To Love A Wild Irishman

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Cassandra waited over an hour for Finnegan to return. She felt confused and she was hurt. She had been certain that she and Finnegan had been preparing to share something special and then man had had to tend to Seamus and he'd come back different...changed. It was almost as if he was scared of her and regretting what they'd shared and perhaps even what he'd said.

Did she believe the words he'd said while consumed with passion? Yes she did. She had a feeling Finnegan was being more honest in those quiet moments than he had ever been before in his life. So why then was he gone now?

Seamus could probably answer that.

Cassandra felt her temper flare and her jaw tighten. Seamus had probably said something to Finnegan to make the man put distance back between them and Cassandra was going to find out exactly what it was.

Quietly she slid open the door and peeked down the hall. Darkness had fallen heavily outside and most of the train seemed to be sleeping so thankfully the hall was deserted. She slid the key into Seamus' lock and quickly opened the door before slipping in and closing it behind her.

She turned and very nearly laughed at the angry expression on his face. It made him look every bit an annoyed child. "Honestly, Seamus, you brought this upon yourself. If you would have simply agreed to not go to my father then we never would have had to tie you up so."

Seamus' response was what sounded like a muffled curse behind his gag and a glare.

"I'm going to ungag you now because I have a question I need you to answer and I am no good at deciphering grunts." Cassandra stepped to him and put her hand on the fabric around his mouth. "Do you promise not to scream?"

Seamus rolled his eyes as he nodded and Cassandra quickly untied the cloth. Seamus took several deep breaths of fresh air threw his mouth and licked his dry lips. "Why don't you untie me now too?"

"No." Cassandra perched herself down on the tiny sofa across from the bed. "I cannot trust you to not tell my father I'm on this train."

"But you trust Finnegan?" Seamus sighed as he adjusted his hog-tied body so he could see her more easily, "I am merely trying to do what is best and safest for you. Finnegan is doing what is best for him and his treasure."

Cassandra winced when Seamus hit that nerve. That was the one sensitive area that Cassandra had when it came to her relationship with Finnegan. Was she here because he truly wanted to spend time with her or was it only because he thought she could read a treasure map that she could not truly read. She supposed she would find out the answer to that question when they reached Montana and Finnegan learned the truth.

"You can say what you want, Seamus, and I will pay it no mind," Cassandra replied, picking a bit of string off her blouse. "Your opinion matters little when Finnegan has allowed me to walk free and has you hog-tied, gagged and locked away."

"Don't let him take advantage of you, Cassandra," Seamus warned. "Finnegan might act as if he cares about you but what he cares about is bedding lasses, money and whiskey and when he looks at you he sees two of those things. You're a pretty lass he can add to his list and you're leading him to treasure. At the end of all this you'll be left behind and Finnegan will go on about his life as if you never existed."

Cassandra called on all the years of schooling she'd had in training her emotions to keep a straight face and not let Seamus see how badly his words had hurt her. She smoothed out her skirt, crossed her hands on her lap and simply offered him a smile. "For someone who has spent the last few years of his life chasing his brother you certainly do not seem to know him well at all. Finnegan is a good man, yes he has vices that hold him back at times, but he has a good heart and would not take advantage of anyone in the way you are suggesting he is taking advantage of me."