“If she keeps her distance in general and we publicize that, would it help? She’ll have to interview key people, but they can travel to her if we cover expenses,” Jackson said.
I nodded, knocking back half of the pint in one. “That would be ideal. Even better would be to be move her somewhere more remote, Katie too, if things get a little intense. Not that Claire will want to shift anywhere.”
Jackson nodded, the tequila disappearing quickly. “She can stay here for a couple of days while your people sort out security in her apartment. She’ll be all in for this case. I wish I’d told her no. We had enough work without her taking this one on.’
“When’s the last time you told your sister no and she listened?” I said. “This is Claire. She’ll battle with her own shadow.’
Max shook his head. “I don’t think she will as much as you think. I think she has a good idea as to what Dean Lacey is like.” He glanced up at me in much the same way as he had done when we were together at university and he was questioning the connection I had with Claire. “I like the idea of her staying here for a few more days. There’s nothing in her diary that can’t be moved or someone else can’t cover.”
Jackson sat down on the bar stool. “I won’t let her have a choice. If Claire starts being an idiot, we’ll cease work on the case. That should be enough to almost make her compliant where her safety is concerned.”
“Because as Killian knows, she’s not compliant in any other way,” Max muttered into his pint.
For a moment I wondered what he was referring to and was about to defend myself when Seph emerged with Callum, a tray of shots in hand. “For fuck’s sake,” I said, glaring at him. “We’re not still students, you know.”
Callum grinned broadly. “Are you saying you’re too old for this?”
I eyeballed him, took a glass and knocked it back, grimacing at the sweet taste. I didn’t mind tequila occasionally, but the stuff of teenyboppers was not my thing. “Next time, you can drink the lot.”
Seph laughed, nudging the tray into Jackson’s arm, much in the same way I remember him nudging a games consoler when he was a kid and we were at their parents’ house for summer.
“Vanessa’s just messaged to say they’ll meet us at the Star and Garter,” Jackson said, gazing at his phone.
“Then you’ll stare at her for the rest of the day instead of the messages she sends you,” Max said. “How long after the wedding will you be able to claim your balls back?”
Jackson put his phone in his pocket and downed most of his pint, ignoring the shot Seph had left next to it. “She’s got my balls for as long as she wants them,” he said. “One day, you’ll understand.”
“Seriously?” Callum said. “You’re happy with being owned? No more nights of freedom with whichever woman you can manage to persuade to go home with you? I mean, I know you didn’t have the same degree of success as the rest of us, given the way you look and all…” Callum was silenced with a light punch to the chest from Jackson’s fist before mock collapsing and holding on to the bar. “Truth hurts, brother,” he said, standing back up. “But seriously, won’t you get bored just being with one woman?”
I thought back to when I had been certain that Claire was it for me. I’d been twenty and if I had never touched another woman I wouldn’t have cared as long as I had her. The expression on Jackson’s face was one I remembered being on my own. “Not when that one woman is Vanessa. Remember this conversation because at some point you’ll be in my position, with your balls in a woman’s handbag and you’ll be too damn happy about it to care what your brothers think.”
The sound of female voices filtered into the bar, all of which are instantly recognisable. “Vanessa couldn’t stay away,” I heard Claire say. “She’s even mentioned having a joint hen and stag night.”
Max shook his head. “No. That is not going to happen. Spending time away from each other is healthy. You can manage a weekend and we’ll arrange it so it’s the same one.”
“Excellent,” Claire said. “Someone else sees sense. I was thinking a weekend somewhere warm. With a decent party scene so Vanessa can have one last fling before having to put up with Jackson forever more.”
I watched Jackson’s expression turn to pissed. “No,” he said. “Can’t you just have a nice spa weekend somewhere remote. There’s no need for any partying or looking at single men. Or even married men. Just have a girly weekend and do each other’s hair and shit like that.”
Vanessa moved closer in to him, allowing him to put his arm around her waist. “If I want to go to Vegas and ogle male strippers, I will. I will also probably get drunk and upset over the fact that the strippers aren’t you, so drop the caveman routine and chill the fuck out.” She spoke softly, punctuating the sentence with a kiss at the end. “What are you going to do for yours?”
“We’re going fishing,” he said.
I raised my brows at Max knowing that this had not been suggested.
“What for?” she said knowingly.
“Beer. Food. Trying to lose Seph in a foreign country for the gazillionth time. I don’t know. Maybe something in the same place as you then we can meet up,” he said, pulling her closer.
“For fuck’s sake, get a room for an hour then you’ll hopefully be able to acknowledge the other people you’re out with,” Claire said. She had moved closer to me, accepting a drink from Sophie. “At least you managed to control yourselves when you’re at work. Although the disabled toilets did smell of sex yesterday.”
Vanessa smiled coyly. “I can neither confirm nor deny anything to do with the disabled toilets.”
“Really?” Seph looked disgusted. “You can’t do that. It’s unsanitary.”
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Just because you haven’t done something doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Hypothetically, of course.”
Claire edged closer to me and I could smell her perfume. My body turned to stone and I barely moved, worried that anything sudden would scare her away.
