Chibs was grateful that Tig was subdued the next morning and willing to drive. Chibs had slept little and then spent the early dawn hours writing a long letter to Aoife, explaining why he had the tattoo that had precipitated the whole mess. He knew that if he gave up now, without trying to salvage what he could have with her, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Chibs had enough regrets already. He didn't want to add Aoife to that tally, and when he got back to Charming, he was going to try to see her one last time. If she refused, he would leave the letter to explain himself.
In addition to the letter, Chibs brought two other gifts – or were they peace offerings? – a book of Robert Burns poetry he had already bought for her birthday and a dozen red roses. He parked his bike around the corner from the coffee shop so that he wouldn't startle her. Using his side view mirror, Chibs smoothed the wrinkles in his shirt and straightened his cut. He combed his hair and hung his sunglasses on the front of his shirt. To seem less threatening, he secured his gun in a hidden locking compartment under his bike seat. He had a blade or two on him in case of emergency. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tucked the letter inside the book of poetry. He carried the roses in his other hand.
It was 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon, an hour before closing, a usually slow time at the shop. Chibs walked up the steps, and froze. The "closed" sign had been turned in the window so recently that it was still swinging, but the lighted sign over the door was still on. A chair near the register was knocked on its side. He tried the doorknob – unlocked. Aoife religiously checked the windows and doors when she closed every afternoon – he had watched her do so many times. The hairs on the back of Chibs' neck prickled as his intuition screamed that something was wrong. Chibs set his book and roses down silently on the front steps and slid inside the door quietly. He was about to call out Aoife's name when he heard it – voices too low to be intelligible in the office, but one was definitely Aoife, and she sounded terrified. Then there was a thump and she cried out.
Chibs slipped swiftly through the shop to the office area. The thug had Aoife backed up against the wall with a knife to her throat. She had a number of slashes dripping blood down her arms, and there were marks on her neck where she had been manhandled. Aoife's eyes widened as she saw Chibs.
Chibs put a finger to his lips and pulled a switchblade from his pocket. The blade barely made a sound as it popped out, and then Chibs commanded. "Put the lass down." The thug turned his torso at the sudden noise, his blade leaving Aoife's throat, and she brought her knee up into his groin. As the goon was crouching in pain she pushed him away hard and darted left, towards the desk. Before he could consider following her, Chibs was between them. The goon sneered at Chibs and slashed suddenly with a second blade, catching Chibs' side.
"Chibs," Aoife hissed behind him. "Step aside." Chibs was too focused on keeping himself between the foe in front of him and her, and he heard but didn't register what she was saying. "Chibs," she repeated. "Filip!" His real name startled him, and Chibs glanced at her and then deftly stepped right. The thug, misperceiving his moment, went for Chibs and looked surprised when Aoife fired three shots into his chest. As he dropped, Chibs looked at Aoife in respectful surprise.
"I didn't know you had it in you, lass."
"You – what are you – why are you -?" Aoife couldn't form a complete sentence. Chibs dropped the switchblade and crushed her body to his chest, engulfing her in his arms. "You saved my life."
"Thank God you're safe, lass." Chibs looked down at her and kissed her forehead, nose, and cheeks.
"You saved me," Aoife repeated, dumbfounded. "You - you aren't here to kill me?"
"To kill you? Why on earth would I be here to kill – dear God, lass, that's why you've been so frightened of me? You think the IRA sent me to kill you? Lass, I'm not IRA anymore. Haven't been for a long time." Aoife was crying tears of relief too hard to speak, and Chibs made soothing noises into her hair as he continued to hold her close. "Love, why would you think that? Why would they be trying to kill you?"
Aoife swallowed hard before she wiped away the tears on her face. Her azure blue eyes searched Chibs'. Finally, she answered his question. "Because I killed two of them."