“He used his daughter’s inheritance.”
“Of course he did,” he says with a snort.
“There’s more.”
“Well, spit it out.”
“It was with the requirement that I marry his daughter first.”
The door to my office opens, startling me from my carefully planned explanation. Four familiar men stride inside, and that’s how I know my carefully laid plans have gone to shit.
CHAPTER 20
CATRIONA
“Shouldn’t you go with him?” I spin to Mara and Eamon and send them an accusatory glance.
“He doesn’t need a babysitter,” Eamon says, as though this is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard.
“We’d only make it worse.” Mara’s pinching brows and her inability to look away from the doorway where O’Connor disappeared belie her words.
“You’re makingmefeel worse,” I grumble into my glass, frowning when I find it empty.
“Aiden knows how to handle Cian Lynch. You’re better off keeping away until it all settles down.” Eamon scoots over to Aiden’s vacated seat and wraps an arm around my shoulders. The caramel and coffee scent that seems to follow him everywhere envelops me. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll keep you company.”
“Fantastic,” I murmur, scanning the faces around me for my family—and Devin Franklin.
Father could never turn down a good opportunity to schmooze and the crème de la crème of society is out en force. But it’s always possible his disdain for me will outweigh his desire to network. Maybe I put too much faith in his insatiable greed.
“Looking for someone?” Mara asks with an all-too-knowing smirk.
“My father. You haven’t seen him around, have you?” I figure it wouldn’t hurt to have more than one person looking out for him. Wherever he is, Devin is sure to be.
“Ugh, pass. I’m going to go find a drink.” In a swirl of perfume, Mara gives us her back and strides away.
“Charming woman,” Eamon says fondly at her retreating figure. Then he turns to me. “Tell me about that best friend of yours. Is she coming tonight?”
I slide him a glance, distracted from my frenetic searching. “Nooo,” I say, drawing out the word, then lowering my voice. “Why do you want to know? Is your wound still hurting you?”
“Is she always so prickly?” he asks, avoiding my question. He tosses his hair back, but there’s no denying the way he focuses on me, waiting for my response.
He’s not… interested in her. Is he? My eyes bulge. “Yasmine? She’s not prickly. She’s very direct, especially when she’s working. Don’t get any kind of ideas. She’d chew you up and spit you out.”
He rubs a thumb over his lips, and I can’t tell if that horrifies or entices him. “Pity she’s not here. Playing with her would keep me out of trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?” But he’s already pushing to his feet and striding away. I blow out a breath. O’Connor’s friends are the worst.
I don’t want to sit at the table all by myself so I lurch to my feet, the hulking bodies of Bren and Tadhg following at arespectable distance. I barely even notice them anymore. Oh no, I’m starting to get used to having them as my shadows. The weight of the ring on my finger hardly even bothers me now. I sleep like a goddamn baby in his bed.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, but I can’t think about that right now. I have to keep focused. I have a mission tonight, and it’s not to worry about O’Connor or his psycho friends.
“You certainly look the part,” says a voice that has me stopping in my tracks. My shadows do the same a few feet away.
Elizabeth rounds a column with a glass in her hand. I almost laugh at myself that my first thought is that she’s too young to drink. Father has given her a glass of wine with dinner for the past decade. The older sister impulses are getting old. She’s never cared for my consideration, so why is the urge always there, just underneath the surface?
“Bethie.” I haven’t called her that since we were kids. We’re in the center of the room. The last thing I want to do after the mess of our last public outing is make a scene, and she seems primed to throw down. “I’m glad you’re here. Can we talk?”
“Why would I want to talk to you? You humiliated me in front of everyone.”
