A Terrible Misunderstanding (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 6)

“You have no idea what you are talking about. You know nothing,” Niall snapped.

“I have known you for the better part of ten years, Niall,” Harry reminded him. “Are you telling me that I have told you everything about me, yet you have lied to me about yourself?”

“No, of course not,” Niall sighed, forcing himself to soften his stance against his long-time friend. In fact, all the men were his friends. He relied on them to keep him alive and would fight to protect them in return.

With a sigh, he looked to his right and left and felt a solidarity that reminded him why he was refusing to make changes to his life. He couldn’t imagine working with the local team. While he respected the local men of the Star Elite, he couldn’t envisage trusting anybody else with his life as he did these men.

“I don’t intend to join the local teams when I wed either,” Harry sighed. “I would rather stay single.”

“Here here.” Niall contemplated that. “Do you intend to wed?”

“I would if I met the right woman. Life just hasn’t been that kind yet,” Harry admitted ruefully. “Don’t you ever just want to take your gun off and relax a little? You know, go home and share your life with someone whose feet don’t smell from being in boots all day and whose life is largely spent in the shadows?”

Niall smiled. “It would be rather nice to be able to sleep in the same bed for a little longer than a few weeks.”

“Life as a married man working for the Star Elite is possible. You just have to find the right woman, who has to be very understanding.”

“Have the patience of a saint.”

“Possibly some understanding of the work we do.”

“Not mind us being gone for several weeks without warning or idea of where we have gone or when we will be back.”

“Someone who is perfectly capable of running our homes while we are away.”

“It isn’t much to ask of a woman, is it?” Niall muttered ruefully.

“At least Atticus Potter’s daughter knows about the Star Elite.”

“And she has experience of the kind of work we do because she has been dragged into our investigation.”

“Plus, she knows why your work will take you away for long periods of time often without giving her having any idea where you are.”

“Moreover, she has people around her in Serpentine who will keep her company and help her if she runs into problems,” Will countered.

The men riding alongside him all nodded.

“What trouble?” Niall demanded briskly.

Will grinned. “Well, she does have a penchant for getting herself into trouble, doesn’t she? She will need a helping hand occasionally.”

“A woman like that isn’t going to be alone forever. While Erasmus isn’t the kind to appeal to her, someone will soon enough. Don’t let her slip through your fingers. She might be the love of your life,” Rhys suggested.

Niall opened his mouth to instantly dispute that Clara could ever possibly mean so much to him but couldn’t think of a single word of objection. When he tried, Niall instinctively shied away from uttering the words that would condemn his future. Clara meant more to him than that. He couldn’t lie to his colleagues. Moreover, he couldn’t lie to himself. He was starting to fall in love with Clara Potter.

“It can’t be love,” he whispered.

Wisely, none of his colleagues said anything. Instead, they waited for the penny to drop and Niall to contemplate how he truly felt.

“What do you plan to do with Erasmus?” Harry asked several miles later.

“Make sure the man knows to keep his hands off her.”

“Shouldn’t her father do that? He is her guardian, after all,” Rhys argued.

Niall threw him a dirty look but didn’t answer. Instead, he tugged the collar of his cloak up to his ears and huddled into his saddle while he contemplated life, his work with the Star Elite, and whether he was strong enough to stay away from Clara Potter when he eventually reached Serpentine.

“I hate villages,” he growled when the village in question appeared on the horizon.