Page 12

“Why? Why would he want to do that to you?”
“It’s complicated. Like all families.”
My mind drifts to my father, to my half-brother. “We all have our secrets.”
His face is grave before he opens the door. “Some secrets are best left in dark corners. Others, such as who killed my father, must come into the light.” With one hand, he motions for me to pass through the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Antonio isn’t in the corridor, but I remember how to get back to the front entrance. I weave through the house, and once I’m close enough, I hear Carys and Finn engaged in a heated argument. At the intersection between the halls, I peek around.
“Talk to your brother. Work together.”
“You’re not my mother, Carys.” His gaze drifts up and down her body. “Though, you were an excellent tutor.” Finn chuckles but it holds no humor. “Your voice means nothing in this house now.”
Her jaw tightens. “It means something to your brother.”
“He’s a fool. He trusts the wrong people. Lorcan’s going to get himself killed.”
“You’re impervious, are you?”
Finn steps closer to her. Moving from my listening spot, I call down, “Carys, thanks for waiting.”
He turns sharply at my voice and runs one hand through his platinum hair. Glancing back at her, he says, “You don’t know anything about me and my brother. Not anymore. Stay out of it.”
Throwing up her hands, she snatches her bag off the floor and hitches it onto her shoulder. In a huff, she opens the main door then leads the way to the car. I follow her at a less hurried pace, mulling over what went on between her and Lorcan and why she’d bother trying to talk sense into Finn.
I slide into the back seat of the car beside her and stare out the window, waiting for her to start talking. Carys likes her mental space, and I like quiet. We’re a good match.
“You said yes?” Her voice is soft.
“I did.” I cock my head at her. “You knew I would.”
“It seemed like something you’d have a hard time resisting. You’ve got a vibe that’ll be a nice change in that house.”
I laugh. “What’s that mean?”
“You’ve got a moral compass. You don’t make a big deal about it, but it’s there.”
“You’re getting sentimental on me.”
She peers out the window. “I’ve had a difficult time saying no to either of those men. Even when they were younger.”
I take a moment to absorb her comment, thinking about her exchange with Finn. “You and Finn.” Lorcan’s remark about Finn liking strong women makes more sense now.
“He almost got me killed when I was in my late twenties, a bit younger than you. I went to Ireland for business and to visit them when they were in university. For some reason, the age gap never felt like much once we got to be a certain age. Finn and I had been off and on for a while—no one knew.” She gives me a sidelong glance before returning her gaze to the window.
I wait in silence, hoping she’ll continue without prompting. If she was drinking, she’d tell me, but sober Carys is much more cautious.
“I went out to a bar with him, someone offended him, called him Casper. A nickname, a stupid one he hates. Finn went off, out-of-control angry, and I was stabbed in the brawl. Only an inch from certain death.” She fingers a place on her chest. “He never even came to visit me in the hospital. My parents cut ties with his family. I haven’t seen Lorcan or Finn for years.”
My intelligence person needs to be fired with a capital F. None of this should be a surprise. All of it is. “I shouldn’t have suggested we come.”
She turns sad eyes to me. “If I’d told you, I’m sure we wouldn’t have. But it’s been long enough. Sometimes we need to face our demons.”
I tuck my hands under my legs. Boston passes by the window in a blur. “We call them demons for a reason. Sometimes they’re best left in hell.”
“You seem like a person who faces her fears instead of letting them eat her alive.”
“Maybe.” I shove my hands further under my thighs. “Why’d you give me the choice to leave?”