Page 25 of Beer & Broomsticks

“But youdidmeet me, Bridget O’Malley. The moment you decided to return to give Ruairí and the girl a piece of your mind, I intercepted you and used my magical persuasion ability to alter your decision.”

The moment his words sunk in, Ruairí was on his feet, an unbecoming shade of scarlet, with fists balled. “Yeah, and this had better be malarky, Ronan, or I’ll be after rearranging the bones of your face.”

Roisin gasped and covered her mouth as she reached for Carrick with her other hand.Sheknew the influence he’d been capable of—once. Before he’d lost the gift of hypnotism that went by way of his magic. He’d made her forget their meeting on the night Seamus had abducted her, after which Ronan had teleported her back to her cottage. Eventually, her memories had sorted themselves out. But she knew he spoke true now.

“Why?”Ruairí’s anguished cry stabbed Ronan right in the heart. “Why would you do that to me? You were like my own brother. And didn’t we have a pact to look out for each other in the midst of all those fucking jackals?”

“Because I didn’t want you to leave me,” Ronan confessed roughly. Admitting his need was difficult. “If you and Bridget went away, what did I have? I’d have never held out against my father. I’d have become just like him.” Emotion clogged his throat as he witnessed Ruairí process the betrayal. “I’m sorry. You were my brother in every way.”

“You broke my heart. You broke Bridget’s. It’s not something I can ever forgive,” Ruairí said harshly. “Say what you need to, then I never want to see you again.”

Inside his chest, Ronan’s heart shriveled to the size of a raisin. He’d known if his cousin ever discovered the truth, hatred would be his burden to bear, but he’d never thought seeing the two of them together would have the confession pouring from his own lips, bringing on that hatred he so richly deserved.

CHAPTER11

The buzzing in Ruairí’s ears drowned out half of what Ronan said after his confession. All he could do was stare out the window toward the glen where he used to meet Bridget. To the scene of that disastrous day.

To know he hadn’t been wrong about Bridget’s reaction, to know she might’ve come back and they’d have resolved things, to know they’d lost seventeen years to Ronan’s scheming… was to have a thousand pound weight around his neck. The man he’d loved as a brother had betrayed him in the most horrendous of ways.

Was that why Ronan had given him the sword? Had it been his misguided attempt to get Ruairí and Bridget to reconcile?

Ruairí wanted nothing more than to ask, but he couldn’t reveal he was in possession of the weapon. Bridget still needed to trust him fully, and he could sense she wasn’t close yet.

Lost in thought, he jumped when she touched his back. Turning to face the sitting area, he was startled to realize the two of them were alone. “Where’s Ronan?”

“In one of the upstairs bedrooms.”

“I don’t want him here, Bridg. He’s a fucking backstabber, he is!”

“He had his reasons. And when your temper cools, you’ll be seeing it, too.”

“Reason? He swayed your mind from me. He stole years of our lives!”

“No, Ruairí. Your actions swayed me from you,” she corrected with her hands on her hips. “You were the one to kiss another. You were the one who’d set about to trick me first. Had you not done that, Ronan’s trick wouldn’t have changed anything between us, now would it?”

“You would’ve come back that day,” he said hoarsely.

“Aye. Probably to punch you in the bleedin’ face and drown the skank. But not to get back with you. That wouldn’t have changed. So if I’m able to forgive you your mistake, you’ll need to be forgivin’ Ronan his.”

“Bridg—”

She held up a hand and shook her head. “What’s done is done, and he’s about apologizing for it. You can be man enough to accept it as I accepted your apology.”

They glared at one another for a long moment. Ruairí conceded the point first, knowing he’d never hold out against her. He groaned and drew her close. “Are you sure you wouldn’t have dragged me away by me ear to marry ya?”

Her laugh was muffled against his chest. “Positive.”

“Then I’ll forgive the sneaky scut, but only because you’re forcing my hand.” He drew back to look down into her flushed face. “How is it that you haven’t murdered him for his part in this?”

He felt her light shudder and hugged her tighter.

“I can’t say I’m not sporting a fine temper over his trickery, but I can also see how it wouldn’t have made a real difference either way. Seems you were his lifeline in that horrid family of yours, yeah? How else was he supposed to react when he found out you wanted to run away with another?”

“When did you grow to be so wise,mo ghrá?”

“It’s taken a few years,” she said with a light laugh. “What do you think of the rest of it?”

“The rest of what?”

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