Page 9 of Anywhere

Gregory’s face looked as confused as I felt. “Aye, they do, but no Rhys. Rhys has lived here wit me since his father—spirits rest his soul—died. Rhys was but a wee boy of six when he and Fiona, his sister, moved in wit me. I thought Angus woulda told ya dat.”

Oh, Father, sweet Father, just another thing you managed to omit to further your agenda. Now I couldn’t even avoid seeing the guy while I stayed here. I managed a small fake smile, for Gregory’s sake.

“Can I have a smoke and a shower before you give me that tour?”

“Whatever ya want. A grand feast has been prepared in yer honour. We be dinin’ in an hour. Liam, show Rook da way ta his wing,” Gregory said. “Come, girls. Let’s go see yer ma before we eat.”

My brow furrowed as I watched the three of them step down the stairs and head towards the massive garden area. I could’ve sworn my uncle was a widower, but now I wasn’t so sure.

This place was already proving to be more fucked than even I could’ve pictured.

Rook

Okay, the pros with the place. The food—holy fuck, did they like to feed me, and it was damn good. The service was top-notch, and my strange manservant, Liam, had my clothes put away and brought me a nightcap after he made sure the water was hot for my shower. I had a feeling he wanted me to ask him to join, but he never said a word to push me in that direction.

Had I been tempted? Yeah, the guy was good-looking, but I was bagged and just wanted to sleep.

Everything about this place was simple and relaxed but found a way to be more extravagant than even I was used to. I wasn’t sure how things melded together so well, but they did. This bed was another example. I was snuggled into the comfiest and largest bed I’d ever seen, and it could easily hold six people. The bathroom was larger than the one in my father’s mansion back home, and I swear the toilet tried to clean my ass for me.

Oddly, I was still having trouble sleeping.

No matter what I tried, there was an unease that was flowing through my body like hummingbird wings. My power was all over the place as well. One moment, it was quiet. The next thing I knew, my back arched off the bed as I balled the blankets in my fists and fought to keep it in check.

This place was also way too fucking quiet. I didn’t like spending that much time in my head alone, and all this detached-from-the-world bullshit with no wild parties gave me way more than I’d ever been used to. Growing up, I had three brothers in the house with me full-time. It was never fucking quiet. You could be in the middle of a shit, and one of them would find a way to get in the locked door to ask a question. My gaze found the window and the dark grey clouds floating like bobbing ships outside. The quiet was also when my ability to manipulate the freshly dead spirits simmered a little brighter inside me.

All the Adair men had the ability to connect with the spirits without a ritual ceremony, but it wasn’t something I practiced or welcomed. Nothing creepier than when you’re banging a hot girl, and you feel your long-dead relative in the room. Fucking pervs.

I was starting to relax and doze off when a loud clatter and laughing out in the hall had me sitting up and reaching under my pillow for my knife. The large wooden door slammed open, and a man stumbled in, laughing hysterically. Four stunning women wearing what looked like schoolgirl uniforms were draped all over him. It was obvious before the scent of alcohol hit me that they were drunk, but the distinct smell of a smoky bar reaffirmed the visual.

The guy looked up, our eyes locked, and I knew this was Rhys. I could feel the tug in my gut, a stirring in my heart and my cock twitched. He didn’t have to say a word for the buzz that had been a steady hum to amplify at the sight of him. I laid a hand over my stomach to try to settle the sensation. It was very difficult to runaway from yourself, but I felt like I wanted to try.

Rhys stood up straight. And despite wanting nothing to do with him, I could appreciate that he was fucking hot. Not good-looking, not even just all right. No, this man checked off all the boxes I craved in a male partner. Piercing, commanding eyes that locked me in. I forced my gaze over his body and appreciated that he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Every cut abdominal muscle, his hard pecs, and the defined arms showing had my mouth watering. Dark tattoos that stood out on his fair skin matched his black hair cut into a short mohawk. They covered the sides of his neck and travelled down the sides of his ribcage and arms. He wore leather cuffs, large silver rings, much like mine, and chains that jingled around his neck. But it was the black kilt wrapped around his waist, and the promise of what lay beneath that had my cock standing at attention once more.

Those silver eyes narrowed at me, and the room suddenly felt smaller. Rhys was a McGregor, which naturally meant he would be powerful, but what I hadn’t expected was just how strong this man was. And right now, he was pissed off. And I was the target. There was no denying the waves of angry heat rolling off him, and now that the initial shock was over, my anger rose to match.

“Feck me, forgot ya nicked me feckin’ room. Come on den, lassies, we best be headed ta da other side of da castle and let the pretty boy be gettin’ his rest.”

“Pretty boy? Fuck you,” I yelled, but the door was already slamming back into place.

Oh, fuck no. He did not just walk out and dismiss me. Leaping from the bed, I stuffed my leg into the pair of black jeans I’d tossed on the chair. Hopping across the floor, I managed to get the second leg on and pulled them up. My bare feet smacked along on the cool stone floor as I marched for the door and threw it open. The fucker and the sexy entourage were gone, but I could hear their laughter coming from the right. This place was a damn maze, and I suddenly wished I’d taken my uncle up on a more in-depth tour rather than opting to go to my room after dinner.

I stormed around the next corner and saw them as they made a left at the end of the wide hall. “Hey, asshole!”

I jogged to the end of the corridor and turned, only to find it empty and silent. This would’ve been unnerving to anyone else, but being accustomed to parlour tricks, I knew Rhys was masking them.

“Appreozo,” I said and waved my hand over the space.

The five of them appeared, but Rhys looked over his shoulder and smirked. “Petrobile,” he said, and I was instantly frozen in place.

Son of a bitch.

By the time the immobility spell wore off, they were long gone, and he had to be masking their route because no matter what version of a locator spell I tried, it wouldn’t work.

“Cock-sucking, fucking, unbelievable, arrogant….”

“Master, ya be all right?” Startled, I spun around at the sound of Liam’s voice. “Me apologies, Master. I din’t mean ta startle ya, but ya seem outta sorts.”