Chapter Twenty-three
Maddy gave William a sweet little wave as she pulled out of her driveway, making sure not to let him see her smile. She looked into her rearview mirror when she reached the road, and chuckled out loud at the sight of him standing on her porch, scowling hard enough to hurt his face. She didn’t know which was confounding him more, that she was leaving without him or that she hadn’t even bothered to ask if she could borrow his truck.
She’d had some reservations about letting William stay at her house while he recuperated, but he’d been a surprisingly cooperative patient, and Maddy suspected he quite liked being fussed over by three women. While soaking up their attention like a thirsty sponge, William had in turn entertained everyone with stories of his own family, and spent hours sitting on the porch listening to Sarah read The Chronicles of Narnia aloud.
Rick had moved back home, only now instead of stumbling into bed at three in the morning, he was leaving at four to go fishing with Trace as both men plotted to add a second boat to their fleet. Patricia had been horrified to learn that her son had dropped out of college, but Maddy had stood beside Rick when he’d broken the news to their mother that he had inherited his dad’s passion for fishing.
Yes, the Lane house was near to bursting with people, and despite dealing with demon wolves, lecherous tigers, and freak storms, Maddy couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy.
And she wasn’t nearly as scared as she thought she’d be.
She turned on the radio to her favorite country and western station, cranking up the volume until all eight speakers were thumping. When Trace had delivered the spanking-new, fire-engine-red SUV on Sunday, Maddy had seen William actually brace himself, as if he’d been expecting her to explode—or at least spit and sputter and tell him she was not driving this truck around town, either, for everyone to see. But she’d given a squeal of delight instead, and climbed in the driver’s seat and started playing with all the buttons.
She might get stubborn sometimes but she wasn’t stupid; it was a really badass truck. It had ten times the buttons William’s pickup had, including a navigation system a rocket scientist would have trouble figuring out, and she really, really loved it. And she’d finally decided that what was the point of having a rich boyfriend, anyway, if she couldn’t enjoy some of the perks?
Maddy chuckled again as she remembered William’s expression this morning, when, on their way to Hiram’s funeral, he’d finally realized that she had already made the truck her own. She’d folded a pretty throw blanket over the backseat, programmed the radio—which was satellite, thank you very much—to her favorite channels, filled the console with all her paraphernalia, and even slapped a bumper sticker on the back that said, “Nurses Do It with Intensive Care.”
And just to see if she couldn’t get him to explode, on their ride back she’d told him the truck would look really cool with a vanity plate that said “DRGNHRT”—after the pretty pin he’d given her that she’d named Willy Dragonheart.
He hadn’t exploded, but he certainly had spit and sputtered.
The poor man; Maddy wished she could tell him to just quit trying so hard. He might not have had her at hello, but she’d definitely started melting when she saw him with her residents. And when he’d given her that small wooden box to tuck under her bed when he’d picked her up on Friday, and she’d realized he hadn’t even sealed it . . . well, someone needed to look after the romantic sap before some perky-boobed, tight-assed hussy stuck her gold-digging claws into him.
She had planned to make this trip to Ellsworth on Monday, to talk to her doctor about that new Plan B morning-after pill she’d recently read about and to get a more reliable contraceptive, but since she’d started her period late Saturday night, it had taken away a good deal of the urgency.
So she’d made her appointment for Wednesday afternoon instead, and she intended to come home with several surprises for William: an IUD—because she didn’t think he’d wait around for the pill to take effect—and a couple of cases of fine Irish ale that Trace had told her William liked. As for her third surprise, Mr. Killkenny was about to find out that he wasn’t the only one who liked to give gifts. She was taking the nice little bequeathal Mr. Man had left her in his heart-wrenchingly sweet card—which had started her crying all over again when Doris had quietly handed it to her at the funeral—and buying William a token of her affection.
She’d found the perfect piece last night, when she’d gone online to browse local stores in Ellsworth, although at the time she hadn’t known exactly what she’d been looking for. Figuring William wouldn’t wear anything that even hinted at being jewelry, she had started looking for something he could carry in his pocket. But remembering the St. Christopher medal her mom had given her dad, which he’d worn on a long chain around his neck to keep him safe while fishing, she had eventually gravitated to the small medallions that were definitely made for manly men.
Even if she’d designed something herself, she couldn’t have come up with a more perfect piece than the one she had found.
Maddy pulled into the liquor store just outside Ellsworth and bought three cases of ale and two slip-on bottle sleeves; one exclaiming Your village just called to say they’re missing their idiot, and one that said I’m so damn near perfect, I even scare myself sometimes.
She then went to the jewelry store, bought the medal, and spent the twenty minutes it took them to engrave it picking out the perfect chain. She wanted one strong enough to survive William and long enough that he could slip it over his head and it would hang low enough on his beautiful broad chest that it wouldn’t show even if he kept the top two buttons undone.
And then she made them gift-wrap it in very manly paper.
It was almost two hours later that Maddy walked out of her doctor’s office, feeling a bit crampy but quite satisfied that she wouldn’t have to worry about another unplanned pregnancy. She climbed into the SUV—which she’d parked at the end of the lot because she didn’t want anyone dinging its beautiful doors—and opened the console. She rummaged through her bag of necessities, got out two aspirins, and popped them in her mouth.
But when she tilted her head back to take a swig of water, Maddy inadvertently glanced into the rearview mirror and saw Maximilian Oceanus sitting directly behind her—holding an open bottle of Irish ale in one hand and the medal she’d bought William in the other.
William sat in the backseat of Kenzie’s truck, staring down at the three cell phones in his hand; one was Kenzie’s, one was his own, and the third belonged to Trace. All three men had gotten text messages half an hour ago; all originating from Maddy’s cell phone, all requesting they come to Dragon Cove.
The messages were signed “Mr. P.S.”
William closed his eyes against the knot strangling his gut. Maddy had written the texts, and signing them “Mr. P.S.” was her way of saying the man she’d called pond scum—to his face—had made her send them.
“Is there a reason you let Maddy go off by herself this afternoon?” Trace growled from the front seat.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kenzie said before William could answer. “Mac would have gotten hold of her eventually. Oceanus is well known for his patience.”
“He’s also known for wiping out entire civilizations when that patience has been pushed too far,” William added, the knot in his gut starting to burn at the thought of Maddy doing the pushing. “So Mac’s the one who’s been holding Fiona,” he said, rereading Kenzie’s text message. He reread Trace’s. “And Carolina must have stolen the coin from her betrothed, and Mac wants it as well as his sister.”
“Then why get Maddy involved?” Trace asked. “Doesn’t he think Fiona is enough of a trade for his sister and the coin?”
“Taking Maddy was personal,” William said, snapping shut all three phones.
“Did you piss him off, Killkenny?” Kenzie asked.
“No, I believe Madeline did,” he said with a sigh.
Kenzie drove right up to the bluff where William was building his home and shut off the engine. All three men sat silently, looking around the construction site, which was empty because the crew was still helping clean up Midnight Bay after the storm.
“Holy hell,” Trace whispered, looking toward an outcropping of ledge.
William snorted. “Mac does love drama,” he said, opening his door.
Kenzie also got out, and William could feel the tension humming through the highlander. “Don’t worry. Mac has no intention of harming Fiona much less keeping her. In fact, he’ll probably offer to pay you to take the little termagant off his hands.”
“We don’t show him Carolina until we see both Fiona and Maddy,” Kenzie said.
Trace joined them—although Huntsman had needed to hold on to the truck as he walked around it, as he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the spectacle up on the ledge.
But then, it wasn’t every day a modern saw a drùidh in full regalia.
“Are we supposed to be impressed?” Trace asked.
“No, I believe Maddy’s the one he’s trying to impress,” William said. He started walking toward Mac, the other two men falling into step beside him.
“I would have expected you to build out on the point, Killkenny,” Mac said. “And your new home isn’t nearly as big as your old keep. What, are you not planning to have much of a family?”
William stopped ten paces from the drùidh, the others stopping beside him. “Since when have ye stooped to using helpless women as pawns, Oceanus?”
“Cùram de Gairn’s magic made An Tèarmann impenetrable, which forced me to use the women,” Mac said, apparently brushing off the slight. He nodded to Kenzie. “Tell your brother I said hello when you see him, Gregor.” He winced. “I had hoped he would thank me for the gift I’m giving him, but now I’m beginning to worry he may take offense. And I thought my sister had problems,” he added with a shudder.
William saw Kenzie stiffen. “What have ye done to her, Oceanus?”
Mac pulled back the edge of his large, billowing robe to reveal a woman tucked up against his left side, wearing the clothes of an eleventh-century Scottish lass and a horrified look on her face.
It was the first time William had ever seen Kenzie caught off guard; the highlander suddenly grabbed William’s shoulder, his knees obviously going weak at the sight of the trembling, reddish-blond-haired, golden-eyed woman blinking out at him. “Fiona,” he said on an indrawn breath.
William reached out to hold Kenzie back when he stumbled toward her, just as Mac stopped Fiona from trying to scurry behind him—in shame, it appeared.
“What in hell have ye done!” Kenzie shouted, his eyes moving to the drùidh.
Mac smiled, though it appeared forced. “She’s my gift to you for taking my sister in and protecting her.”
“Matt is going to kill you,” Kenzie growled, his eyes filled with pain as he stared at Fiona. “Do you not think that if she wished to be human again, my brother would have done it himself? She was at peace as a hawk.”
Mac actually winced. “So I’ve since learned.” He sighed. “But it’s done, Gregor. Give me Carolina and the coin, and you can have your sister.”
“Go get her, Trace,” Kenzie said softly, not taking his eyes off Fiona.
“I would see Madeline now,” William said as Trace walked back to the truck. “And we want both women for Carolina.”
Mac shook his head. “Madeline is not part of this deal, Killkenny. Did you come here prepared to give me what I want?”
William smiled tightly. “You may wish to rethink your request,” he said. “Or you might find Carolina will like your . . . gift to her about as well as de Gairn will like his.”
Trace walked up to them, his hand manacling the wrist of a spitting-mad young woman—who looked twenty-three or twenty-four years old—wearing only his shirt. “It would have been nice if someone had thought to bring her some clothes,” he drawled, rubbing several scratches on his naked chest.
William snorted. “We put a harbor seal in the truck. Give it up, lass,” he told Carolina when he saw her try to bite Trace’s hand. But Huntsman quickly subdued her by spinning her into him and wrapping both of his arms around her.
Carolina twisted to glare up at him. “You’re supposed to be my strong arm,” she hissed. “It’s your duty to protect me, not hand me over.” She turned her glare on her brother. “And you!” she spat. “I can’t believe you’re taking Father’s side!”
Mac sighed again. “I’m on your side, brat. Everyone is, including your obviously reluctant strong arm and our father. If you would only stay put long enough, you’d know that he broke your marriage contract to Tamon the day you ran off.”
She stamped her foot. “I’m still not going home! He’s only going to find some other bastard to marry me off to.” She lifted her chin. “I’m choosing my own husband, so you can go home and tell Father that I’ve chosen this man.”
Trace’s jaw went slack with surprise, as did his grip on Carolina. But instead of bolting, the woman spun around and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him even as she continued talking to her brother. “We’re going to build a grand home on Midnight Bay in this century, and have lots and lots of babies and live happily ever after for a thousand years.”
“Excuse me,” Trace said in a strangled whisper, trying to peel the girl off him.
Kenzie Gregor stepped over and grabbed Carolina around the waist, lifted her off her feet to carry her up to the ledge, and stood her in front of Mac. “Here’s your sister, now give me mine,” he demanded, holding out his free hand.
Mac let go of Fiona and quickly manacled Carolina’s wrist to his fist.
Kenzie pulled Fiona into his arms. The lass buried her face in his neck, and he carried her to a boulder a few feet from William and Trace. Sitting down and settling her on his lap, he clutched his sister, kissing her hair as he softly whispered to her.
“Huntsman,” Mac said, drawing William’s and Trace’s attention again, “could I perhaps interest you in coming home with us to meet our parents?”
Carolina suddenly stopped struggling against her brother and turned to look at Trace expectantly.
“You could do a lot worse than having Titus Oceanus as a father-in-law,” Mac added, his own look encouraging.
Trace grabbed on to William to keep from dropping to his knees.
William heard Mac sigh again. “I didn’t think so,” Mac muttered. “Just give me the coin then, and my sister will no longer be your problem.”
Seeing how Huntsman seemed unable to move, William held out his hand. “Give it to me, and I will take it to him.”
Trace reached in his pocket and slapped the coin into William’s hand.
William walked up to Mac, but stopped just out of his reach, the coin clenched in his fist. “I will see Madeline now.”
Mac folded back the other side of his robe.
It was William’s turn to sigh, when he saw her hands were bound and she had a gag tied around her mouth. He looked at Mac. “Was there no other way ye could have subdued her?”
Mac grinned. “Like this, you mean?” he asked, flicking his arm holding Carolina.
A flash of smoke filled the air, and Carolina’s shriek of protest faded to nothing more than a squeak when she shrank to the size of a kitten in Mac’s hand. He very carefully slid her into an inside pocket of his robe, giving her a pat when her muffled protests turned to threatening curses.
Mac held his hand out to William. “The coin?” He arched a brow. “Or are you planning to keep it after all?”
“I haven’t decided,” William said, shoving the coin in his pocket. “Do ye despise your sister so much that you’d have her marry a man who can never love her?”
“My sister means as much to me as Gabriella meant to you,” Mac growled. “And you don’t have to love Carolina to be a good husband to her.” He shook his head. “Why do you think I’ve been haunting you all these centuries, Killkenny? Carolina needs a strong arm, but she also needs a firm hand.” He grinned. “Not only will my father give you his blessing, but he’ll probably give you a kingdom.”
William stepped up and untied the knot behind Maddy’s head when she suddenly started choking.
“That wasn’t wise,” Mac said as the gag slipped free.
Maddy held her arms out for him to undo the thick rope binding her wrists, but William stepped away, returning his attention to Mac so he wouldn’t see her glare.
He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she remained silent.
“Do ye really want a woman who doesn’t want you, Oceanus?” William asked. “Because if you do take Maddy, she promised me you’ll return her within a week.”
“She told you I asked her to leave with me?”
“We have an agreement between us, and Madeline is an honorable woman.”
“She’s also bossy as hell,” Mac said, although he was smiling as he said it.
“She has a daughter.”
“I like children. In fact, I hope to have many of my own.”
William eyed him speculatively. “Ye don’t think family gatherings might be a bit awkward, sitting down to dinner with a man who bedded your woman before you did?”
Mac shrugged. “I can live with it, knowing I will be the last man in Madeline’s bed. So let’s get down to business, Killkenny. How much do you want for her?”
William couldn’t believe that Maddy was remaining silent, considering they were bartering for her as if she were a horse. “She’s not for sale.”
“All women are for sale. Would you hand her over for . . . say, one thousand two hundred and sixteen years—plus one day? It’s that simple, you know; I can send you back to one day before, and you can save your family.”
William shook his head. “They’re long dead and buried and resting in peace. I no longer have a taste for revenge.”
Mac stilled in surprise. “You love her that much?” he whispered.
William felt the flames in his belly start to lick the outer edges of the empty hole where his heart should have been. “You and I both know that love is beyond my reach.”
Maddy snorted.
“What?” Mac said, looking down. “Did you wish to say something, Madeline?”
“No, I just had a tickle in my throat.”
He looked back at William. “How about if I give you Gabriella, then? I’ll bring her to this century, and she can have an even more wonderful life than the one that was stolen from her.”
“I know,” Maddy suddenly piped up, smiling ever so sweetly up at Mac. “How about you find your own girlfriend instead of trying to buy someone else’s? Even I can see William’s going to say no to anything you have to offer. So either kill him and be done with it, or just take your sister and go home.”
“Men do not kill each other over women,” Mac said with a chuckle. “Where I come from, women are either liabilities or assets, but they are not worth dying over.”
“Madeline,” William growled when he realized she looked ready to punch Mac.
She turned her glare on him. “As flattering as it is to have two men haggling over me, I have to pick Sarah up from summer rec in half an hour.” She looked up at Mac. “You know, I started out thinking you were lower than pond scum, but now I realize you’re just a lonely, clueless geek. Have you ever tried asking a girl out on a date?”
“Do not bait him, Madeline,” William softly warned.
“Hey, it’s a legitimate question, considering I’m being bartered over like a piece of furniture at a yard sale.” Her gaze traveled up the length of Mac’s robe and settled on his face. “If my dweeb of an ex-husband can manage to nail two homecoming queens, why can’t a guy with all your . . . resources get your own girlfriend? I’ll tell you why,” she said before he could answer. “Where William worked really hard to get me, you aren’t even trying. Maybe instead of blackmailing him into marrying Carolina, you should ask him for pointers on getting your own woman. Really, even your little sister had the courage to go find her own boyfriend.”
“Madeline!” William snapped.
But she continued to ignore him, as oblivious to his anger as she was to Mac’s incredulousness. She suddenly lifted the edge of Mac’s robe with her bound hands and peered down inside the pocket. “Trust me, Carolina, if you’re at all attached to your beautiful hair, you’ll forget about Trace.” Maddy shook her head, making her short curls bounce. “See what Trace made me do just so I could talk to my brother? Last week my hair was nearly as long as yours.”
William heard a small, horrified gasp come from inside the pocket.
Maddy straightened and smiled sadly at Mac. “It’s too bad you didn’t show up here sooner. I have a friend I could have introduced you to, and you wouldn’t even have had to break a sweat to get her. In fact, all you would have had to do was show her your fancy robe,” she said, wiggling the material before she let it go with a shrug. “Only Susan ran off with some gorgeous Scottish hunk a couple of weeks ago.”
“Madeline,” William growled.
“Hey, I know,” she said. “The guy she ran off with had two other cousins who are single; maybe you could persuade one of them to marry your sister.” She pulled Mac’s robe out and peered into the pocket again. “Did you hear what I just said, Carolina? They’re both really big and strong and gorgeous, and I bet they wouldn’t even care that you have a brother who’s a . . . wizard.”
Opening the robe even more, she looked at William. “William, drop that coin in the pocket with Carolina, so she can give it to one of the MacKeage men.”
Mac suddenly stiffened. “Did you say MacKeage?” He looked over at Kenzie. “Isn’t your brother married to a MacKeage?”
Kenzie was still sitting on the rock, still cradling Fiona as Trace sat beside him—both men as amazed as William by how the negotiations had somehow turned to matchmaking. But then William suddenly stifled a smile; apparently little Sarah wasn’t the only lass who had learned the art of misdirection.
“Matt married Greylen MacKeage’s youngest daughter, Winter,” Kenzie said quietly. “Who also happens to be Pendaär’s heir.”
“And the MacKeage men Madeline just mentioned?” Mac asked.
“Winter’s cousins.”
The drùidh studied Maddy in silence, and looked at William. “Are you sure you don’t want Carolina? She comes with one hell of a dowry.”
William pulled the coin from his pocket and handed it to him.
Mac sighed and looked at Trace. “What about you, Huntsman? Are you sure you don’t want my sis—”
The drùidh suddenly grunted when Maddy drove her elbow into his ribs. “Trust me, that is not a good idea,” she said, deadpan. But then she smiled. “I do believe there are several single MacKeage females living up in the mountains. Maybe while you’re husband-shopping with Carolina, you could ask one of them for a date.” She shrugged. “Who knows, maybe both you and Carolina will get lucky.”
It was all William could do not to reach out and kiss her when he saw Mac’s entire demeanor go from suspicious to downright interested.
He looked at William. “Are you sure, Killkenny?”
“He’s sure,” Maddy answered for him, a distinct growl in her voice. She walked over to William and leaned against him with a sigh. “I have a headache and really bad belly cramps,” she whispered, “and if I don’t lie down soon, I’m going to faint.”
William wrapped one arm around her and looked at Mac.
Mac’s shoulders actually slumped, and he nodded.
William turned away and started leading Maddy down from the ledge.
But she suddenly spun around, ran up to the drùidh, and held out her hands, palms up. “I want my medal back.”
“You already have it; it’s around your neck, under your blouse.”
She looked down with a gasp and tried to pull her blouse away from her bosom, but her bound hands made it impossible. She thrust them out to Mac. “Will you please take this damn rope off me?”
Without Mac even touching her, the thick rope suddenly fell to the ground.
Maddy squeaked in surprise, but then quickly reached into her blouse and pulled out the medal hanging around her neck. She turned it over to look at the other side. “This isn’t the medal I bought!” she said, glaring at Mac. “The inscription’s the same, but the one I bought had a knight riding a warhorse on the front, not a . . . not . . .” Her words trailed off as she stared down at the medal.
“That is the appropriate symbol, Madeline,” Mac said softly. He reached out and touched one of her curls, rubbing it between his fingers before dropping his hand. “Because where I come from, that is a woman’s only power, and the one thing every man wants but cannot buy. Consider it my gift to you.”
“Where exactly are you from?”
William watched Mac break into a slow grin. “Atlantis.”
“The lost continent of Atlantis? But I thought that was only a myth!”
He winked at her. “Then I guess that means I am but a myth, too,” he said, giving William a quick nod just as the air suddenly filled with smoke.
And when the sea breeze carried the smoke away, Maximilian Oceanus and his troublesome brat of a sister were gone.