Page 37 of Bargain with the Irish Devil

The waiter is back, and Declan barely glances at the bill. He pulls a money clip from his pocket, peeling off five one-hundred-dollar bills, and drops them on the table.

By the time we walk out of the restaurant, hiscar is outside, as is Colm. Colm has the rear passenger door open for me. Without a word or look my way, Declan gets into his car and disappears.

“Ms. Beckett.” Colm catches my attention from staring after Declan.

I nod and get into the car. I’m not going to think about what’s going on. Even if it’s obviously something. Is it something bad? Will he be okay?

Closing my eyes, I tell myself I’m grateful for the reminder of who he is.

But I’m not.

Declan

“I don’t know where Sara is. Go home to your wife and children and forget the girl.” I lie to Tommy withoutblinking.

“Don’t you tell me what to do! I’m older in this than you. My shop cleans the money for this.”

Rolling my eyes, “Yeah, as does James’s place, Ryan’s place, and Graham’s place. You aren’t special. Just because you’re hopped up on coke to give you the courage you need to confront me doesn’t make you special. I didn’t ask to run this. I was placed here, and I’m the one in charge. If you don’t like it, take it up with theold men. What you won’t do is come into my pub and act a fucking fool.”

I don’t blame my men calling me to handle Tommy’s outburst and throwing of glasses around the place. Since they were soldiers only, they weren’t allowed to do more than defend themselves—without guns. “Lay off the fucking coke. You’re embarrassing yourself and us.”

Enraged, he throws the whiskey glass he was drinking from at me. I duck, and it hits the wall.

Fuck this. Grabbing him by his neck, I slam his head into my desk satisfied at the crack that splits the air. Anger has me, and I let loose, slamming his head into the desk again. This time, blood sprays from broken skin.

Throwing him away from me, pissed at the blood on me. I grab my pocket square and wipe my face.

My office door opens to James. “What the fuck is going on?”

“He came into the pub throwing glasses and screaming at staff and our customers. He thinks I know where Sara is. If you don’t deal with him, I will.” I warn him.

James looks down at where Tommy is trying to get off the floor. “Get on with you. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph all this over a woman.You’re a disgrace. I cannot believe you’re putting Kate through this.”

Finally, Tommy makes it to his feet—swaying where he stands. “He did something to Sara. She wouldn’t disappear like this. Her phone is off. I can’t track her. She’s my woman, uncle. Tell him to tell me where she is.”

I meet James’s eyes. The warning is clear. Tommy is close to death. James shakes his head. I get it. I do, but this isn’t working. “Tommy, Declan did nothing to the girl. You need to clean yourself up and remember who the fuck you are. This is unacceptable. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You’re bleeding all over the damn place.”

Tommy pushes off the floor. When James attempts to take him by the arm, Tommy shakes him off. “Fuck you all. You’re all against me.”

Weaving like a punch drunk, Tommy is out of my office.

“Where the hell were you? Kenny said he called you when Tommy firstcame in almost a half hour ago.”

He won’t meet my eyes. “I didn’t get the call, no service. I was at the cemetery. It was Rose’s day today.”

Rose was his wife. She died giving birth forever ago. He never married and visited her grave often.

There’s a knock at my office door. “Yeah.”

Kenny sticks his head inside. “Dec, Seamus’s daughter, Clare, is asking to speak to you. Are you here?”

Sonofabitch. “Yeah. You go after him and try to talk some sense into him.”

No arguing, James follows Kenny out of the room.

I toss some papers over the blood on my desk. Clare’s knock is timid.

“Come in.”

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