Warrior

Chapter 19-3

“Just the lads we were hoping to see,” Niall said as they approached us. “How about a few hands of poker tonight?”

“Unless you have plans,” Seamus added, giving me a meaningful look.

I raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled.

“Celine was looking for you at lunch, and she had that determined look in her eye.”

I groaned inwardly. I had managed to avoid Celine for the most part since I returned, but she didn’t give up easily.

“What time does the game start?”

The brothers laughed and said we were meeting at Niall’s at seven. They headed into the main building, and I looked at Chris.

“Feel like sparring for an hour?”

He snorted softly. “You mean hiding, don’t you?”

“Something like that.”

* * *“I have to say I’m surprised to see the two of you sticking around for more than a few days.” Niall tossed two chips on top of the pile in the middle of the table. “Especially you, Nikolas. Can’t remember the last time you stayed here more than a week.”

I added chips to his. “Thought it was time for a change of pace.”

“Uh-huh.” Seamus snickered. “Or a vacation after running around Maine after a certain wee lass. Word is she led you guys on a merry chase.”

“You could say that.” Chris studied his cards before he threw them down. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at Seamus. “I’ve learned never to underestimate my little cousin.”

Seamus snorted loudly. “You two must be going soft. We’ve had no trouble with her since she came here. She tried to go off alone a few times, but we brought her back.”

“She wouldn’t have given us the slip in Maine,” Niall stated with a lopsided grin. “Right, bro?”

“Right.”

I laughed off their gibes. Niall and Seamus were fine warriors, but they were no match for Sara, even on a good day. Put them all together on her turf, and they’d be singing a different tune.

Niall laid his cards face up on the table. “Read 'em and weep, lads.”

Seamus harrumphed and threw down his own cards.

I spread out my straight next to Niall’s three queens, and he swore.

“You are the luckiest son of a b***h. You know that?”

I smiled because he didn’t know how right he was.

Chris dealt the next hand, and I went to pour another glass of Niall’s Scotch. When I came back to the table, Seamus peered at me over his cards.

“So, I heard a rumor about you working with the trainees. That true?”

“Only with Sara,” I said. “Tristan and I decided she would do better with someone she knows.”

Seamus tossed down two of his cards. “Hell. I’d train her if Tristan asked me. Wouldn’t mind seeing that pretty face every day.”

I studied my cards, pretending not to hear him.

“Maybe I should offer to work with her,” he said. “Free you up so you can get back to doing what you love.”

My jaw tightened.

“You go kill things, and I’ll show the lass some Irish moves. Win-win situation for both of us, right?”

The cards in my hand began to buckle.

“Ha!” Seamus gave Niall a victorious grin. “Pay up, bro.”

Niall’s mouth turned down. “You don’t even like that album.”

“I said it wasn’t my favorite one, but you know I like all of Johnny Cash’s stuff.”

“Since when?”

I stared at the two brothers with a mix of irritation and confusion.

“What are you two going on about?” Chris asked.

Seamus looked at me with a smug expression. “I told Niall you had it bad for the lass. He said she was too young and sweet to interest you. We made a friendly wager, which he just lost.”

“You don’t have proof he’s into her,” Niall argued. “He just might not want your ugly mug around her.”

Seamus snorted. “You do realize we’re identical twins.”

“I’m still better looking.”

I shook my head at them, used to their sibling banter. “Are we playing this hand or not?”

“Sure.” Seamus exchanged a look with his brother. “Let’s make this more interesting. Best hand gets to train Sara tomorrow.”

“Seamus,” Chris said with a note of warning in his voice.

I set my cards down, trying to ignore the heat rising in my chest. Seamus and I had been friends for years, and I knew he was only baiting me for fun.

“I have a better idea. Let’s duel over it.”

Seamus stared at me for a moment before he shook his head. “I like all my parts right where they are.”

“Good, that’s settled.” I picked up my cards.

No one mentioned Sara again, and the four of us had an enjoyable evening. Seamus and Niall would have played poker all night, but I left at ten to take a walk around the grounds, something I did most nights before I retired.

I was walking back from the river when Celine intercepted me. Most women I knew would have pretended it was a chance encounter. Not Celine.

“Have you been avoiding me, Nikolas?” she asked in a husky voice as we walked back to the main building.

“I’ve been busy since I got back,” I replied without answering her question.

“So I see. I hear you’ve been working with Tristan’s granddaughter. How sweet of you to help that unfortunate girl.”

She stopped walking, forcing me to stop out of courtesy. Her lips curled into a smile. “Why don’t you join me in one of my training sessions this week? The other trainees would be thrilled to work with the great Nikolas Danshov.”

“I’ll see if I can fit it in. I’m sure the boys would rather have you as a trainer though.”

She laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. “I think the two of us could give them a lesson they’d never forget.”

My Mori shifted angrily, not enjoying her closeness. It need not have worried. There was only one female whose touch I wanted, and nothing would change that. Soon everyone else would know it too, and Celine would have no choice but to end her futile pursuit of me.

“Nikolas, I was hoping to find you out here.” Tristan strode toward us, his shrewd gaze sizing up the situation. “I wanted to talk to you about a job.”

I frowned, stepping away from Celine. “I’m not taking on new jobs right now.”

He stopped and greeted Celine before looking at me again. “It’s in Boise, and it’ll take less than a day. Why don’t we go to my office so I can tell you about it?”

I nodded, and we bade Celine good night. She smiled graciously because she was a warrior first and foremost, and she understood the importance of our work.

“Is there really a job in Boise, or did you just say that to give me an excuse to leave?” I asked as the two of us entered the building.

Tristan chuckled. “There is a job, but we could have discussed it tomorrow. You looked like you could use a rescue.”

I followed him into his office. “I guess I owe you one. Tell me about this job.”