believe this is a coincidence. But, I don’t want to tip my hand if it is.”

  Who was I kidding? I thought ruefully. The simple truth of the matter was in the next day or so, I would hear through Paddy’s contacts that Liam was dead and he’d given up our family’s name. And somehow Kieran, who may or may not be ageless, had put the pieces together. Being an active member of the Ceilte meant Kieran owed me some amount of loyalty, but I wasn’t about to explain any of this to Irelyn. The less she knew the better.

  “Sloan, I assume that’s what you want to be called,” Zolt said, his forehead pinched in concern.

  I nodded.

  “Is Irelyn in danger? Do I need to be worried about protecting my wife?”

  My own brow furrowed. I wanted to tell him no, but since I didn’t know what Kieran’s motivation was, there was no way to answer that truthfully.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I’d wish I could say no. I can’t.”

  “This is fucking perfect!” Zolt pushed up from the table and stalked over to me. His crystalline blues darkened to midnight, and he leveled me with a murderous glare.

  “We’re just coming off of Marcus’ reign of terror and now I have to worry about this Kieran asshole using Irelyn as a means to motivate you? Like my wife said, give him the fucking rock and be done with it.”

  “Calm down, Zolt,” Brody said, getting in between his brother and me.

  “It’s all right, Brody.” I put my hands up in surrender. “Zolt has every reason to be bloody pissed at me. I should have seen this coming.”

  “Irelyn’s having a hard enough time on the heels of Marcus and all that entailed. Now with Delaney at the end of her life, we to have to deal with an issue of security, again? You had no right to keep this from us, Sloan. No fucking right.”

  “It’s all right, Zolt.” Irelyn went to her husband and gently placed her hand on his cheek.

  I watched Zolt’s demeanor change with her touch. He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes, and his rapid breath slowed.

  Watching this touched my heart, and, at the same time, broke it. These two had come so far in the past several months. More than anything, I wanted this for Kenna and me, and I thought we headed in this direction. Now, I just didn’t know.

  “Given everything Sloan has told us, and I’m sure it’s not the entire story, is it?” Irelyn gave me a censoring look.

  “It’s not,” I agreed.

  “I’m sure you didn’t mean for me to get caught up in all of this. And we still don’t know if Kieran is involved in any of this. Could be it is exactly as Kenna explained it. She’s at a retreat with Charlie getting her life back together, and she’ll come home a better person. Let’s not condemn Sloan. He was put in a difficult position long ago by my own grandfather. Speaking of him, hold on for a minute.”

  Irelyn left the room and came back holding a framed picture.

  I recognized it immediately. It was the one with Paddy and Sean.

  Irelyn looked at the pict
ure then looked at me. “You look like your dad, and I can see some of grandpa in you, too.”

  Irelyn held out her other hand in my direction, and I took hold of it willingly. “Right now, I’m just happy to know I have family I didn’t know about so I’ll forgive you for not telling me sooner. This is a wonderful gift no matter the circumstances. Later however, I might be pissed at you, so beware.”

  “Fair enough,” I said. If she wanted to kick my ass at a later date, I’d certainly let her.

  “I still don’t like this,” Zolt growled and ran his hands through his dark brown hair. “You realize this means T-bone will have to bring back his security until all this has been resolved? I won’t take a chance with your safety, Irelyn.”

  “I know.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “And I won’t complain or try to ditch them. I promise.”

  “’Damn straight you promise.” Zolt grabbed my cousin by her ass and pulled her closer to him, kissing her hard.

  “Zolt!” Irelyn squealed and then giggled.

  “That’s probably your cue to leave. They’re about to forget you’re here anyway. Come back and see me in a few days so I can check your stitches. Try not to punch anything else, yeah?” Brody said as they left the kitchen.

  “Yeah.” I smiled at Brody as I exchanged the photo for the Emerald and placed it back in the leather pouch. For the first time, I saw the loneliness in his eyes as he looked past me to his brother and his wife. It was the kind of loneliness that went bone deep and drove a man to make really stupid decisions. I felt for him and I hope my assessment was wrong.

  “Sloan, wait.” Irelyn broke out of Zolt’s embrace. She grabbed my arm, then kissed me on the cheek. “I’m glad you told me. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.”

  “You’re not alone. You have Brody and me,” Zolt complained.

  “You know that’s not what I mean. Blood is different and you know it, Zolt.” Irelyn glared at her husband before returning her attention back to me. “Try not to worry too much about Kenna. She’s going to be fine. I know it.”

  “I hope you’re right.” I kissed the top of Irelyn’s head and left, leaving them to enjoy whatever fun they had planned.

  Jealously sucked, and I was definitely jealous of Zolt and Irelyn. How could I not be? Theirs was a kismet story and they were beautiful together. I just had to hope if Kenna was with Kieran she wouldn’t fall under his charms the way most women did.

  Ageless or not, I’d fucking kill him if he touched my woman.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kenna

  KIERAN AND I sat crossed-legged on the yoga mats, on the beach, holding hands while we worked a guided meditation.

  With Kieran’s orange, rosemary, and rosewood scent, and the sound of the ocean waves crashing behind me, it wasn’t hard to lose myself and forget what had happened. These last few weeks with him had helped me immensely. Kieran seemed to have an uncanny knack for knowing when I needed help.

  Just last night, I awoke from a nightmare that included both Joe and Marcus doing unspeakable things to me. Kieran was there when I sat up screaming, stroking my temples with his thumb while speaking Gaelic to me. I didn’t have a clue what he said, but it dispelled the images and sent me into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  When I woke this morning, I felt renewed in a way I hadn’t felt in such a long time.

  As we continued the meditation, his singsong voice and lilting Irish accent took me through visualizations promoting physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Images of rolling, green hills, and ancient warriors battling for their lives along the side of beautiful female warriors floated through my mind. I could easily see myself fighting next to them.

  They were powerful images that made my own power rise in response.

  “See yourself fierce and battle ready,” Kieran commanded. “Know that you can stand firm against any foe whether they be real or imagined. You are in control.”

  I let out a long sigh as my mind drifted to the places he weaved with his words. I could see myself strong and powerful; no longer the victim.

  Within these sessions, Kieran always managed to make me face my most-hated memories. Several times, fear rose in me as images of what Joe and Marcus did threatened to pull me under, but Kieran kept grounded. He latched on to me, and together we defeated the memories that usually paralyzed me.

  Beyond here there be dragons, I thought, in awe as images of Kieran battling two mythical dragons with me by his side filled my mind.

  “Strike at the beasts, Kenna. Draw your sword and end their lives and with it, your suffering,” Kieran directed.

  I did as he said, and pictured myself drawing my sword to drive into the heart of first one dragon, and then the other.

  Both beasts moaned in agony before they disappeared with a loud pop.

  “Good.” He squeezed my hands, signaling the end of the session. “That was excellent.”

  A feeling of triumph rushed over me, and I felt confident and sure. When I opened my eyes, Kieran stared intently at me. The intensity I saw reflected in his pale blue gaze made me push back from him.

  If I didn’t know better, I swear I saw desire in Kieran’s expression, and I had a sneaky suspicion if I didn’t divert my eyes, I’d see a vision of us together in an intimate fashion.

  When his thumb started caressing small circles on my hand, I shivered. An electric current, one I believed reserved only for Sloan and me, traveled up my arm and down my spine, forcing me to look away.

  “What are you doing?” I frowned and snatched both my hands from his.

  “Kenna.” There was a sexual charge to the way he said my name, and the way his eyes lustfully took me in as I pulled myself to standing position. His gaze felt like a lover’s soft touch scorching my body.

  Damn it to hell if part of me didn’t want to know what it would feel like to have his hands all over me. To have his soft, kiss-me-now lips trail over every inch of my naked body.

  “No.” I shook my head in defiance and tried to rid myself from these thoughts. “No.”

  “Kenna.” Kieran repeated my name as he stood to face me. This time his intonation challenged me to deny him as his fingers stroked my cheek.

  My hands stilled in their attempts to brush the sand from my red yoga pants, and I stood there frozen, trapped in Kieran’s intoxicating presence.

  He was too close to me, invading my space and touching my face. For a moment, I wanted to give myself over.

  But I didn’t come here to have an affair with a man who both scared and enticed me. I came here to fix myself so Sloan and I might have a chance together.

  Sloan.

  Silently chanting his name like a mantra in my head put my purpose back into focus, and I realized how much I loved and missed him.

  I stepped away from Kieran, and without looking back, I broke into a run for the house and the confines of my room.

  I sat on the side of my bed facing the window and the ocean. My time here had been invaluable to me and I was stronger for it. Despite what had just happened between us, Kieran had been an excellent mentor in everything from handgun training, to hand-to-hand combat, to mental agility. I had changed as a result, and this Kenna wasn’t the same Kenna who had fled her home. I could face each day without fearing the past would suck me under.

  Kieran had done that for me and I was thankful.

  Regardless of all of that, I refused to return the favor by sleeping with him. I flopped on the navy, silk damask comforter and closed my eyes, elongating and stretching my sore body on the mahogany bed.

  As much as I wanted to believe Kieran’s help had come from the goodness of his heart, I wasn’t naive. He wanted something he thought I could give him, and I was pretty sure he used our meditations as an opportunity to gain sway over me. He seemingly saw into the recesses of my mind, and I swear I could feel him there, searching….

  As crazy as that sounded—and it sounded flipping insane—there was no doubt in my mind Kieran had
abilities out of the ordinary. Power emanated from him, and he was unlike any man I’d ever met.

  Quite frankly, he kind of scared me.

  I opened my eyes and watched the wicker ceiling fan spin in circles, casting shadows on the white wash ceiling. What did I have that he wanted? On the face of it, nothing. A common thread had to exist; something that connected Kieran and me.

  Sloan!

  That had to be it. They were both Irish, and let’s face it, both total bad-asses. I knew Sloan could kill a man with his bare hands, and I was fairly certain Kieran could do the same. Men like that weren’t commonplace.

  Sloan’s secret! The Emerald!

  The thought had me sitting up and walking to the window in order to dispel the sudden fear I felt for Sloan. I pulled the curtains back only to see Kieran staring up at me. When he smiled and nodded, I gasped and stepped back from the window.

  “Fuck!” I mumbled and rubbed the goose bumps from my arms. “Sloan is the common thread.”

  I didn’t have a clue what Kieran wanted with him, but I wasn’t going to be the delivery system that brought him to Kieran. Clearly, my time here had come to an end. I needed to go home and warn Sloan, come clean with him about everything. I could do this now because I was stronger.

  And I could do it because I needed to take care of Sloan the way I had promised Paddy I would.

  Quickly, I went through the room gathering my stuff and throwing it in my suitcase.

  When the door abruptly opened and Kieran traipsed in, I jumped, letting out a surprised yelp.

  “Going somewhere, Kenna?” he asked and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. He was still wearing his workout clothes—tight fitting tank and shorts—and as much as I wished his masculine physique didn’t call to me—didn’t make me want to throw him on the bed and have my wicked way with him—it did.

  I swallowed hard. “Going home. It’s time.”

  “Is it now?” He arched a dark-blond brow and moved in my direction. “Unfortunately, I have to object. We’re not done here, Kenna. Not by far.”