If she got this excited about talking to her friend, he could expect many more displays as he planned to do everything in his power to make her happy for the rest of her life.
Rest of her life? Yes, he was ready to admit he loved her and would do what he could to convince her to remain with him forever.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“The girl is in the States. Baltimore, Maryland, to be exact. We haven’t located the brother yet,” Quinn Murphy said from behind his large walnut desk. “But we will.”
“How did you find her?” Boyle asked, sitting as if he owned the place, which pissed Quinn off all the more.
“She made a call to a phone we’ve been tracking ever since we heard she was alive.” Quinn knew sooner or later she’d contact his fiancée and felt no guilt tracking her phone calls. Yet she’d waited until they found out Justin Franks lied about killing her, her brother, and Diana.
Boyle raised his voice. “But I want Declan Gallagher. I want his balls in a grinder. I just need to lean on the banker more.”
Quinn knew Boyle believed Declan led his daughter astray, but he’d learned Declan had tried to avoid his relationship with Diana. For the simple reason he was gardai and Boyle was a criminal, albeit a smart one. That was the reason Boyle had been chosen to partner with Quinn.
As a puppet master, Quinn controlled many aspects of government and the criminal element. Boyle was one and Donnelly was another. The officials he couldn’t control, Quinn blackmailed. And people just thought Quinn came from old money. Yeah, that money had dried up before he hit puberty. Nay, other people made him rich. And he wouldn’t allow some woman to ruin it. His fiancée’s friend or not.
Now, he needed to control the situation. Because of that, he decided he should be there face-to-face with the potential threats to his empire. It was a risk, but some risks were meant to be taken. He’d still use Boyle, even though he knew the US DEA was after the drug lord. If he lost Boyle, there was someone else ready to take his place. And be under Quinn’s thumb.
“We go to the US and find Moira. She’ll lead us to her brother.”
He wanted Moira so he could find out how much she’d overheard while snooping outside Donnelly’s office that day. He’d received no backlash, but that wasn’t always a positive sign. His well-placed snitches in both the UK and the US—granted he had few across the pond—were quiet. He didn’t like it.
“We?” Boyle asked stupidly.
“Yes, we. I need to be there when the girl is questioned. She may’ve overheard us. And that’s a problem.”
“No one would believe her. Not with you and Donnelly involved.”
“I won’t take that chance.” To keep under the radar, he’d been working for a minister instead of taking a lead role.
He’d have to trust Boyle enough to get some answers. He looked at the man. Quinn had never trusted him, and many times, he’d thought of offing him because he was more trouble than he was worth. But he had no other sacrificial lamb to take with him on this trip.
Trusting Boyle was his only safe option. Unless…. An idea began to form that required he find Moira’s brother before they traveled. He might be able to pull this off and his secrets would remain safe.
Chapter Thirty
“Alone again,” Danny said to Moira as she walked down the stairs in her cute cat pajamas—pajamas he intended to take off her very soon. His imagination went wild with what she wore beneath. Would it be no bra and lacy panties as before or a bra and panties? He hoped the former. He salivated for that option. Nothing tempted him more than naked breasts. Okay, plenty tempted him, but they were high up there as one of his favorite things.
“Unless you don’t count Cowboy and John watching over us from outside.” She plopped down on the couch next to him.
He didn’t forget his teammates were there, but he didn’t count them as part of what was happening inside his home. He’d ensured privacy unless he needed to be contacted for an intruder or situation. It was only because they were home that he could relax enough to be intimate with Moira. He felt safe, even with trouble on the horizon.
He had no doubt Boyle would arrive soon. He expected the man would find her and her brother. But he also had no doubt HIS would stop Boyle before he got anywhere near Moira. Danny would bank his life on them all being able to protect her. He’d never allow something to happen to her.
“Let’s just pretend they aren’t there.”
Moira snorted. “Easy for you to say. Not so easy for me to remember. I’m a prisoner.”
He recoiled at the sting that statement wielded. On some level, he’d worried she’d think that, but he’d never meant her to feel that way. “Don’t think of it as being a prisoner. Think of it as having your own safety force. Besides, we’ve been out.”
“That was before Justin came back with the news. Now I’m stuck. I’m not asking to go anywhere. That’d be stupid. It’s just being told I can’t.”
Although he’d like to change that, he wouldn’t. Her safety came before her happiness. This, she’d recover from. A bullet, she wouldn’t. “It’s only temporary. We’ll be back out again soon and then we won’t need the tail.” He smiled, hoping to bring one to her face, but failed. Now appeared to be a great time to change the subject.
“When will you paint my portrait? I’m sure my mom would love it.” Get her talking about something she loved. That had to work to elevate her mood.
“I haven’t painted portraits.”
“Oh.” That didn’t work.
“But I’m willing to try.” Her excitement shined on her face with her bright eyes and the smile she wore when talking about her hobby. No, her livelihood. “Tomorrow,”
