Page 8 of A Temptation Too Great

She takes a sip of her mocha before answering, and I’m thinking she’s going to ignore my question.

"It's a long story, but I don't do relationships. He wants me to give him a chance. I said I'd try, but I don't see it going anywhere."

This is the most she’s ever said about her past. Usually, she changes the subject or stays quiet. But for her to admit she doesn’t do relationships tells me she’s had a bad experience.

Her honesty makes me open up too. I release a deep sigh as we step outside.

"Sometimes I wonder if I were different, if I didn't want to be a police officer, or didn’t have the family I do, maybe I could be with Brody."

I stop talking when I hear the loud pipes of a motorcycle approaching. I know it’s him. My body hums with awareness. Why does he have to affect me like this?

He pulls up beside his friend. His brain bucket helmet covers his curly hair, and dark sunglasses hide his eyes, but I know he’s looking at me. I feel it. It’s like a caress over my body, and I shiver.

"But then I see that smug look on his face, and I want to slap it off." I huff and head toward campus with Giselle, trying to ignore him and focus on my studies.

As I make my way across campus, I cut between two buildings. I’m grabbed and yanked into an alley. I swing at the person, but they block the punch. I twist around and freeze. It’s my brother.

“Eoin, what are you doing?” I shove away from him, putting space between us.

“Drop the charges, Moira, or you’ll regret it. If Dad wouldn’t miss you so much, I’d make you disappear.”

His words hurt, but I must have heard him wrong. He hits me, and I move to block, but he knows what’s coming and nails me in the ribs before striking me again. I’m left trying to catch my breath.

He comes at me again, but this time I react on instinct, drawing on the martial arts I’ve been recently studying. I won’t let him hurt me anymore.

I grab his wrist mid-swing, my other hand clutching his jacket. He braces, expecting a kick, but instead I pivot, using the motion to build momentum. Twisting into his body, I throw him over my shoulder. He lands hard on his back. I punch under his armpit, where I still have a hold of his arm, then take off running.

I don’t go to the library like I planned. Instead, I head straight home so I don’t have to see him again. When I get to my room, I walk into the bathroom and slip my shirt off. My ribs are already bruising. My sternum, where he hit me the second time, is sore and turning dark. I step into the shower and let the hot water wash over me, hoping it will ease the aches and pains.

Brody

* * *

My phone rings from my desk, and I answer without checking to see who it is.

“Prez, the peelers just showed up at her place. She took off from campus, and I almost missed her, but I made it to her house just in time. The peelers went inside and are questioning her.”

“Feck.” I don’t know what this means, but I don’t like it.

Dropping my phone back on the desk, I access the security feeds Lex hacked a year ago for Aidan. I click the one for her living room and listen in. Fiona’s cousin Mikayla had these installed to protect her. Lex, my brother’s hacker and basically a brother to me too, gave me access after I offered him something in return. That arsehole never does anything for free or just because he likes you. There is always a catch.

I smirk when I think of what he wanted. One of my prospects to discreetly follow a girl. The bastard is twisted up over someone, just like Aidan, Shane, and me. She happens to be one of Moira’s roommates, so it’s no big deal. It means there are always two sets of eyes on that house when both girls are home.

“Ms. Kelly, Officer Kelly states you attacked him without cause,” the officer says, and I almost come out of my seat.

“He attacked me first,” she says firmly.

I notice she’s moving stiffly. She’s dressed in another one of her loose sleep sets, the pants hanging low on her hips. She’s in a full-length top this time, but I can see her sexy cleavage. Her B cup knockers fit in my hands perfectly. I can’t wait to get them in my mouth again. A long robe flows over the top of it all. Her damp hair hangs loose down her back, like she just stepped out of the shower.

“Ms. Kelly, this complicates your case against him. It could look like you retaliated for his attack.” The peeler pauses for a moment. “Or that your brother came after you for pressing charges.”

“Are you fecking kidding me? He pulled me into that alley and attacked me. I have the bruises to prove it. He only has one bruise on his body, unless his arse is bruised from where I put him on it. Yes, he came after me because of the charges. He told me to drop them.” She pauses, and I know she’s holding something back.

“He’s your brother. This should be handled within the family. In fact, your father said he’ll take care of it.”

“No.” She raises her voice. “I’m tired of my brother hiding behind his badge and my father letting him get away with it. This has been going on for years. If you can’t help me, then maybe I need to take this to another agency that will actually investigate, like the Ombudsman’s office,” she says firmly, and they quickly try to shut her down.

“No, ma’am, don’t do that. We’ll see what we can do. We’ll talk to Officer Kelly.” They stand to leave, and I’m ready to kill the fucker for putting his hands on her again.

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