Page 30 of The Cleaner

With a smug grin, he replies, "Jer sent me on a top-secret job in Italy. And while I was there, The Agency had a few assignments for me as well."

We all do side work for The Agency. It's easy money, especially in our line of business. But for Emmanuel, it's a bit trickier. His jobs are always high-profile, like taking out a corrupt politician or a ruthless mafia boss. As a sharpshooter working from a distance, he has to be meticulous and have every detail planned perfectly. But it's no surprise—he's one of the most skilled sharpshooters in Europe and highly coveted by The Agency. Clients specifically request him for their dangerous missions.

"So you decided to top up your tan while you were there?" I ask with a raised brow.

Emmanuel's smile widens. "Jealousy is an ugly look on you, man."

I shake my head and reach for my pint. "How long are you in town for? Or do you have more jobs lined up?"

"Nothing for the next month or so. Jer asked me to stick around, said he may need me," Emmanuel replies. "What's going on?"

I sigh and give him the lowdown on what Jer said about Thomas. "The man's a fucking prick, but thankfully he'll be flying to Portugal tomorrow." I take a sip of my beer. "He can't be trusted."

Emmanuel nods knowingly. "I've known that since the moment I met him. He's a fucking snake. What about Tommy? Has that fucker resurfaced again?"

"We think so," I answer. "Jer called this morning. One of the shipments has gone missing and he's beyond pissed. He thinks it was Tommy and his daughter who did it."

Emmanuel raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Daughter?"

"Yeah. Apparently, she's been brought into the fold and is working with her dad," I say bitterly. "That should be fun. But she's a narcissistic bitch, and from what Jer told me, she's ruthless. But she's a Jennings. I doubt they have a working brain cell between them." I tell him about what she and her husband did to his family and what that bitch did to his ex-wife. She's seriously fucked up for that shit.

"We shouldn't underestimate them," Emmanuel warns. "If that bitch is that manipulative and so casual about it, she may be smarter than we're giving her credit for."

"That's true," I muse. "But so far she hasn't shown her face in Dublin. I doubt she'll come back. She'll probably continue causing chaos from wherever the hell she is down the country."

Emmanuel chuckles. "She'll probably stay down there until something else happens with her family. Who knows when Jerwill lose his shit and give us the go-ahead to deal with another one of Tommy's men."

I won't be going after his men the next time Jer lets me at them. Fuck no. I have my sights set firmly on his other son.

"Have you seen that girl again?" Emmanuel asks me with a sly grin, interrupting my thoughts about revenge.

My brows furrow and I turn to him. "What girl?"

He laughs, amused by my forgetfulness. "Forgotten her already?" he quips. "The girl who saved your ass."

Lisa Turner. Of course I haven't forgotten about her. I've tried to push her out of my mind, knowing she's just a young girl and not my concern. But it’s not every day you meet someone who’ll run down fully grown men to try to save you.

"She didn't save my ass," I snap defensively. "But you could learn a thing or two from her about driving. You drive like your granny."

He flips me off playfully. "I was curious about her friend."

I did notice the lingering look he gave the young girl.

"She's just a kid," I tell him, getting annoyed that he's even going there. "Too fucking young for you."

"I know that," he snaps back defensively, his tone softer now. "The girl was almost raped. Who knows what she went through before we showed up? I was just wondering how she's doing."

I ease up a little, understanding where his concerns are coming from. "I don't know, Eman. Maybe ask Jer. He seems to know their backgrounds pretty well."

"You don't know?" he asks quietly, his eyes avoiding mine as if trying to hide something.

"Know what?" I ask impatiently, wondering what the hell he's talking about.

"That girl, Clodagh?" he says in a hushed voice so that only I can hear. "Her parents were killed and she was taken hostage."

I blink in surprise at his words. Never in a million years did I think that would be what he’d say. "Fuck, are you sure?"

He glances away, the tips of his ears turning red with embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm sure. Jacob Dellinger was the man who killed her family and kidnapped her. He held her captive for two months."

---