Shoot to Kill
Disclaimer: I do not own Cahills vs. Vespers.
Since when had Amy gotten a boyfriend? As Sinead cut the connection with Amy, Ian sat back in his chair, frowning. Why did that idea bother him so much? It was just Amy. Except for occasional Madrigal business, he hadn't given more than a passing thought to her in two years, since the end of the clue hunt. He huffed scornfully at the thought of relationships. Who had time for that? Relationships of any kind, even with his best mates, didn't even show up on his radar lately. Ian hadn't had time or energy for anything other than simply surviving. He'd had to earn money to live on, keep up his grades at school and take care of Natalie, a task he'd obviously been woefully inadequate at.
Worry for Natalie came crashing back down on Ian, and along with it, frustration and anger. They didn't have time to deal with Amy's stalker boyfriend right now, they needed to be trying to rescue his sister and the other hostages.
All this introspection flashed through his mind in a moment. When he looked up he realized Sinead was studying him, eyebrows raised, arms crossed, and an intense look of curiosity on her face.
"Shoot to kill? That was kind of harsh, don't you think?"
"Not particularly, no. We Lucians are trained to shoot first, ask questions later."
"Do you have a problem with Amy having a boyfriend? You seem kind of upset."
Ian really didn't feel like talking about this right now, so he snapped back angrily at her.
"Not at all. I just think Mr. Stalker-what's-his-name…Edgar?…needs to realize that Amy has a life that doesn't revolve around him. She shouldn't be dating an outsider anyway. Cahills should be with Cahills. That's the only option that makes sense."
"Really? When did you become such an expert on relationships?"
Ian looked away to hide his discomfort, but refused to dignify her accusation with a response.
"Well," Sinead challenged, "since you know so much about Cahill dating traditions, why don't you go let Evan know what's up. Or actually, don't. Evan's a really nice guy. Amy's worked very hard to keep him separate from her Cahill life, and I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate you butting in."
"You mean she's lied to this guy and kept secrets from him? Good for her. Maybe she hasn't completely lost her senses after all."
"You are such a Lucian! What kind of a sick compliment is that? Unbelievable." Sinead turned abruptly away from Ian in disgust. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before she felt she was able to face the cold, brainwashed jerk sitting next to her and continue their conversation rationally. "Anyway, the police are still down there holding Evan and waiting to know what to do with him. We need to tell them he's a friend and they can let him go."
"Let me take care of this. I know exactly what to say. But Amy had better fix this. I don't want to keep wasting precious time dealing with lover-boy down there." Ian was eager to leave the confines of the attic and Sinead's ruthless curiosity and get some air. At least he'd be doing something, even if it was only getting rid of Amy's boyfriend. Amy's boyfriend. Something about that phrase made him shudder slightly.
Ian took a quick look in the foyer mirror to check his appearance before making his way down to the gate. He straightened his tie, ran his hands lightly over his perfectly styled hair, and brushed off his already immaculate suit. He put on his most confident art-dealer expression and smirked at his reflection. Yes, he knew exactly what to say.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. How may I help you?" Ian's cultured voice was the epitome of assurance and control. He nodded politely to the policemen, then shot a quick glare at Evan.
"We caught this young man here loitering around the property, sir. What would you like us to do with him?" The sergeant looked at Ian with respect and waited for his instructions.
"I just finished speaking with Miss Cahill and was authorized to inform you that this boy is a friend, and is therefore not a threat. But he needs to know that he can't keep wandering around here, cluttering up the property. Miss Cahill is involved in something very important at this time and cannot be disturbed." He made sure to emphasize the word "involved" as he leveled Evan with the full power of his threatening glare.
Evan glared back at Ian and balled his hands into fists at his sides. He was about to respond with something just as inflammatory, until the meaning of the words sunk in, and then he realized what Ian had meant. Evan's expression changed quickly from defiance to confusion, hurt and sadness. He finally understood what had been going on the last few days. He, Evan, had been demoted to "friend" and Amy was now going out with this suave, super-model guy. But why? What was going on? First there was that freak attack on the bus, then she started avoiding him, and now this guy was shooing him away. Why didn't Amy just tell him in person? And how had it all happened so suddenly? He'd thought they were so happy together. It just didn't make sense. He needed to get away from here and think this through. Evan refused to look at Ian as he finally found words to respond.
"Oh. Okay, I get it. I'll go now. You can tell Amy I said bye." To the policemen he said, "I'm sorry for any disturbance I caused. I didn't mean to be any trouble. It won't happen again, I promise." With that he turned and shuffled away dejectedly, looking exactly like what he was – a guy who'd just had his girlfriend swiped by Mr. Universe.
Ian watched Evan leave, a satisfied smirk gracing his face. He thanked the policemen politely, then turned to head back to the mansion. That was one problem taken care of, hopefully for good. Now Amy wouldn't have her boyfriend distracting her and they could all focus on the real problem – finding and rescuing the hostages.
The End
A/N: Yes, I'm finally back with another Ian story. I don't know why, but he's the one I get inspired to write about. It isn't my best story, but I just had to write this after reading Medusa Plot. It is so obvious that Ian resents Evan and tries to get him to split up with Amy. Ha, hope for us hopeless fangirls! If only Evan wasn't so - nice. Ugh. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this. Please let me know if you did, or didn't, or if I got something completely wrong. Thank you soooo much to JanusGirl101 who beta'd me with a very accurate and ruthless eye, and to SparklyHippo3000 who gave me lots of encouragement. Love you both!