Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht

Author:Stina Leicht
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781597802130
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Published: 2011-01-19T05:00:00+00:00

“You’ll have to get back to the driving again,” Oran said. “You can’t hold the wreck against yourself forever.”

“I know,” Liam said.

“It’s been four months.” Oran stared into his pint while the pub clientele shouted and laughed around them. “Éamon has been very patient.”

“I know.” Liam had just gotten off his shift for the day, and the headache thumping behind his eyes was one of the worst yet. He’d argued with Mary Kate multiple times about getting in to see a doctor, but he’d held his ground. Eventually, the ache in his head died down and his vision was right again, but ever since the accident the headaches at the end of the work day had gotten worse.

Oran lowered his voice. “It has to be tonight.”

“I know.” Liam sipped from his pint. To drive again. Really drive. It’d been so long. Will it be safe?

“The job is in a few days.”

“I know.”

“Will you stop with the ‘I know’ already?” Oran asked. “You’re starting to sound like a parrot.”

“I know.”

“You wee bastard.” Oran shoved his shoulder. “You’re sound, all right.”

The sudden movement caused the ache in Liam’s brain to crank up a notch. He took a long drink of cider and prayed the pain would fade.

“You don’t look so good, mate,” Oran said.

Liam shrugged. “Bit uneasy, is all.”

“Everything good at home?”

Shrugging again, Liam said, “Hasn’t been great since, well… you know. We get on each other’s nerves.”

“She’ll come round. You both had a wee scare is all.”

Liam nodded. He didn’t tell Oran that he and Mary Kate hardly spoke to one another without it ending in a row. It’d gotten to a point that even the running didn’t help. His head hurt too much, and he was sick of thinking about it.

“Elizabeth says Mary Kate is learning to drive.”

“Aye.”

“It wasn’t your fault, you know. Bobby looked the car over. The fucking tie rod gave way. He feels terrible. You shouldn’t give up the racing.”

“I could have killed her.”

“You didn’t.”

“I could have.”

“How many times do I have to—”

“You weren’t there.”

“Maybe so,” Oran said. “But I know you. And I know you’d never hurt Mary Kate. Not on purpose. It was an accident.”

Liam looked away, his jaw tensing and his heart aching to compete with his head. Not on purpose. “Do you have a car in mind?”

“I do.”

“All right,” Liam said. “We’ll do it. Tonight.”

“Now you’re talking sense.”

Finishing off his pint, Liam stood up. “Think I’ll go home now.”

“Stay. Have a few more,” Oran said. “Relax.”

“Can’t,” Liam said. “Mary Kate will be home early, and I need to finish with the carburetor before she gets there. The fucking choke on that damned taxi gives me trouble once a week. I’d buy a new carburetor, but I’m paying Bobby for the RS.”

“He said you don’t have to. The insurance paid off.”

Liam shrugged.

“All right,” Oran said. “I’ll meet you on the corner at eleven.”

Getting into the taxi, Liam started the engine and headed home. Thanks to the choke, the engine died three times along the way because the idle was off, and it wasn’t getting enough fuel in the mix.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.