Not exactly a resounding invitation. She continuously felt like his siblings pushed him to spend more time with her than he planned. It was especially weird coming from Brendan given their history.
An hour later she was driving to the address Ronan had texted her, a variety of hot wings stinking up her car. The neighborhood was more upscale than where they’d grown up. Tall apartment buildings and condos lined the streets. Trendy restaurants sat on corners. She pulled into the parking garage and found a visitor spot.
She could’ve just told Ronan to come to her apartment when he was done. Why did she offer to meet here?
She sighed. She wanted to help. Juggling the food, she walked up to the front door of a six-story building and scanned the bells for Brendan’s name. Using her pinky, she rang. A moment later, the door buzzed and she pulled it open. By the time she reached the elevator, the doors slid open and Ronan stepped out.
“Hey. I came to help.” He reached for the bag of food and turned to catch the elevator door, but was too late. He pressed the elevator button again.
He didn’t say anything else, so she asked, “Why are you guys meeting here?”
“Cahill keeps showing up unexpectedly at my house. We can’t risk him seeing our research.”
“What do you mean keeps showing up?” The elevator arrived and Ronan held the doors as she stepped in.
“He showed up the first time Brendan and I were comparing notes. The same night I told Brendan your idea for the barbecue. It was weird but it was about a side job. But then he showed up at the barbecue.”
That she knew about. It was why he’d been glad she hadn’t been there from the beginning. They would lose their edge if Danny Cahill saw her hanging out with the Doyles.
The elevator stopped and Ronan led the way to Brendan’s door.
“Do you think he suspects you’re digging into your father’s disappearance?”
Ronan opened the door and held it with his foot as she followed. “We have to assume so.”
“Assume what?” Brendan asked.
“That Cahill’s onto us.”
Brendan grabbed the food from Ronan. “I haven’t had these in years.” He winked at Chloe. “You’re proving to be more useful than I thought.”
“That’s me. Bringer of hot wings.” She scanned the apartment. The building was on the new side and Brendan had a fully furnished apartment. It was a striking contrast to Ronan’s run-down, bare house.
Brendan paused in tearing open the bag at his breakfast counter. “I’m sure you’re much more than that.” He stared pointedly at Ronan.
“Of course.” The look Ronan gave her was filled with heat.
Her cheeks warmed. “So what have you learned?”
The guys loaded paper plates with wings and they all sat around a small round dining table.
“Aren’t you eating?” Ronan asked.
“I ate at work.”
He opened his mouth but then quickly closed it without comment.
“We got some information about the Cahills,” Brendan said. “Twenty years ago, Danny was an addict and his father was a dirty politician.”
None of that seemed too surprising. “What does that have to do with your dad?”
The brothers shared a look for a minute, and she thought they weren’t going to tell her. It was Brendan who tilted his head as if to get Ronan to spill.
Ronan put down the wing he’d been gnawing on. “We think Cahill was bribing people to get votes. He probably used our dad to deliver the bribes.”
Her brain rapid-fired possibilities. Had he taken money and run? Had the wrong people found out? But why do something to Michael Doyle? She shook her head. This wasn’t a cable TV show. This was real life. While she never really thought their dad ran off, money was a good motivator. “Do you think he stole from them?”
Ronan’s mouth formed a grim line. “No, we don’t. We’re still trying to figure out how it all fits.”
“What can I do to help?”
She didn’t think it was her imagination when his face softened. While Ronan and Brendan ate, they rehashed the conversations they’d had with the older guys on the crew. Besides the warnings they’d received, they also heard some stories about their dad. They recounted those tales and laughed. It was such a different side to Ronan. She loved seeing it.
Her heart lurched at the thought. No. There would be no love here. She knew it. He knew it.
Now she just needed to make sure her heart knew it.