Deklan

“Frustrating woman,” he says. “You can come with me today. You are the topic of conversation for the morning anyway, so you might as well be a part of it.”

“I am?”

“Yeah.”

“About my father and the kidnapping?”

“Yeah. Now get yourself ready so we’re not late. I’ll tell Brian to meet us at the house.”

Deklan takes a roundabout way to the Foley mansion, constantly checking his rearview mirror for anyone following us. I glance back a few times myself, but I never see anything. Deklan is obviously tense, and I’m afraid to ask why. I have the feeling he might decide to turn around and take me back to the apartment if I say anything.

Brian is getting out of his car as we pull up. Deklan slams on the parking brake and jumps out of the car, heading straight for him. As Brian starts to greet him, Deklan hauls back and punches him in the face. Brian falls to the ground, grabbing his mouth as a trickle of blood runs out between his fingers.

“Don’t you ever leave my wife alone again!”

“I’m sorry, Dek! Sean told me to—”

“I don’t give a shit what Sean tells you!” Deklan reaches down and hauls Brian to his feet by his collar. “You tell him I said you can’t leave, and I will deal with the consequences. You get me?”

“I…I got you, Dek. I swear!”

“You better.” Deklan grabs my hand and starts to haul me up the front steps. I look back at Brian and mouth an apology to him. He shrugs as he gently rubs his chin, and I get the idea this isn’t the first time Deklan has punched him. Brian pokes at his busted lip as he follows behind us.

“What’s she doing here?” Sean asks as we walk into the study.

“This concerns her,” Deklan says. “Besides, I think she can help out. She already has once before.”

“What? We got a translator now?” Sean laughs. “What’s next? A sous chef?”

“She can help Teagan out, too.”

“You good with computers?” Teagan asks me.

“I know my way around.”

“I could use the help.”

“What the fuck?” Sean rolls his eyes and tosses his hands in the air. “Whatever. She can at least hang around and be eye candy. Sit, sweetheart. We’ll work out the details later.”

Once we sit down, it’s all business. Sean sits in his wingback chair. Teagan leans against the desk and taps on her phone, and Brian and I sit on the couch in front of Sean. Deklan takes his place standing next to Sean. No one mentions Brian’s bleeding lip as Deklan explains to Sean and Teagan what he found out about my father’s involvement with the kidnapping.

“Let me get this straight,” Sean says as he leans back in his chair. “You are telling me that Cormick O’Conner—Kera’s own father—arranged her kidnapping just to fuck with me?”

“I’m not sure he saw it that way,” Deklan says. “He did it for the money. He did it to get out of debt with your father and hoped to walk away with the ransom money too. I’m sure he saw a lot of opportunities opening up with the thought of Kera marrying into the Foley family as well.”

“And you got all this from that Grange dude?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is he dead?”

“Not yet, sir.” Deklan pauses and glances at me before continuing. “I still don’t know who he is working with now.”

“How much of this did you know about?” Sean says as he turns toward me. “Were you in on it the whole time?”

“She was tied up in the hold of a fishing boat, Sean,” Deklan says. “I don’t think anyone does that to themselves. Besides, she was only fourteen.”

“I don’t know.” Sean stands up and crouches in front of me. His eyes dance with lightning as he gazes at me, and my stomach churns. “How badly did you want me, baby?”