answering
this line of questioning was wise, given that he was essentially
having dinner with his sworn enemies. “Well, it’s not
instantaneous,” he said thoughtfully. “The farther from my own form
it is, the longer it takes for me to change back. That’s why I
rarely change into a woman. It takes quite a while to return to my
usual shape. And the in-between isn’t pleasant-looking.”
The Chosen laughed softly.
“You can change your entire appearance merely
by touching someone?” Rosamund asked.
Liam turned to regard her. “No, actually the
only thing that doesn’t change is my tattoo.”
The Chosen Ones and their mates nodded.
Amanda sat up straighter.
Rosamund said matter-of-factly, “That makes
sense. All of the Abandoned Ones have some sort of marking. What is
your tattoo?”
“A dragon,” Liam said. “I must say it made my
life in an Irish orphanage a bit more difficult. The Irish were all
about dragons until Christianity came along and Saint Patrick rid
Ireland of the snakes. Now, dragons aren’t seen as a particularly
good omen.”
Samuel asked, “How big of a dragon are we
talking here? Loch Ness-sized?”
Isabelle giggled.
Liam seemed to be tiring of the subject.
But Amanda was on the edge of her seat. She
had never seen Liam shirtless, and she had had no idea that he was
marked … probably because that might have given away his identity
as one of the Others.
Liam sighed. “Not quite that large. But it
does extend from my left hip, across my chest to my right
shoulder.”
“Impressive,” Rosamund breathed.
“ Yes, ma’am .”
Charisma leaned forward and as if she could actually see the
dragon, she ran her gaze up and down Liam’s well-shaped
torso.
The guys looked chagrinned.
“Down, girls,” Irving said.
Amanda wanted let her gaze wander, too. In
fact, for one moment, she did — until Liam caught her gaze, his
mouth quirked, and she pretended she was staring past him.
Nice save, Amanda. He was totally fooled.
Not .
Irving offered a shaky hand to Liam. “Mr.
Gallagher, I am Irving Shea. Or as my friends like to call me, Old
Moneybags.” As Liam shook his hand, Irving chuckled at his own
joke. “Please, feel free to fill a plate. Martha is an excellent
cook.”
Liam looked at Martha, whose expression
showed no glow of pride or really any emotion at all.
The two studied each other until Martha said,
drily, “Don’t worry. If we wanted to poison you, we would not have
served everything on a Lazy Susan.”
“Right.” As McKenna came forward to
grudgingly pour Liam a glass of Pinot Grigio, Liam heaped olives
and almonds onto his plate.
Irving leaned back in his chair, lacing his
fingers together. “Mr. Gallagher, I hear you are concerned that
Miss Reed’s offer of money will not be fulfilled.”
Liam had obviously been taught manners at
some point in his life because he had the courtesy to look
chagrined. “No, sir. Not that it won’t be fulfilled. Simply that it
does not exist.” He cleared his throat. “I have never heard that
you were as wealthy as the amount would lead me to believe.”
Irving looked at Liam almost slyly. “My dear
boy, not all of us have to use our funds to build enormous
skyscrapers to show off for the devil. Some of us prefer to spend
our money on good food and great wine.”
Acknowledging Irving’s dig at Osgood and his
monstrous building that stretched toward the sky, Liam agreed, “I’m
sure that approach brings better company.”
“Like us,” Samuel said.
“No, not you,” Jacqueline said. “But the rest
of us.”
The two grinned affably at each other.
Obviously, the Chosen Ones were listening
every word that passed back and forth at the head of the table.
Amanda the tried to focus on the plate of hot
potato croquettes Martha had added to the Lazy Susan, but these two
men who were discussing, in many ways, her and her sister’s
future.
Irving nodded almost imperceptibly to
McKenna, who came forward holding a slim
this line of questioning was wise, given that he was essentially
having dinner with his sworn enemies. “Well, it’s not
instantaneous,” he said thoughtfully. “The farther from my own form
it is, the longer it takes for me to change back. That’s why I
rarely change into a woman. It takes quite a while to return to my
usual shape. And the in-between isn’t pleasant-looking.”
The Chosen laughed softly.
“You can change your entire appearance merely
by touching someone?” Rosamund asked.
Liam turned to regard her. “No, actually the
only thing that doesn’t change is my tattoo.”
The Chosen Ones and their mates nodded.
Amanda sat up straighter.
Rosamund said matter-of-factly, “That makes
sense. All of the Abandoned Ones have some sort of marking. What is
your tattoo?”
“A dragon,” Liam said. “I must say it made my
life in an Irish orphanage a bit more difficult. The Irish were all
about dragons until Christianity came along and Saint Patrick rid
Ireland of the snakes. Now, dragons aren’t seen as a particularly
good omen.”
Samuel asked, “How big of a dragon are we
talking here? Loch Ness-sized?”
Isabelle giggled.
Liam seemed to be tiring of the subject.
But Amanda was on the edge of her seat. She
had never seen Liam shirtless, and she had had no idea that he was
marked … probably because that might have given away his identity
as one of the Others.
Liam sighed. “Not quite that large. But it
does extend from my left hip, across my chest to my right
shoulder.”
“Impressive,” Rosamund breathed.
“ Yes, ma’am .”
Charisma leaned forward and as if she could actually see the
dragon, she ran her gaze up and down Liam’s well-shaped
torso.
The guys looked chagrinned.
“Down, girls,” Irving said.
Amanda wanted let her gaze wander, too. In
fact, for one moment, she did — until Liam caught her gaze, his
mouth quirked, and she pretended she was staring past him.
Nice save, Amanda. He was totally fooled.
Not .
Irving offered a shaky hand to Liam. “Mr.
Gallagher, I am Irving Shea. Or as my friends like to call me, Old
Moneybags.” As Liam shook his hand, Irving chuckled at his own
joke. “Please, feel free to fill a plate. Martha is an excellent
cook.”
Liam looked at Martha, whose expression
showed no glow of pride or really any emotion at all.
The two studied each other until Martha said,
drily, “Don’t worry. If we wanted to poison you, we would not have
served everything on a Lazy Susan.”
“Right.” As McKenna came forward to
grudgingly pour Liam a glass of Pinot Grigio, Liam heaped olives
and almonds onto his plate.
Irving leaned back in his chair, lacing his
fingers together. “Mr. Gallagher, I hear you are concerned that
Miss Reed’s offer of money will not be fulfilled.”
Liam had obviously been taught manners at
some point in his life because he had the courtesy to look
chagrined. “No, sir. Not that it won’t be fulfilled. Simply that it
does not exist.” He cleared his throat. “I have never heard that
you were as wealthy as the amount would lead me to believe.”
Irving looked at Liam almost slyly. “My dear
boy, not all of us have to use our funds to build enormous
skyscrapers to show off for the devil. Some of us prefer to spend
our money on good food and great wine.”
Acknowledging Irving’s dig at Osgood and his
monstrous building that stretched toward the sky, Liam agreed, “I’m
sure that approach brings better company.”
“Like us,” Samuel said.
“No, not you,” Jacqueline said. “But the rest
of us.”
The two grinned affably at each other.
Obviously, the Chosen Ones were listening
every word that passed back and forth at the head of the table.
Amanda the tried to focus on the plate of hot
potato croquettes Martha had added to the Lazy Susan, but these two
men who were discussing, in many ways, her and her sister’s
future.
Irving nodded almost imperceptibly to
McKenna, who came forward holding a slim
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