Kieran let the bottom of the whiskey bottle clink against the countertop, because he was watching Jude react to this. His expression was grave. He knew it hadn't looked good, but he also had not — anticipated being caught. (That he was thinking of this as being caught was also not good; he had been on the back-foot of their interactions for several hours now, and it was not a feeling that Kieran particularly liked.)

"Haven't you heard of a cure being the hair of the dog that bit you?" Kieran asked, raising an eyebrow and putting on a crooked smile that he hoped managed to bely a confidence he didn't feel.