Page 5

Chapter Five

L orcan’s face twists with amusement. “I like that you’re straight to the point.”

“Why waste time?” I don’t take a seat. “I’m happy working for Carys, so your offer needs to be something special.”

“I’ve been seeking a female bodyguard—”

“Not interested.” I twirl on my heel, a calculated risk. The more resistance I put up, the less likely he’ll be to suspect me later. He’ll have won me over.

“Wait,” he says when my hand hits the doorknob. “I’m willing to go beyond the title for the right person. I understand you’ve been working very closely with Carys.” The lilt in his voice is back again, and my shoulders relax. There’s something in the cadence of his voice that could lure me straight into bed. Zaps the fight out of me.

“I have. I’ve earned my spot at her side.”

“What’ll it take to get you to come here, work for me?” In front of me now, he crosses his arms over his chest and gives me an intense stare.

“I like to feel important,” I admit. “Central, needed.”

He nods. “What I want you to do would do those things.”

“If it’s not a bodyguard, then what?”

His jaw tightens with tension. “You know my father was killed?”

“Yes.”

“You know the circumstances?”

“Yes.”

“Finn says it was a rival—the O’Malleys—they were hoping he and I weren’t strong enough to run my father’s territory.”

I search his face, trying to figure out where he’s leading this conversation. “Okay.”

“I believe it was Finn.”

I scan his face and posture for any indication he’s bluffing. “Why?” Everything in the file we have at the bureau points in another direction. The information on Carys and Lorcan’s connection wasn’t right. Maybe the bureau’s intel on who killed his father is also wrong. Keeping them from going to war might be harder than expected.

“I have my suspicions. Nothing I want to lay out right now. Would you be interested in helping me get to the bottom of it?”

“Why me? I’d think anyone who works here could help you.”

“Carys speaks highly of you, said you’re good at adjusting to changing situations quickly. Finn trusts very few people. He likes women. He likes strong, independent women. We don’t have a lot of those inside the organization.” Lorcan clears his throat. “And if he thought he was taking something I wanted, that woman would appeal to him even more.” His words are deliberate, giving me a chance to mull them over.

“If I discover it was him?”

“We go to war.”

“If it was the O’Malleys?”

“We go to war.”

I scan bookcases on the right, reading titles, but not taking anything in. There’s a series of filing cabinets behind Lorcan’s desk I’m itching to explore, and there’s a lockbox on the wall.

Of course I’m going to say yes, but it won’t be easy to keep everything in order. If war lies in either direction, and my goal is to avoid it, creativity will be the key.

“Your life will most certainly be in danger.” He rocks back on his heels. “In this line of work, that’s a given, though.”

“I’m well paid for that risk with Carys.”

For a moment, silence sits between us. “I want what I want. I’ll pay you the same, and I’ll double it all if you find out who killed my father.”

“That’s quite an incentive. What sort of proof do you expect?”

“Let’s go with the criminal justice standard, shall we? Beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“The highest standard of proof. You’re not going to make it easy.”

“I’m not paying you like it’s easy.”

All this bartering is for nothing. Perhaps it’s time I folded. The money doesn’t matter to me. “I’m in.”

His lips quirk up, and his one dimple peeks through. “Excellent.”

“I’ll fly back to Chicago today.”

“I’ll have you booked on a flight back to Boston for tomorrow. Does that give you enough time to pack up?”

“I travel light.”

“Even better. You’ll have your own wing of the house, and I’ll set you up with tasks which look like responsibilities. But your focus will be figuring out who murdered my father.” He meets my gaze, his hazel eyes intense. “Point the finger. Wage the war.”

“I understand.” There would be no wars if I could help it.

As Lorcan reaches for the door to dismiss me, he hesitates and gives me a sideways glance. “I implied this, but I want to be clear what you’re getting involved in.”

“You need me to pretend we’re… something to each other.”

“Yes, eventually. Finn will be more likely to take an interest if he thinks he’s wooing you away from me.”

“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?”

Carys sighs and focuses on the scenery out the window. “I know I seemed excited about the arms deal if they split. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell you any of this. The truth, the complete and utter truth, is watching them destroy each other would hurt my heart too much.” A wry smile plays on her lips. “You know, what’s left of it.”

I offer her a half smile. Her iron facade isn’t as pristine as she likes to think.

“I know them. I knew their parents. I can’t sit back and watch it happen.” She twirls one of the rings on her finger. “In the end, family is all we’ve got. All they have left is each other.”

Unbidden, the memory of my mother’s laugh rings in my ears. It never sounds the same anymore. For the first time, I wish I could be Kimi in this moment, confide, confess, and share my grief with someone.

“If you let them, they’ll destroy you. Don’t let it happen, okay? Keep your head in the game.”

My mind snaps back into focus, and I wink at her. “My head’s always in the game.”