Chapter 18

Tag

Istand with Aiden in the cool shadow of the morning, the pea gravel underfoot crunching softly beneath our feet as we process the confrontation about Laine's money out on the driveway.

"I know why you did what you did, but it wasn't your call to make, mate. If you think I'm missing something, tell me. Don't act outside of my orders, and don't ever involve Siobhan in my business. You know I don't like her, and I have good reason. Believe me when I tell you she's a wily, deceptive player."

"Agree to disagree."

"And that's your prerogative in your personal life, but not in mine."

"Understood. I'm sorry for it and it won't happen again. I just thought she might get the woman to reveal something. Siobhan is one of our best infiltrators."

"All she did was piss Laine off and make my life more difficult. She's playing you, brother. I've lived it. I've seen it. And I just hope you realize it before she shreds you."

His lack of response ends that line of conversation. "All right. Next problem."

He holds out his hand and his next revelation catches me completely off guard—a tracking device, small and ominous, in his outstretched hand. "I sweep the trucks every morning. This is from yesterday…likely last night," he states firmly, his eyes fixed on me, gauging my reaction.

"And you think it's Laine? When did she have the chance?" I ask, my voice even, though inside, my mind races.

Laine involved in this? It seems far-fetched.

Aiden's frown deepens. "Maybe while she was spying on us tossing the McGuire boys into the back of the van?" His tone suggests he doesn't fully believe it himself, but he's not ready to dismiss the possibility either.

I shake my head, more in frustration than disbelief. "You're reaching, mate. She's a tourist, not a spy. She's here because she left a deadbeat husband two days ago and got swept into my life. She's not Mattie's attempt at Mata Hari."

"There's something at play here, Tag. I feel it." Aiden's usual calm demeanor is edged with a hard line of tension. "I'm asking you to consider that the woman isn't who she says she is and get some distance from her until we know what the McGuires are up to."

He's my second in command for a reason—loyal, smart, and he tells me things I don't always want to hear. I trust his instincts, even when they go against my own desires.

Still, the thought of Laine, with her haunted eyes and quiet strength, being part of anything underhanded chafes against everything I've seen of her.

"Fine. I'll keep my eyes open," I concede, pinching the bridge of my nose in thought. "But keep Siobhan away from Laine and out of my house. I won't have her interfering in my life. We're not seventeen anymore, and while she's a female, she's definitely not innocent. My patience will only stretch so far before it snaps."

Aiden nods, his expression smoothing into that controlled mask he wears so well. "Fine. That's fair."

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."