SIXTEEN KIERAN

Kieran allows Blackwood to pour him a glass of whisky before leading him over to a massive window as people slowly start to filter in through the terrace doors. Miles and Phoenix left moments ago, but Kieran"s mind is already racing with every horrific possibility and he has to stare out at the garden to stop himself from rushing out to follow them, find Miles, and get them both the hell out of there.

"A beautiful scene, is it not?" Blackwood asks, gesturing out to the garden, the softly glowing lanterns and tropical flowers waving in the evening breeze.

"Stunning," Kieran agrees, desperately wishing Blackwood would leave him alone so he didn"t have to talk. "You"ve turned the whole island into a fairytale."

"No fairytale is complete without its villain, though, eh?" Blackwood hums, nudging Kieran with his elbow and grinning widely.

Kieran laughs, not paying full attention to the man as he does his best to casually scan the room, hoping Miles will suddenly appear amidst the slowly gathering crowd. When Blackwood"s statement fully processes, though, he blinks, raking a quizzical look over the man.

"And who might that be?" he asks lightly.

"That depends on your definition of a villain," Blackwood says, shrugging carelessly and sipping at his whisky, gesturing to the people mingling around the room. "People are just prey and predators. The prey categorize the predators as villains. The predators are just living as they see fit."

Kieran swallows hard against the bile trying to rise up in his throat, disgust making his jaw tick.

"They have to have someone to blame, I suppose," Kieran sighs, sipping at his own whisky in an attempt to soothe his mounting anxiety.

What"s taking Miles so damn long?

"Exactly. They do," Blackwood crows, leaning in with that same wide, unsettling smile that makes Kieran want to recoil. "You seem to know it, my friend, but you are not prey." He claps Kieran on the shoulder, looking him over appraisingly. "I just don"t think you"ve fully realized your potential as a predator quite yet."

"Maybe I prefer to watch from the sidelines," Kieran refutes, tension building in his shoulders.

"With the right incentive, anyone can be pulled from the sidelines to join the hunt," Blackwood says, that smile never dropping. "I wonder what yours is."

Kieran bites his tongue to keep himself from answering, lifting his glass to his mouth again and shrugging in response. His thoughts drift back to Miles just as the door to the hallway opens, Phoenix leading Miles back into the room. Relief floods Kieran, and then his mouth immediately goes dry.

Miles looked good before the wine spill, but now he looks like he was gift-wrapped, burgundy silk clinging to his body as he moves, Phoenix guiding him toward the drinks. Kieran"s heart kicks in his chest, and he tears his eyes away from Miles, hoping Blackwood will fail to notice his reaction. When his gaze lands on the man, though, Blackwood is staring at Miles, hunger written clearly on the lines of his face. Kieran"s jaw clenches, possessive jealousy flaring bright in his chest, his fingers tightening around the glass in his hand.

"I think I"ll leave you to mingle for the evening," Blackwood says, not pulling his eyes from Miles for a second. "Do keep your eye out for anyone who ignites a spark."

Kieran blinks at him, wondering why the guy feels the need to speak so cryptically in his own house. He"s probably used to people trying to get dirt on him, which just makes Kieran even more anxious as he watches Blackwood cleave through the crowd, heading straight toward Miles.

He can do nothing but stand there by the window and watch, and it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Tossing back the rest of his whisky in one go does little to keep his frustration at bay.

"Another drink?" offers a voice from his side.

Kieran tears his eyes away from Miles to glance over, biting back a scowl when his eyes land on Yuri.

"You look like you could use one," Yuri teases, glancing meaningfully over toward where Miles and Blackwood are settling down on one of the plush couches, cozying up with each other.

"No thanks," Kieran declines with what he hopes passes for a witty grin. "I"m the designated walker tonight."

Yuri chuckles, clapping Kieran on his shoulder and shaking his head, pouring himself a glass of whisky.

"You"re much more straight-laced than I expected, Hollywood," he muses. "I expected you to know how to have some fun."

"Well, I have to behave sometimes," Kieran laughs, smiling thinly. "I don"t want to make a bad impression in front of Desmond."

It feels almost dirty to call the man by his first name. Kieran doesn"t like the taste it leaves in his mouth.

"Des might like you better if you slipped up a bit," Yuri says, shrugging. The words seem almost heavy, and his eyes flit unconsciously over to one of the statues. "He prefers it when he"s got a bit of a hold on the people around him."

Kieran follows the glance subtly, his eyes widening just a fraction when he notices a tiny security camera nestled in the shadows of the carving. Does the man film everything in the house? If he does, then he probably has cameras in the woods, too, which means he and Miles could already be in deep shit. It makes sense, though, to film everything. Blackwood would have to have some sort of dirt on people to keep them quiet, or he"d already be behind bars.

"Mr. Callahan?"

Kieran is broken from his thoughts before he has a chance to answer by a female voice, and he glances back from the statue to see that a group of women has surrounded both him and Yuri. They all look like models, elegant and beautifully dressed. He looks down at the woman who spoke with a raised brow, doing his best to appear welcoming.

"Oh my gosh, it really is you," she squeals, one of her friends patting her arm excitedly. "I"m a huge fan. Are you filming something here?"

Kieran forces a blush and grins charmingly.

"I can"t talk about what I"m doing here," he says apologetically, then winks subtly. "But keep your eyes out for something new coming up."

He tries to stay engaged in the conversation as the woman and her friends pepper both him and Yuri with questions, but his eyes keep returning to Miles. He"s pressed right up against Blackwood on the couch, giggling and leaning in. Kieran answers a question in a way he hopes is charming and attentive, but he can"t stop himself from glancing back.

Blackwood"s hand now rests on Miles" thigh, and Kieran"s jaw clenches in fury when he sees it trail up an inch. He needs a distraction, but he can"t pull his attention away.

Miles is just doing his job, Kieran knows that. This is what they"re here for in the first place, but watching Miles bite his lip and lean in closer as Blackwood whispers into his ear makes him want to cry, scream, storm out, and drink himself blind so he can forget the sight entirely. He can"t do that, though, not even when Miles" lashes flutter and he shifts a centimeter closer to Blackwood. He has to keep an eye on Miles, that"s his job. They"re on an assignment and he needs to keep his emotions in check, but it"s so hard when Miles looks like this, when he"s so close and still so far away.

"Is it true that you and Isabella Illane are dating?" one of the women asks.

Kieran laughs, shaking his head and grinning down at her.

"No, ma"am," he denies. "I"m a free agent."

The women all titter and flutter their lashes at him, leaning in just a bit closer, but Kieran"s eyes find Miles again, and his brows crease in concern. Miles" eyes are drooping a bit, and he"s leaning back from Blackwood with his hand on his stomach, shaking his head and looking apologetic. He stands, and Kieran is moving before he can even mutter out an apologetic excuse to the women and Yuri.

"Just a moment," he calls back as an afterthought, already striding toward Miles.

He looks just slightly unsteady on his feet, swaying almost imperceptibly as he walks toward the terrace. Kieran joins him halfway across the room, looking at him with concern. Everyone is glancing at the two of them, pretending not to glance at them, but Kieran doesn"t care. Miles tugs at the sleeve of his shirt, and Kieran follows him toward the terrace obediently.

"Need to get some air," Miles mumbles.

Kieran can feel Blackwood"s eyes on them with every step they take.

When they make it to the terrace, Miles gasps in a deep breath, and Kieran takes a good look at him. He"s panting now that they"re out in the open air, and he looks pale and feverish.

"Hey," Kieran says quietly, ducking down to look into Miles" eyes. His pupils are dilated and his eyelids are trying to slip closed. "Hey, Miles, what"s going on?"

Panic starts to build in Kieran"s chest as Miles continues to breathe heavily. The hand wrapped around Kieran"s wrist is clammy, and Miles shivers when a breeze passes over them.

"I"m ok," Miles slurs.

It"s not at all comforting.

"I got it," he continues, grinning proudly at Kieran.

Kieran blinks down at him, confused, and opens his mouth to ask what that means, but Miles lifts a shaky hand to tap against his own belt buckle, smiling. Kieran glances down, the confusion lingering for a moment, but when the realization clicks, his eyes widen.

"Yeah?" he whispers.

Outrage and relief battle in his gut, and he sighs at the thought that they can finally be done with all of this. He never wants to see Blackwood"s filthy hands on Miles again.

"Yeah," Miles chuckles, nodding. His words are still slurred, but he seems to be clearing up a bit. "He said he"d love to help me get a few more roles, and asked me to do him a few favors in return. I asked him what kind of favors and he squeezed my thigh, said they were the kind where I moaned his name and looked pretty, promised that I"d like it."

Kieran"s vision almost immediately goes red, and he has to tense every muscle in his body to stop himself from storming back inside and beating the life of Blackwood here and now, rage bringing goosebumps to his skin. Miles doesn"t seem to notice, though, pressing a hand to his stomach and moaning in discomfort. Kieran"s wrist feels cold when Miles finally releases it.

"I think he put something in my drink," Miles says, laughing shakily. "My head"s spinning."

Kieran swallows down his anger and focuses on his concern, pressing a hand to Miles" forehead. He"s warm, but not worryingly so, and he"s a bit clammy.

"Do you need a doctor?" he asks.

Miles shakes his head no, leaning back against one of the railings and breathing deeply.

"I just need to lie down."

The door opens behind them, and Kieran uses every ounce of self-control to stop himself from snarling at Blackwood as the man joins them outside.

"Is everything alright, my friends?" he asks.

"Miles doesn"t always handle his alcohol very well," Kieran answers, smiling coldly. "We should really head out, anyway. We have an early morning."

Blackwood"s brow furrows, and he coos at Miles sympathetically.

"I couldn"t let Miles leave when he"s like this," he says, shaking his head. "Let"s get him into a bed. I"ll call a doctor and have him seen to."

Kieran swallows down acid, hating the way Blackwood talks about Miles like he"s not even there. Miles cuts him off before he can say anything though, his voice weak and shaky.

"I"d really hate to throw up on your sheets," he says bashfully. "And we do have an early morning. The fresh air on the walk back and some sleep will do me some good."

Kieran can tell Miles is having a hard time putting words together, but he"s putting on a good show of being pretty coherent. Blackwood stares at them both for a moment, and the hairs on the back of Kieran"s neck stand up. It almost feels like he"s just going to up and pounce on them like some kind of wild animal, but then that awful smile makes an appearance, and he claps his hands together.

"Of course," Blackwood says, his gaze intense on Kieran. His eyes flick to Miles for a moment, raking over him, then back to Kieran, and he winks. "Make it back safely."

Kieran nods, breathing a sigh of relief when Blackwood disappears back inside, and he herds Miles toward the stairs. He just wants to get the hell out of there.

"C"mon," Kieran says, guiding Miles down the driveway and back out onto the beach. "Let"s get you in bed."

Miles is less talkative now, leaning against Kieran"s side as he follows obediently along. The shivering stops a few minutes in, and Kieran can feel his breathing slowly return to normal. It seems like the nausea fades a bit, too, and Kieran hopes that whatever Miles got slipped won"t last too long. He has an arm wrapped around Miles" waist to keep him from falling every time he stumbles over the uneven sand, and he does his best to ignore how warm and solid Miles is against his side. His hair smells like warmth and spice, and it tickles Kieran"s jaw with every step. He keeps his eyes firmly on the horizon as they walk.

He"s never been so grateful to only have to walk a mile before in his life.

"Miles, do you know your passcode?" Kieran asks, pulling them to a stop on the deck in front of Miles" bungalow.

Miles looks up and blinks as he takes in his surroundings, like he didn"t realize they were already here. He giggles drunkenly and reaches out toward the keypad. His hands are shaking less now than they were on the terrace, but he still gets his passcode wrong twice. The lock finally clicks open on his third attempt, and Miles looks up at Kieran with a bright smile.

He looks drunk out of his mind. It"s kind of cute, honestly.

Kieran ushers him inside, closing the door and locking it behind them as Miles pulls away from his side. By the time Kieran pulls the curtains closed and turns, Miles is already sitting on the edge of the bed. He"s looking at Kieran in a way that makes his mouth go dry and his heart pound in his chest.

Miles is flushed high across his cheekbones, smiling sweetly at Kieran. When did the top buttons of his shirt get undone?

Kieran"s head swims as he makes his way closer to the bed.

"You need to go to sleep," Kieran whispers, stopping in front of Miles. He feels almost like he"s walking through a dream. "Let"s get your shoes off."

Miles blinks up at him innocently, and then he reaches up, twists his hand in Kieran"s tie, and tugs him down. Kieran"s hands hit the mattress on either side of Miles" hips, and his eyes flit to Miles" mouth, hardly an inch from him.

He wants, with everything in him, so badly it hurts, and he looks back up into Miles" eyes.

"We should celebrate," Miles murmurs, warm breath hitting Kieran"s lips. "Don"t you think?"

Kieran"s entire world stops for a moment, his whole body screaming at him to just lean down and close the distance between them, to take what Miles is offering. It takes every ounce of strength he has to disentangle himself from Miles, his heart aching and his hands shaking as he tugs his tie free from Miles" hand.

"Ask me again when you"re sober," he whispers, his voice strained.

He hopes it comes out like the plea that it is.