War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,79
sounded like his mum and dad when they argued. Like an old married couple.
Conall rubbed a hand over his face, feeling the thick bristle of a beard forming. He needed to shave, and eat, and he needed to sleep.
And he needed to not be a bastard to Thea just because he was totally and utterly fucked in the head. The big one and the little one. “Sorry,” he sighed. “Just restless from driving so long.”
“I told you I’d take a turn.”
“It’s fine, lass. I’m going to wash up before we head down to dinner.”
The restaurant was busy with moody low lighting and a Scandinavian casualness in its simple furnishings. As they sat opposite each other at the small table Conall dwarfed, renewed tension fell between them.
Thea was the first to break the silence as they waited on their food. “Tell me more about Pack MacLennan.”
So Conall spoke of his people and of Torridon, of life in the Scottish Highlands, and his role as alpha and CEO. “Sometimes I tire of all the paperwork but it’s a small price to pay for our blessings.”
“I can’t exactly imagine you stuck in an office, signing contracts and going through accounts.” She smiled wryly at the thought.
“You’re not wrong. I visit the distillery as much as possible. I like to help there when I can. And my delta, Mhairi, runs our fishing company out of Loch Torridon. Sometimes I go out and help her crew. I also volunteer with Scottish Mountain Rescue. Anything to be out of doors.”
“And to save lives.” Her expression was searching, serious, and worse, admiring. “Don’t sell yourself short, Conall. You do it to help people.”
He shrugged. “I’m stronger. I can help where others cannae, I suppose.”
“So you’re not just about your pack,” she teased.
“Dinnae be fooled, Thea. Callie was the one who talked me into volunteering.”
She laughed, and Conall watched.
It was hard not to.
The tension lingered between them as they seemed unable to look anywhere but at each other. Yet conversation was easy as they ate, sharing childhood stories and more laughter than he thought possible after the violence of the last few days. Only days between them and yet it felt longer. Much longer.
“Without the memory of my parents and of Amanda, I think I might have become something different.” Thea tried to hide the sudden bleakness in her eyes by lowering them to the table. “As it is, you know I don’t always do the right thing.”
Conall knew instinctively she was talking about her thievery. He’d judged her for it, inwardly and outwardly. What a wanker he was sometimes.
“I’ve never had to survive day to day with no money the way you have. In fact, I’ve been lucky enough to never worry about money at all. I’ve no right to judge you, Thea. I cannae say I wouldnae have done the same if our roles were reversed. And we both know you could have used your talent for mind trickery, to live a life of luxury, if you’d wanted.”
Thea gave him a sexy little smirk. “Don’t think too highly of me, Conall. Remember how this ends.”
Like he could forget. “Aye. I remember.”
“So your grandfather started the whisky company?” She abruptly changed the subject. “That’s where all the money comes from?”
When he explained GlenTorr’s history and spoke more of its unexpected success, Thea admitted she’d never tasted it. Upon hearing that, Conall led her to the bar after dinner.
Sure enough, they had a bottle of his whisky.
“You have to try it.”
“I’ve never tried any whisky,” she confessed.
“Well now, you definitely have to try it.” Conall ordered one whisky with ice and the other straight.
“How come I get ice?” Thea frowned.
“Waters it down a wee bit. Trust me, you’ll be glad for it.”
“If you can drink it straight, I can drink it straight.”
Conall grinned at her indignation. “Fine.” He changed his order.
And then laughed when Thea took a gulp and spluttered when the burn hit her chest.
She shot him a filthy look. “You could have warned me.”
“Now where would the fun be in that? Sip it, lass. A whisky is to be nursed, not downed.”
Doing as instructed, Thea sipped at the drink.
“What do you think?”
“It’s smoky. It’s weirdly nice,” she said.
“We dry our malted barley using peat smoke,” he explained, and then his attention caught on a drop of whisky glistening on her lower lip. Conall reached out without thinking to catch the drop on his thumb. Thea tensed at the intimate action.