Caomhnóir - 19

I can do this. I don’t know how, but I can. It’s the least that I can do to avenge Keegan.

That thought ran through Thom’s mind over and over as he tried to figure out how he could reach Alasdair and then destroy him as he had destroyed Keegan. He knew where the ceannasaí was, that part was no problem.  His place of business, if that’s what it could be called, was on the top floor a highrise building at the edge of the downtown area of the city. Ostensibly Alasdair was a high-powered lawyer with associates and the rest of the rigmarole that went with that. 

The creature, as Thom now thought of him, a word he would never have used in reference to Alasdair until an hour ago, also had a large home just outside the city limits. It was there that Thom had had his one and only meeting with him. That had been almost six years ago when Keegan had insisted that Thom and the ceannasaí should get to know each other. It had been obvious to Thom from the moment Alasdair had set eyes on him that the man considered him riffraff, someone not worthy of Keegan’s attention, to say the least of his love. Keegan had disagreed with Thom’s assessment of the situation, saying that was just his ceannasaí’s way. Thom was quite certain that was not the case.

Throwing himself down on the sofa, he stared up at the ceiling, not seeing it but rather remembering all his time with Keegan. As he did his grief overwhelmed him and he began to sob inconsolably. After what seemed hours he was finally empty of tears.

It was then that he had the first rational thought since his last words with Darius. He sprang to his feet, calling himself every kind of fool. The bastard had played him, and done it well, so well that he had believed Darius without question. He should have known better, he knew exactly what Darius was.

“Did he know that I’d want to do something as stupid as trying to go after Alasdair,” Thom growled to himself. “That would be a death sentence. For me, not Alasdair. Damn him!”

His first impulse was to track Darius down and do to him what he’d wanted to do to Alasdair. Then he shook his head, vaguely amused at himself for even considering that. The bastard Caomhnóir would be no easier to kill than Alasdair. In other words, it would be impossible.

But there was another alternative, once Keegan returned. And deep in his heart, now that he was thinking rationally again, he knew the man he loved would come home. They would deal with Darius and, some way, somehow, end what he was doing.

With that thought, knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment, Thom dragged himself upstairs, suddenly more exhausted than he could ever remember being. He fell into bed, not even bothering to undress, closed his eyes, and slept.