“Yeah?”
“Fuck, yeah. I hate dinner parties and I can patch myself up.”
She laughs at this. God. I fucking love that sound. Then, she squeezes me tight. “You think I’m sexy?”
I laugh. I know she heard everything I said, but I understand her attempt to break the intensity of this conversation. “Uh, yeah. After everything that just happened, that’s a big surprise, I know.” She pulls back to smile at me. “And, apparently, youlikeme.” I can’t help the grin that breaks out across my face.
“I kinda thought you’d forget that part.”
“Uh-uh. I may tattoo the date of that admission on my bicep.” I flex a little and she laughs. God. I need her giggle on a soundtrack.
Unfortunately, my smile fades when my father’s name flashes across my phone. Although I’m tempted to ignore him, I think better of it and answer the call, an apology to Taryn on my face as I do.
When I end the call, I can’t help my look of trepidation when I tell her, “We’re being summoned to the O’Tooles’. Something has happened.”
TARYN
Something is wrong. Really wrong. Gráinne shows Liam and me back to that same stupid library where Liam and I sat together on the night of our engagement party. Until I saw Gráinne’s face, my biggest concern had been missing my afternoon classes. She looks sick. She keeps sneaking peeks at me as she escorts us down the hall.
Liam comes to an abrupt halt when we’re almost to the study door. “What the fuck is happening here, Gráinne?”
I suck in a breath, and her eyes widen at his tone. I don’t blame her. This doesn’t sound like the friendly guy everyone knows.
“I can’t say, Liam.” Her voice is hoarse.
“Can’t or won’t?”
She swallows. “Both.”
He makes a low noise in his throat, and I squeeze his bicep to comfort him. “I’m sure it’s fine. Right?” I give my friend a tentative smile.
Gráinne bows her head. “I’ll be here for you when the meeting is over.” Her eyes are full of apology as she looks back at me. Holy shit.
Liam wraps his arm around me and pulls me into the room. Oh wow. We should have stayed in the hall. Rowan is in deep conversation with my father and oldest brother. In fact, Da is too animated with ruddy cheeks and his hands flailing about as he tries to make some point. Liam’s father is pacing at the other end of the room while one of the Chicago guys I met at Titus, Darragh, tries to calm him. Everyone stops what they are doing when we enter.
“About goddamn time,” Liam’s father barks. I want to point out that we left shortly after we got the call and that Rowan’s estate isn’t right around the corner from St. A’s. Instead, I wisely keep my mouth shut.
“What’s happened?” Liam’s voice is strained.
“We finally found out why the Greeks are so well funded,” his father erupts. “You want to tell them why, sweetheart?” He snarls this question at me.
I take a step back in confusion, and that’s when my father loses it. “You’ll watch your tone when you address my daughter!” Da comes across the room at Liam’s father, but his path is interrupted by Rafferty, who literally grabs the collar of his shirt to stop him. Darragh holds my future father-in-law back with a hand on his shoulder.
“Enough!” Rowan shouts. “We won’t accomplish anything this way.”
“We won’t accomplish anything at all.” Liam’s father’s face is mottled with anger. His top guy, Darragh, still has a hand holding him in place. “Liam. Get the ring off her finger so we can go.”
Wait. What?
“Someone needs to explain,” Liam grits out.
“We were set up!” Da yells. “Taryn wouldn’t give money to the Greeks for Chrissakes.”
I wouldn’t have what now? Surely I’m misunderstanding his words.
“We’ve verified the documentation,” Darragh says flatly. “The accounts appear to be real. So are the transactions.”
“What accounts? What transactions?” Liam looks back to his father’s right-hand man. I tremble slightly under his arm. I can’t help it. There is so much testosterone in this room. So much anger. Seemingly directed at me. I don’t understand. Liam tenses when he feels my tremor.
