Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 (2 page)

Several minutes later, his anguished cries echoed across the mountain, chilling her blood further.  She increased her pace, hobbling blindly, trusting that the angels that had somehow presented her with this opportunity would also see to it that she got out of here alive.

That faith was severely tested when Kiara no longer felt the ground beneath her feet.  Pedaling frantically and finding nothing but air, she offered one last fervent prayer.  “Dear God, please let this be the end of my Hell, one way or the other.” 

When she felt herself losing consciousness before the impact she was certain was coming, she gave a deep sigh of relief, knowing her prayers had been answered.

1
0 Years Later, Pine Ridge, Pennsylvania

Jake Callaghan had people three deep at his bar.  Every booth and table in the popular Irish pub was occupied, any and all available floor space crammed to capacity.  The music was loud and raunchy, as was the growing crowd.  His younger brother Ian was beside him, doing his best to keep up with the high demand.  Ian didn’t have the skill and finesse of his more-experienced brother, having tended only for a few months, but his exceptional good looks and devilish, easygoing manner more than made up for it. 

While the Pub rarely lacked for business – it was a favorite among the strong local Irish community – this was Homecoming weekend for the large state university located only an exit down the interstate, and it was packed wall to wall with exuberant alumni.  Traditionally, this extended holiday weekend was second only to the week-long Finnegan’s Wake celebration over St. Patty’s Day in terms of crowds and mayhem, and this year was no exception.

“Where the hell is Kayla?” Jake muttered as Ian reached for one of the frosted mugs in front of him.

Ian shrugged, pulling down the tap on the draft. “Dunno.  She pissed at you again?”

“Yeah, probably.”  Kayla was the only female bartender – and the only one not related by blood – that Jake allowed to work in the Pub.  She was very attractive, slim and sexy, and popular with the males who frequented the place.  She was also Jake’s occasional hook-up, though he knew he was by no means the only name on her dance card – a card which often included his brother, on his own or as a favorite third. 

What they shared was more of an arrangement of convenience than a bona fide ‘relationship’.  It seemed the older Jake got – his last birthday pushed him past the 30-year mark - the less he was into playing all the games.  There was no shortage of women who would have liked to be in Kayla’s shoes, but sex with Kayla was easy and uncomplicated. 

At least until recently, anyway. 

Lately it seemed that Kayla was no longer satisfied with their open arrangement, pushing Jake for more than he was willing to give.  Even Ian had picked up on the shift, suggesting on more than one occasion that Jake consider making some adjustments soon, lest he find himself collared and leashed. 

Ian had been kidding, of course, but the warning came through clear enough.  Ian needn’t have worried; there was no chance of
that
happening any time soon.  The most attractive thing about Kayla was that she was (nearly) always willing and readily available, no strings attached.  If that changed, well, then maybe it was time for them both to move on. 

Jake completely understood Kayla’s blossoming need for more, but he did not share it.  He liked her and cared for her, just not in the romantic sense.  He encouraged her to do what she had to do to be happy.  The fact that he didn’t seem at all bothered by the thought of her moving on seemed to piss her off more than anything.  It was becoming increasingly apparent – to both of them – that Kayla’s feelings for him had grown beyond the casual, physically-based affinity he had for her. 

Jake silently cursed himself for the hundredth time for being short-sighted enough to ask Kayla what was bothering her the night before.  It brought things to an ugly head, the end result of which had Kayla stomping angrily out of the Pub.  It was also most likely the reason she didn’t show up to work tonight.

She was pissed at him.  He got that.  But this was one of the busiest times of the year for them.  The fact that she was willing to screw him by not showing up only further cemented his belief that Kayla was most definitely not the kind of woman he could see himself growing old with, assuming, of course, that he did grow old at all.  That was not a certainty by any means, given that he and his brothers worked covert ops off the radar from time to time when government agencies were tangled in red tape. 

Still, if he was a smart man, he would have waited until
after
Homecoming to re-assert that little slice of reality.  Especially since the rest of his brothers weren’t expected to return from their latest mission until sometime tomorrow.

On the larger scale, Jake was beginning to doubt he would ever find the right woman.  His views were too old-fashioned, his requirements too stringent.  To truly capture his heart, a woman would have to be fun and intelligent, angelic on the outside but naughty on the inside.  Someone who was not afraid to live life, but mature enough to know what was really important.  She’d have to be easy to look at, too, but she didn’t need to be beautiful.  He’d had plenty of gorgeous, sexy women.  He’d learned through experience that he wanted something more than just physical beauty.  He wanted someone he could spend hours just talking to.  Someone whose eyes would light up at the mere sight of him.  Someone soft yet fierce of heart.  Feminine but not needy. 

Someone who would be by his side at the fucking bar when he needed her even if she wasn’t speaking to him.

The crowd roared their approval as Ian deftly flipped a fifth of Patron behind his back and up over his opposite shoulder.  Even Jake had to smile as Ian took a deep bow.  At least one of them was in the right frame of mind.

* * *

T
aryn Malone pulled the jacket around her a little tighter.  The early October night had a bit of a chill to it.  It wasn’t raining, exactly, but she felt the lightly falling mist right down into her bones.

She tried not to think of where she would spend the night.  It was Friday night, her car was in the garage, out of commission until possibly Monday - more likely Tuesday with the Columbus Day holiday, and she had less than ten dollars in her pocket.  It wouldn’t have been a problem for most people.  All they would have to do is whip out their credit card of choice and settle in for a few days of rest and relaxation in what looked to be a nice little town.  But Taryn wasn’t like most people.  She didn’t have any credit cards, or ID of any kind. 

Because Taryn Malone didn’t exist.

Her hair started curling into loose ringlets as the mist fell upon it, a trait she’d inherited from her mother, or so she’d always believed.  She shivered as the cold curls bounced against her neck, knowing that pretty soon she would be soaked through.  What she needed was a warm place to dry out for a bit before she found herself a little nest somewhere. 

Her stomach growled hungrily.  She reached into the backpack she always carried with her and pulled out an apple, thankful she’d bought the bag of fresh-picked Fujis at the little roadside stand the day before.  This would be it for a while.  A hot, satisfying meal would not be an option tonight.  She looked longingly at the 24-hour IHOP across the street. 
Maybe tomorrow
.

She had no idea how she was going to pay for the repairs on her car, either, but she didn’t tell the mechanic that.  He was just a young guy, maybe eighteen, apologetic because he couldn’t get her up and running again right away.  The hundred dollars in cash she had to pay for the tow pretty much wiped her out. 

Taryn sighed.  She should have just abandoned the car and hitchhiked, though the way her luck was running lately, she would probably have been picked up by a state trooper.  As bad as things were now, that would be worse.  In Taryn’s world, avoiding anyone in law enforcement was imperative. 

She looked around the quiet, small-town setting.  At least if she was in a city she could find some kind of work – there was always someone somewhere who needed temporary help and didn’t ask too many questions.  But this place looked like Mayberry.  Old, established.  Clean. 
Nice
. 

She shivered again, tossing the apple core into the park off to the left for some hungry squirrel to find.  She paused, scanning for a place she might be able to hole up for a few hours.  On the far end was a bench beneath a sprawling maple, but she quickly dismissed it as too visible.  Anyone walking or driving by would spot her, and this was definitely not the kind of town where people would simply turn up their collars and pretend not to notice.  But what about on the other side of the tree?  It was a possibility she locked away for later consideration.  She was too restless, too anxious to think about bedding down just yet.  And she needed to chase some of the chill from her bones first.

Taryn pulled one hand from the warmth of her pocket to finger the Celtic cross she wore around her neck on a thin piece of leather cord.  “If you’re listening, Charlie,” she murmured, “I could sure use a little guidance here, because I just don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

She waited in silence for some indication, some sign – anything – but sensed nothing.  With a sigh, she started walking again.  “That’s okay, Charlie.  I know you’d help me if you could.”

Two blocks later she began to hear the pounding bass.  Three blocks later she heard the guitars and vocals that went with it.  By the fourth block she found herself under the dark green and white-striped awning outside of Jake’s Irish Pub, feeling the vibrations of the music and laughter through the soles of her well-worn shoes.  Old-fashioned lantern lights burned brightly, bathing the sidewalk in a warm glow.  A peek inside the windows showed a mob of happy, smiling people.

Her eyes were drawn almost immediately to the large man behind the bar.  He had to be six-four, six-five at least, maybe more.  His shoulders were broad, with a heavily-muscled chest and arms clearly visible as they pressed against the light blue button down shirt he wore.  His hair was so black it was almost blue, reaching down to extend slightly past his collar. 

She lifted up onto her toes and strained to catch another glimpse as waves of people moved in and out of her line of sight.  He appeared again, and her heart beat a little faster.  But when, against all probability, he turned to the window and the deepest, most intense blue eyes she’d ever seen locked on hers, it stopped completely.

He couldn’t actually see her, she told herself.  Not through all those people, not through the tinted glass into the darkness.  Yet something in his expression seemed to change.  Surprise?  Puzzlement?  Curiosity?  She didn’t know. 

The man behind the bar kept his eyes locked on her.  Another man, remarkably similar in appearance but slightly smaller and likely younger, tapped him on the shoulder.  The man said something, and soon the younger man was looking out at her, too. 

* * *

“D
o you know her?” Jake said quietly to Ian.  He stared in fascination at the woman standing outside in the rain.  The glow of the lanterns created a prismatic effect in the mist, creating a nimbus around her head.  With those big eyes and curls framing her face, she looked like an angel.  An angel with the most wistful, haunted eyes he’d ever seen.

“Nope, never seen her before,” Ian said after a brief glance, pouring two drinks, one with each hand.  When Jake still hadn’t moved, Ian handed the drinks to the patrons and looked back at him.  “Hey, snap out of it, man,” he said, snapping his fingers.  “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a little busy in here.”

Jake turned away just long enough to tell Ian where to get off, but Ian was already at the far end of the bar.  When Jake looked back to the window, she was gone.  Without thinking, he started for the opening that would put him out on the floor and eventually out the door.  Ian grabbed him by his forearm.

“You’re not fucking serious,” Ian hissed quietly in his ear.  “Jesus, Jake. What the hell’s gotten into you?” 

Jake blinked, stopping in his tracks.  What was he thinking?  He had a full bar of paying customers.  He was short a bartender.  He couldn’t just walk out and leave Ian behind the bar alone.

“Hey, you alright?”  Ian asked, concerned as Jake reversed direction and resumed his former position at the far end.  Jake nodded, though he wasn’t quite sure.  Something didn’t feel right.  He tried to shake off the feeling.  “Yeah, just tired.”

“Well, wake the fuck up, brother.  Your public awaits.”

Jake pushed thoughts of the mysterious woman from the forefront of his mind and threw himself back into the fray, taking two or three orders at a time, moving with fluid economy and practiced precision.  No matter how fast he moved, the demand only seemed to grow right along with the crowd.

* * *

H
e had been looking right at her with that strange expression on his face.  He couldn’t possibly recognize her, could he? 

The second he looked away, she beat feet past the Pub until she was out of sight.  She looked back over her shoulder, half expecting to see him coming out after her.  She paused, but kept at the ready.  She could be damn fast when she needed to be.

She waited for several minutes, but there was no sign of the man from the Pub.  The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was probably overreacting.  She was thousands of miles away from where she started out.  Too many years had passed; there was little if any chance that anyone would recognize the girl she had once been in the woman she now was.  She kept her only really identifying characteristic well concealed. 

Yep, she decided.  She was paranoid, probably due at least in part to the fact that she was cold, hungry, and tired.

She had to admit, though, the man’s reaction had her curious.  No one had ever quite frozen like that at the mere sight of her.  Without conscious thought, she began to move slowly back toward the Pub.  She had to look, just one more time.