Read The Becoming Trilogy Box Set (Books 1-3) for Free Online Page B

Liath’s hand fall with a strained smile, trying
to call up details that were forever imprinted in her desire’s eye. ‘Tall,
ridiculously tall, and broad, giant muscled mass of annoying ...’ The noise in
the back of her throat was a scoff, remembering his arrogance, his laughter at
her choice of weapon, his hands, tongue, teeth. ‘He had a little bit of a Jack
Sparrow thing going on, with the dreads,’ her hands moved to her hair, twisting
strands absently, ‘grey eyes, like polished steel.’ Could you sound more
like a romance novel? Why don’t you tell her about the size of his ‘gun’ too,
while you’re at it?
    The other woman had gone
surprisingly still, regarding Ash strangely with her soft, jade eyes. Had she
said the gun part out loud?
    ‘What?’ Ash asked.
    Liath’s brows perked up in
immaculately tweezed arches and her smile crept up with them. ‘He wasn’t a
thief.’ Four words and Ash’s heart hammered up.
    ‘Oh God, he’s a drug lord or
something, isn’t he? Part of the Irish mafia? Do you have an Irish mafia? You
know him?’ What she really wanted to ask wasn’t for polite conversation and
something fanged and green-eyed was gnawing at her gut.
    ‘I know him. He lives in the
basement of your building. He looked after Mrs DeMorgan’s dog for her, walked
him, fed him. He helped her with a bunch of stuff. The lady didn’t get out
much. She’d have given him a key.’ No wonder the blonde hesitated. What a thing
to tell someone. That a stranger has a key to where they sleep. Looking
sheepish, Liath dropped her gaze and cloud-light dread tumble-weeded through
Ash’s stomach. She waited for a confession. And she wasn’t disappointed.
    ‘I ... may have told him you
were here. But only so he wouldn’t worry after the dog.’ The words were rushed
and followed by a deep inhale. ‘I didn’t think he’d go in without knocking, but
Connal doesn’t always adhere to the rules.’
    Ash’s brow furrowed at the
name, recollection stirring. Her grandmother had said that exact name, the only
thing clear in her rambling, and Liath knew him well, it seemed, better than
she let on. For a second, Ash contemplated asking her about the tattoo. If she
knew what it meant to him. If she’d seen it anywhere else. But that would lead
to two things she wasn’t sure she wanted to know or be known. Firstly, her
neighbour didn’t need to know that she’d practically stripped the guy, Connal,
before she’d freaked out. Secondly, she didn’t want to examine the green
beastie whispering that this female may have seen more of him than Ash had.
     ‘Well ...’ Slightly
mollified that her neighbour didn’t seem all that terrified of her intruder,
Ash sniffed and cranked her jaw up. More than a little embarrassed she’d caused
such a fuss, she forced an edge to her voice. ‘He needs to learn some goddamn
manners. He can come and apologise whenever he’s ready. I promise I won’t hit
him again.’
    ‘You hit him?’ Liath’s face
blanched. ‘With what? Is he okay?’
    ‘With a ...’ lowering her
voice, she mumbled, ‘frying pan.’ Ash shook her head. ‘He was fine when he
left. I doubt I caused any permanent damage.’ Though he could be laid out in a
hospital somewhere still seeing tweety birds and resting off a concussion. Or
suffering a severe case of whiplash. She’d slammed on the brakes of their lust
mighty damn hard. ‘Maybe,’ Ash hesitated, ‘if you see him, you could give him
my apologies? And teach him how to knock?’
    ‘You can tell him yourself,
love. When he isn’t getting off his face drunk at Form, he’s usually wandering
around with a scowl and a hangover. You’ll undoubtedly see him.’ Liath wore the
face of disapproval, but it turned to a smile when she met Ash’s eyes. ‘He’s
more bark than bite most of the time, you shouldn’t need to hit him again when
you see him.’
    ‘Lovely.’ Ash snorted, two
hands tunnelling her hair back from her face as she exhaled,