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As he walks away, I stand a moment longer, the weight of the tiny device heavy in my palm.
If Aiden’s right, then I’m harboring a snake. But if he’s wrong, I’m doubting a woman who might just be as much a victim as she claims.
I turn the device over in my hand, contemplating the next move. Keeping Laine close might be more than just a matter of desire now; it could be the key to uncovering what’s really happening.
I pocket the device and head back into the house. My earlier determination to send Laine on her way shifts. Instead, I need to watch and wait, to see what truths come to light.
My strides grow smoother and more assured the closer I get to my office. Now that I’ve decided not to send Laine away, a bit of the pressure has eased in the center of my chest.
How can a woman I met less than twenty-four hours ago matter so much to me?
I need to find out.
When I arrive outside my door, the conversation between Finn and Laine drifts through the open door. It’s just meaningless chatting about the property and Irish weather, but the exchange seems so effortless between the two of them.
They’ve hit it off.
That both pleases me and raises my ire. I want to be the one who makes her chuckle about local fairy lore. Does she prefer Finn to me?
I roll my eyes. Now I’m being stupid. It’s a good thing that they get along. Maybe Finn can get through her walls a little and show her that we’re more than the mafia family of Dublin north.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” I breeze into the office and head straight to the cabinet safe that Aiden has access to. I open the crafted wooden doors and expose the modern security box behind.
“And while I’m sorry for Aiden taking liberties, Laine, I assure you, I knew nothing about it.”
I twist back to gauge her response to my apology and only get an arched, manicured brow in return. “That either means you’re lying or your boy went rogue. Neither bodes well for you.”
I bark a laugh and press my hand over my heart. “A direct hit. Wow. You don’t pull punches, do you?”
“Not really my style, no.”
I finish unlocking the safe, and the heavy door gives a creak as it swings open. And there, in neat, bundled stacks of American currency, is Laine’s sixty grand. “Et viola, your getaway money.”
It takes two hands and two trips from the safe to the desk to set her cash in front of her, but when I’m done, she has simmered down some.
“I won’t thank you, because you simply returned what is mine. I do appreciate you returning it, though.”
“A fine distinction, but I’ll take what I can get.”
When her gaze meets mine, I do my best to let her see I’m trying. Maybe then, she’ll give me a break and stop throwing up blocks.
“So, what now?” Her gaze searches mine as she sets a hand on her money.
“Now, Finn will help you track down your family and the two of you will spend a lovely day in the Irish countryside.”
She blinks. “What? Why? No.”
I raise my fingers to stop her argument. “The McGuires lit a fuse last night, luv. I must respond to it. I’d rather you not be anywhere near Dublin today. Finn’s a bit of a wizard when it comes to finding what’s lost, so allow him to be your escort and enjoy a day with your mam’s people. It’s win-win.”
Laine’s gaze narrows on me for a moment before she surprises me. “Fine. We’re looking for Maeve or Patrick O’Neill. From what I have from my mother, they’re now in a little town along the eastern coast not far from Brittas Bay.”
I meet Finn’s gaze. “And off you go, little brother. Take the Range Rover, keep me updated, and both of you enjoy some time away from the chaos.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Laine
Iwalk back upstairs with Tag, both of us carrying an armful of my money. There’s an anxious tension between us that wasn’t there before and even though distancing myself from him is exactly what I need to do, I don’t like it.
