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“How are you finding it? Lorcan seems to care quite a bit about you.”
“He’s a decent guy.”Understatement.“Finn’s a puzzle.”
“Mmm…” Carys pushes a stray strand of hair into her braid. “Puzzle. That’s a good word.”
“One minute he seems kinda okay, and the next, I’m wondering why he has to be such a jackass.”
She laughs. “He hasn’t changed much.” She gives me a wistful smile. “That was a lethal combination for me when I was younger. I could never quite get a beat on him. Did he like me? Did he only like sleeping with me?” She takes her lipstick out of her purse to apply another thin layer. “Then I almost died, and I realized figuring him out wasn’t worth the pain.”
“Should I trust Finn?” This question has been spinning in my head since I got home and realized what he did. Of course, I don’t trust him, but I’m not sure whether I should be pretending otherwise or if suspicion is the right way to play him.
Her lips twist. “How so?”
“He set me up today.”
Worry filler her amber eyes. “To be shot at?”
“He asked me to piss off Zhang. Then we got shot at when we left.”
“Why?”
“Supposedly, he thinks it’ll unite him and Lorcan against a common enemy.” I can’t tell her about Malik, but him being trapped between the two organizations is a consideration.
“Because he went after you.” A frown creases her brow. “He thinks that’ll set Lorcan off.”
“I don’t think it will, though. Lorcan’s affection for me is partially staged.” I’m so comfortable with her the words slip out before I moderate them.
“Partially staged?” Her eyebrows shoot up. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into?”
If she knew the layers on top of layers, her head would pop off. FBI; dead brother; dead Mafia don; dead mother; and Malik.
“I’m not sure. Lorcan has an agenda. I thought he told you, and that’s why you agreed to let me leave?” It never occurred to me he might have given her a different version.
“He told me he didn’t know who to trust since he thought his father’s death was an inside job. He needed fresh eyes to help him catch a killer; protect him.” Carys gives me a sly smile. “How could I resist?”
I laugh. “A man in distress.”
“I know. I’ve got a soft spot there.” Her eyes dance with laughter. “He looked so handsome when he asked, and you like that kind of crime-solving thing. You were keen to root out moles in my organization.”
Only to deflect attention from me. Perhaps that worked too well. “You take on anyone new?”
“You’re hard to replace. I’ve had a few moments when I considered calling and telling you to come back.”
“No luck?”
“I didn’t like the woman I hired. She was too nosy. Too into my business. I had to fire her.”
“Oh.” That must have been Yssamae. She hadn’t been my first choice, but with my sudden exit, the bureau thought she’d be a good fit. “Do you want me to suggest someone else?”
“Do you know someone else?”
“I’ll think about it.” I wonder if I have the heart to set her up knowing how much I like her.
“Who else do you think is coming to dinner?” Carys tucks another strand of her hair into her intricate braid.
“No idea,” I say. “It’ll be a surprise for both of us.”
She frowns. “I rarely appreciate surprises.”