Sure enough. It was Murphy. And he looked just as he always did. If he dressed casually, she had never seen it. Of course, she had only ever seen him at the office. She heard stories of the bare-knuckles boxing matches that were held at his club in the early morning hours. Brigid certainly couldn’t imagine him wearing a suit while he beat the stuffing out of someone in the ring. The Dubliner turned and flashed a roguish grin. Her heart immediately gave an involuntary thump.
“Brigid,” he said and walked toward her. “You’re looking extraordinarily well. The short hair suits you.”
“Um… thanks.”
“And I’m so pleased to finally see you again.”
Murphy’s eyes were warm and familiar in a way that was more comforting than she had expected. It was nice to see him again. It reminded her of home and work. Suddenly, she smiled. “I didn’t—well, why didn’t you say you were coming when we spoke last week?” She grasped the hand he held out. His fingers enclosed hers. Cool. Refreshing, in a similar way to Anne. She wondered whether it was just a product of his water element. As he held her hand, a soft pulse, like a friendly hug, caressed her arm.
“I hope you forgive the intrusion. It was a last minute impulse when I had to make the trip to Scotland. Deirdre was in town last month and mentioned how well you were doing. When I ran into Cathy yesterday, I asked her if I could stop by.”
Why was he here? She thought they had covered most of the duties she would be performing once she came back to work in the new year. January would put her in Dublin eighteen months after she had been sired. A respectable and safe projection from what Cathy and Max had said. And Anne, who’d had to leave for the summer, would be back in the fall and could resume their counseling sessions to further prepare her to return to normal—well, almost normal—life.
“I’m sorry. Was there something you forgot to ask on the telephone? You didn’t have to come all the way out here.” She quickly added, “Not that it’s not nice to see you, of course.”
The dimple that occasionally peeked from his left cheek came out. “It’s just a social call, Brigid. You’re missed back home.”
By whom? She smiled. “That’s nice to know.”
“I understand you just woke for the evening. May I join you?” Murphy held a hand out, motioning to the low couches surrounding a table laid with the vampire version of afternoon tea. Small sandwiches. Bits of fruit and cheese. Mild foods that wouldn’t taste too strong to her sensitive tongue. Tea, of course. And then a steaming carafe of what Brigid guessed was fresh cow blood.
Appetizing.
“Thanks, yes. Help yourself.” She looked at Max, who was hovering in the corner and trying to be inconspicuous. “Max? Will you join us?”
He shook his head. “I’ll leave you to chat about work if you’re comfortable, Brigid. I haven’t given Cathy a proper hello since she’s been back.”
Lovely man. She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “Go to the back wing of the castle,” she teased him. “We don’t want to have to shout over her.”
Max threw his head back in laughter before he sped from the room.
Brigid just cocked an eyebrow at an amused Murphy. “Notice he didn’t correct me.”
“My dear Brigid—” Murphy smirked. “I can’t imagine what you’re referring to.”
She snorted as she sat at the table. “Right. This family isn’t the shy type.”
“Now that is something I do know.” He sat across from her. “Are you enjoying your time here?”
“I am. Cathy’s been a wonderful teacher. As much as we… see things differently at times, I’m learning so much from her.”
“Well, I’ll admit that I was surprised when the news came.” Murphy poured her a cup of tea before he served one to himself. Brigid was already draining her first mug of blood. “Both that you’d turned and that you were sired to fire.” He studied her carefully masked face. No one outside the family knew that she hadn’t chosen to turn. As far as she was concerned, it could stay that way. It was family business.
“It was a surprise. But fire usually is.”
“I understand no one was hurt.”
“That’s correct. And I’ve become quite adept at handling my element. Cathy said my other training is going very well. I’m becoming very good at manipulating amnis for questioning. My physical reaction times are very good. My reflexes have adapted.” She gave him a rueful smile. “As much as I may have hated the PT that Tom forced on me, it appears to have been an excellent preparation for immortality.”
“So you said over the phone.” He took a sip of the tea. The delicate china might have made a less masculine man look dainty. Patrick Murphy did not have that problem. He was the picture of elegance with an edge of danger. “I’m sure Tom will be happy to hear it. But it doesn’t surprise me that you can wield fire effectively. In fact, if I could have predicted any person becoming a fire vampire, it would have been you.”
She almost choked on the mouthful of blood. “What, me? Why?” Was that a compliment? Insult?
“You have one of the most passionate personalities I’ve encountered in… well, hundreds of years. And yet, you keep such a tightly controlled exterior, Brigid. It’s really rather extraordinary. I don’t doubt you’ll wield your element effectively through sheer force of will, if nothing else.”
Brigid blinked and set down her mug. She swallowed, then picked up the tea he had poured her, drinking it black. “Um… thank you?”
Murphy laughed and the dimple made another appearance. “You’re welcome. It is a compliment. I admired you as a human,” his eyes darted over her face. “And I’m eager to know you in your immortal life as well. I’m very excited to have you in my organization. As is Tom. The whole team is ready to have you back home as soon as you’re able.”
“How is everyone?”
“Doing well.” He quickly steered the conversation away from Brigid and onto the other members of the security team, which was a relief.
As much gut-wrenching emotional work as she’d done in the previous three months, she was happy to have the focus off her. The intense counseling sessions with Anne were as exhausting as the elemental lessons with Cathy. But while Brigid was quickly gaining confidence with her new physical strength, she was still wrung dry by her talks about her past. The immortal psychologist had needed to return to her home for the summer months, but had encouraged Brigid to keep a journal while she was gone.
Murphy served her a small sandwich she’d been eyeing and helped himself to another cup of tea.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You’re very welcome. I’m trying to remember if we’ve ever shared a meal.”
“You interrupted Jack and me while he was feeding from a dealer once, but I’m not sure that counts.”
His rich laugh filled the room. “No, it doesn’t. Ah, Jack…” He shook his head. “A troublemaker to the bone. But a loyal one. He’s been making noises about dreading your arrival, but I’m fairly sure he’s counting the days. No one else gives him as much grief as you did.”
“I’ll have to call Angie and see if I can give her some tips.”
“Do. He gets more annoying without someone to keep him in check. He thinks he’s making headway with the local connection, though.” Their eyes met for a moment and held. “He met with me just after we spoke last week.”
“That’s good! It seemed like we kept running into dead ends before I left.” She leaned forward, her food forgotten. “What is it? What did he find?”
“He was looking around the warehouse where they’d been holding Ioan…” Brigid thanked the heavens that her color could no longer give her away. That was the place where she’d overdosed. The place Deirdre had fed her immortal blood, changing her irrevocably into what she had become. Would Jack have caught the scent? Did he know how it had happened?
She shook her head and focused on what Murphy was saying. It didn’t matter. For some reason, she doubted that Jack would say anything if he did know.
<
br /> “…So it appears that someone is using the warehouse again. I know you heard about it at a party Lorenzo held while he was in town last. Declan said you’d called it a club of some sort. An after-hours place like mine on the riverfront?”
She searched her memories of the party where she had met the two vampires belonging to Carwyn’s old enemy who had killed Ioan in revenge. “Josh—the American one—he said that they just ‘hung out’ there. That it was kind of a club, but a private one. I had the feeling it would be where they would bring human girls to feed. Have sex. That kind of thing. But he also said that Emily had been there, too. She’s human, of course, but she was like me. Knew everything. She was dating one of your sort—” Brigid broke off as Murphy smiled. “Well, my sort now, I suppose. He was a friend of theirs, it sounded like.” She took another sip of tea, wondering how badly she’d stuck her foot in it. “Anyway, the American said Emily had been there. He invited me, too. I had no intention of going.”
“So, your friend—the human dating an immortal—had been there. Did you ever ask her about it?”
Brigid shook her head. “I lost touch with Emily after Ioan died, to be honest. All I was thinking of after the disappearance was finding him. Then after he died… well, I didn’t do much besides work. Emily tried to contact me a few times, but I wasn’t receptive.”
“Completely understandable.” His eyes were kind and concerned. She looked away and took another bite of a pâté that Max had made. He was a surprisingly good cook. Most vampires weren’t. “Brigid, who was the vampire Emily was dating?”
She sipped her tea before she answered. “His name was Axel.” An image of the smiling blond vampire came to her. His model-handsome face and lazy blue eyes. “To be honest, Murphy, I don’t think you should worry about Axel. He isn’t…” Was it a vampire faux pas to insult the intelligence of another immortal? Why didn’t anyone go over this stuff with her?
Oh yes. They spent most of their time trying to keep her from combusting.
Murphy asked, “He isn’t what?”
Well, honesty had always worked before…
“He’s dumb,” Brigid said. “For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would have turned him. He’s slow as a box of rocks. He’s very handsome, so I supposed someone could have just turned him to keep him around. Do vampires do that? Have you ever done anything like that? Changed someone just because they were pretty?”
His eyebrow arched, and she had the distinct impression that she’d insulted him. “Certainly not. Accidents do happen, but it’s very irresponsible to turn someone for superficial reasons. To tie yourself to someone for eternity who you will always have a responsibility toward? It must be someone you have confidence in. A child should always be someone with an independent nature, in my opinion. You have to be able to care for yourself.”
She nodded, thinking back to an argument she’d had with Cathy and Anne the week before when she’d refused their offer to help with something. At least Murphy seemed to understand why it was so important to do things yourself.
“Of course, the longer I live, the more I am convinced that we also need to know when to ask for help. It’s part of maturity, I think, knowing your own limitations.”
Well, damn.
She turned the subject back to Axel. “So, you can look into him, or have Jack do it, but I don’t think there’s anything there. He’s not malicious, or smart enough, to be the ringleader. But I could be wrong.” She hoped not. Emily—if they were still seeing each other—would be crushed.
“I’ll pass the information along. Thank you. Is there anything else you remember?”
She tried to think, chewed on her lip as she ran over and over the memories of that night. Why, oh why, had she not seen the two vampires for what they were? “No, there’s nothing else I remember. If there’s anything…”
“You’ll call.” He smiled, flashing his dimple again. Murphy really did have the most disarming smile. It set Brigid at ease and set her heart pounding all at the same time. “I appreciate it. Most of us take some personal time after we turn to be cared for by our sires, and here you are, working as always.”
“I like to work. I’d have gone back to Dublin right after if it had been safe.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” He laughed. “If anything else comes up while you’re here, I’ll let you know. I don’t want you to feel uninformed.”
“Thanks.”
He took another sip of tea and glanced at the clock over the old wooden mantle. “I should be going. I have to get back to the city before dawn, which is coming earlier and earlier this time of year.”
“It is, yes.”
They both finished their tea and stood. Murphy, like Carwyn, towered over her, but he had a leaner build and moved with a quick elegance. He walked to the door with her. “Thank you for the tea, Brigid. It was lovely to see you.”
“Thank Max.” She shrugged. “I’m not exactly the best hostess.”
“But you’re excellent company.” He leaned down, ever so slightly. Brigid could smell the clean scent that rose from his neck. “Now that our schedules are more in sync, I’ll see you at the office when you come back. I’m looking forward to it.”
Good Lord, was Murphy… flirting with her? Oh no. She’d always been spectacularly bad at flirting, and she doubted turning into a vampire had helped.
“Um… thanks. I am, too.”
She turned her face up so she could see his reaction when he looked into her inhuman gaze.
His voice was rough. “Your eyes did change.”
“A bit freaky, I know.”
“No.” He shook his head. “They’re beautiful.”
What was this reaction? The tightness in her chest. The rush of blood in her veins. “Murphy… I don’t know—”
“I need to go,” he said abruptly and stepped back. “I’m sorry. Can we continue this conversation when you get back to Ireland?” His tone may have been formal, but his eyes burned hot as they stared into hers. That damn dimple almost taunted her. “We don’t have as much time here as I’d like.”
“Of course, Murphy. Good—”
She sucked in a breath when he leaned down and brushed a kiss across her cheek. He murmured, “Please, Brigid. Call me Patrick.”
“Tavish, how does one go about… dating when they’re a vampire?”
The gruff old man looked at her in annoyance as he pried a stone from his prize cow’s hoof. “You’re asking me? About courting?”
They were standing outside in the misty night air. Brigid had been forced into helping Tavish since his favorite herding dog had a broken leg from getting kicked by one of the bulls. A few spring calves already dotted the hills. Brigid took a deep breath. The calves smelled far better than the grown cattle, but Tavish gave her dirty looks every time she mentioned taking a sip from one of his babies.
“What’s courting? I’m talking about dating. Seeing people socially who you’re interested in on more than a friendly level.”
Tavish just gaped at her. “Are you daft, girl? What makes you think I know anything about dating? Or that I even care, for that matter?”
“Well…” That was a good point. Why was she asking Tavish? Oh yes. “I’d ask Anne, but she’s gone. I can’t ask Max because he’d immediately call Deirdre to gossip about it. And Cathy—”
“No explanation needed there. She’d probably tell you to leap on the first lad you come across and just keep trying till one tickles in the right spot. Heathen.”
She blinked. “Well, I wasn’t going to put it that way, but—”
“She’s a different temperament than you, Brigid. Temperament’s important.” He stood and looked over the hills, dotted with the shaggy, russet herd. He squinted into the night. “You know, I probably do have some advice.”
“Really?” Brigid didn’t actually expect him to give her any insight. Frankly, she’d been avoiding thinking about both Patrick Murphy and… other people that she shouldn’t be th
inking about, but the subject kept circling her brain. “So, what’s your advice, Bovine Casanova?”
“You may joke, but look out there.” Tavish nodded to the herd. “That’s not purebred Highland Cattle there. That’s a healthy hybrid lot. There’s no mistaking the strength of this herd. I’ve built a very strong bloodline over the years.”
“So, what you’re saying is you can give me advice on dating because you’re good at breeding cattle.” Brigid squeezed her eyes shut. This was ridiculous. Where were the sheep? She’d round them up and bring them in, then go to her room and hide under her covers in embarrassment.
“It’s all the same basic idea.”
She started to walk away. “It is not. Never mind.”
Tavish grabbed her shoulder. “It is, Brigid.”
“Fine. Enlighten me.”
The vampire frowned. “It’s all about finding the right match. Find the right partner. The one who fills in the weaknesses in yourself and you do the same for them. This bull is hardy, but stupid. That cow is delicate, but keener. Together, their calves will be strong and keen. Same idea. I don’t know about foolish things like dating—ridiculous modern concept—but cows. Vampires. Both need to find the one that makes them better. The match that fits best.”
Brigid’s mouth had fallen open right about the time he’d motioned to her while mentioning the cow. Still… “Tavish, that’s surprisingly insightful.”
“Told you. It’s all about crossbreeding for hybrid—”
“Stop while you’re ahead, old man.” He tossed the pebble he’d pulled from the cow’s hoof at her head. “Ow!”
“Who are you thinking about dating, anyway? The be-flowered one?”
Her eyes popped open. “Wh—what?”
“My sire. The vampire who asks about you when he calls to speak to Max. Which is far more often than normal, I might add.”
She couldn’t blush, could she? Still, she could feel her cheeks warm at the thought. Carwyn wasn’t—couldn’t be—interested in her that way.