“The word shipment was a mistake,” he conceded, “but the faster I know how your father’s organization works, the sooner I can dismantle it and save those women.I have to switch off my feelings, or I couldn’t do my job.There’s no place for emotion in my line of work.”
“And I’ve no right to toss my insecurities back and forth while innocent people are suffering.”She stared into his eyes with fierce intent.“I only managed to free one or two, but together, we could do so much more.”
“I’d like to work with you,” Conor admitted, “but I don’t know how, because I won’t put you in danger.”
“And I want a proper marriage,” she admitted with a sad smile, “but I guess that’s out of the question.”
“A proper marriage?”Conor queried.“What happened last night?”
“Sex,” she suggested.
Conor looked away.“I’m the last person to offer relationship advice.”
“I assume you have a relationship with your colleagues in the team?”
“Yes,” he conceded, but she noticed how quickly he changed the subject.“Can we pick up where you broke off?”
Perhaps Conor didn’t think he could be everything she needed him to be, and maybe he was right.They talked, and she told him everything she could remember that she thought might be helpful.
“That’s good information,” he said as he pushed back from the table.
She watched him leave the room, knowing he’d use the information to good effect.Anything she could do or say to stop the flow of human trafficking, she would, and at whatever cost to herself.
Clearing the kitchen, she recalled the few details her father had told her about Conor.Abandoned as a baby on the doorstep of a children’s home, Conor Murphy had never known a regular family.Bright and rebellious, he’d been forced to fend for himself.A strong work ethic saved him, that and the woman who’d brought him in from the streets, and taken him to work on her farm.Eventually moving to a professional stable, Conor had come into contact with a world-famous polo-playing family.The fact that he could ride like a demon had quickly made him indispensable.
Conor’s success had been hard-won, but it was his anchor, and it would take a lot for him to change his life now.Which was a shame.Karolina reflected with a sigh.She’d never had a reliable ally before, which made it all the more frustrating to discover a potential ally in her husband, only to have Conor practically tell her that he trusted no one outside his charmed circle.Without trust, how could they ever get close?Was it even possible to break through Conor’s barriers?
And then something else occurred to her.Was she equally to blame?Didn’t she have barriers too?If she wanted a real relationship with Conor, she’d have to break down those barriers.He might be the most elusive individual she’d ever met, but she was guarded too.
It was time to stop tiptoeing around Conor and get them both to admit the truth.
Anna directed Karolina to Conor’s study.After knocking on his door, she walked in.“I’m sorry to disturb you.”
Conor looked up from his desk.“You’re not disturbing me.”
“Can we talk?’
“Again?”he mocked lightly.“Of course,” he added, seeing how serious she looked.Relaxing back in his chair, he revealed that the details she’d given him were already reaping dividends.“So, thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
This wasn’t the passionate lover or even the humorous Irishman she found so impossibly attractive.This was the real Conor Murphy, with concern for those he helped etched on his face.“It was the right time,” she explained, “and you’re the only person who can put that information to good use.When readiness meets opportunity,” she added with a wry twist of her mouth, “some say it’s luck.My father would call it betrayal, but so long as what I’ve told you helps the people he persecutes, I’m more than ready to risk his revenge.”
“You’ve got me to protect you now, Karolina.You’re safe.”
If only it could be that easy.Her father was sly, and his tentacles reached around the world.And she wanted to be more than safe.She wanted a real marriage and a future with Conor.Remembering his comment about emotion, she kept her tone matter-of-fact.“I know it takes time to trust, but I’d like to meet your team, preferably without balaclavas and night goggles, so I can understand you better.”
“Let’s get your father out of the picture first.It isn’t so much a matter of trust, but more the less you know, the safer you’ll be.Give it time.”
“And if we don’t have time?”
Conor laughed.“We’re married, aren’t we?”
She knew he was trying to lighten the atmosphere, but his comment didn’t reassure her for long.“So, sex is okay, but anything more than sex is out of the question?You were hungry for release, and I was hungry for forgetfulness.Is that all we have between us?”
Conor looked surprised when her eyes filled with tears.“Don’t worry,” she said when he got up and came over to her.“I can see you’re busy.I’ll leave you to get on with your work.We’ll speak later.”
Closing the door behind her, she pressed her head back against hard, unyielding wood.It was no use crying.Tears couldn’t change anything.What she should be thinking about was that today was Thursday when the shelves were stocked, as her father liked to say.She’d explained this to Conor and guessed he was making plans to free the incoming captives, but maybe she could help him more by going to the embassy to find out exactly when and where the next group of women would be arriving.She still had her contact in the basement gym…
