“We’ve been following the Greeks’ money. A new thread appeared yesterday morning. We found a shell company. One that appears to exist to support their trafficking business. We were able to see which accounts were funding it. We have a list of the investors. One of them is Taryn Walsh.”
I make a squeaking sound. No. This isn’t right. Yet, the words stay buried in my throat.
“That’s ridiculous,” Liam hisses. “Of all the stupid things. Trails like that don’t just magically appear.”
“That’s what I said!” Da throws his arms in the air.
“I’m sorry, Liam.” Darragh ignores my father. “The records are clear. Bobby pulled all the info. We can see Taryn’s personal bank account. We can see where her parents make a monthly deposit into it. We can also see where she transfers some sum of money each month into the Greeks’ shell company. It looks like they also may be syphoning some money out of the Walsh’s bigger accounts since they are tied to Taryn’s. Her deposits gave them a way to hack more of their money.”
This can’t be right. Something is off, but familiar. My brain scrambles to piece together what I’m being told.
Darragh turns to look at my father. “You deposit $5,000 a month into her account, right?”
A rosy flush climbs my father’s neck. He sucks in a breath. “What I give my child is none of your concern.”
But, I see it in his eyes. The hesitation. The doubt. The confirmation that the transactions are real. Darragh just gave an accurate reflection of our banking activity. Of the fund my parents established for me to pay rent and have spending money. Liam’s father sees it too.
“Do you invest money that your father is unaware of, lass?” Kian McGuiness asks me in a low voice. His emotional high is coming down now. His eyes have turned calculating.
“I—” My voice comes out as a croak. I clear my throat. “I’ve been doing some investing, but not to fund trafficking!” I can feel the color drain from my face. I turn to look at Liam. He has to believe me. They all have to believe me.
Suddenly, I understand. My fund for grad school. This is about my secret fund. But how did the Greeks get it? I think about Sam’s relationship with Theo. My stomach bottoms out.
“Enough!” Rowan shouts at me, and I clamp my lips shut. “Don’t say another fucking word.” His voice is a growl.
“Watch your tone with her.” Liam’s growl echoes Rowan’s.
His father’s chuckle is dry. Harsh. “Here’s what I know:Worstcase, we have a traitor here. Either in the lass or in her whole feckin’ family.”
Rafferty steps forward, but Kian puts his hand up.
“Bestcase, this young woman is too stupid to realize she was used. Either way, we aren’t doing this anymore. You need to get your house in order, O’Toole. My son isn’t going to marry a liability.”
Oh my god. There are no words. My chest tightens with the insult. My throat feels thick. My eyelids burn.
Rowan looks ready to implode. He walks over to Liam and me. “Unhand her, Liam.”
Instead, Liam tightens his grip. “Rowan.”
“I’m not fucking around. Take your arm off her.” His jaw is tight. His eyes are fire.
God. It isn’t fair to put Liam in this position. I take the choice away when I twist out from under his arm and walk over to Raff, who pulls me to his side, reassuringly squeezes my shoulder. I can’t fucking breathe.
“This is crazy.” Liam mumbles the words. “Everybody needs to think for a minute. How did this information just drop into Bobby’s lap? That makes no sense.”
Rowan shakes his head. “It’s a good point. I don’t understand how the fuck this happened.” His voice is but a murmur. My father says something, but I don’t catch it because I’m too focused on my brother, who is lifting my hand, removing my ring. I gasp as he pulls it from my finger and then shuffles me over to my father. He approaches Liam with the diamond.
“This is wrong. It’s a mistake.” Liam says the words again, definitively, as his fist closes over the jewelry. “There’s an explanation.”
“No. The only mistake was thinking we could trust these people,” his father sneers. “Let’s go. We have plans to make.”
“We still need this alliance,” Liam tells his father as he grabs Liam’s elbow in an attempt to haul him out of the room. My engagement ring is still clasped in his fist. “Listen. There is more to the story—”
“Liam. Shut. Your. Feckin’. Mouth.” His father is snarling. His brogue is more pronounced. Spittle is gathering at the corners of his lips. Liam’s cheeks burn with heat, but he remains silent.
My father pulls me closer as he glowers at the McGuinesses. Gráinne’s presence, her cryptic comments about being here after the meeting, now make sense. Rowan must have called her to come comfort me. I feel nauseous. I let out a slow breath through pursed lips as I try to settle my stomach.
Darragh gives a little shove to Liam as his father strides from the room. “We need to go. Regroup.”
