Page 27 of Fatal Thrill
5
If Jaya didn’t laugh,she was going to cry.Again.
Her hormones had to be doing a number on her, not to mention life in general. First the pregnancy, then Finn, nowKratos?
My poor, poor baby. That van had seen her through some major life events. When she’d started beauty school, she’d had to sleep in it for a while because she couldn’t afford rent anywhere and her mother was already in the home. She’d used it to start her original business, driving to client’s homes to do their hair. It still acted as her personal vehicle and she kept samples of all her products init.
Hadkept samples in it. Those had gone up in theexplosion.
Nine weeks.I’ll never beready.
Who would do this? Was it some random stranger or someone associated with her dad? How had they foundher?
Too bad there wasn’t a pause button for her life, because right now, she’d be hammering the hell out of it. Just like when she was in a hurry waiting for an elevator and she kept jamming her thumb into the button. It did no good, but it made her feelbetter.
Right now, she needed the biggest pause button on the planet. What did Mama used to always say?God won’t give you more than you canhandle.
Yeah, right!Testing that theory, Mom.Any minute she was going to snap. Justwhap!Her head would explode into as many pieces as her poorvan.
“I’m really sorry about Kratos,” Shelby said. They stood side-by-side staring out at the ruined van carcass, Shelby rubbing Jaya’s back. “These people meanbusiness.”
“People?” Jaya eyed her friend. “Do you know who didthis?”
The front door opened and Jon entered, wiping muddy snow off his boots. “Get away from the window,Jaya.”
Stepping back, she crossed her arms and padded across the floor. He removed his coat and hung it on top of hers again. “Someone blew up my van on purpose, didn’t they?” She glanced at Shelby, who followed her to where Jonstood.
Both Shelby and Jon nodded at her. “It was no random incident,” Jon said. “Someone is targetingyou.”
“Because of the cross and mydad?”
Another nod fromthem.
“That’s brilliant.” She paced to the breakfast bar and back. “How do they expect me to track down the damn cross with no wheels? And what if they’d killed me? I can’t exactly find Dad or the cross if I’mdead!”
Shelby tapped a finger against her leg. “I’m more concerned with how they found you, and why they felt the need to threatenyou.”
Jon went to the kitchen and poured a cup of cold coffee, setting it in the microwave. He motioned at Shelby to see if she wanted a cup, but she shook her head. As the microwave heated, Jon said, “Rory hasn’t found the exact location the text and video came from, but Sean and Finn’s passports show they arrived in Ireland four days ago and rented a car. A small B&B near Kinvarra claims they checked in but no one has seen either man in the past 24hours.”
Jaya’s blood cooled. “Kinvarra?”
“Western Ireland, near theocean.”
“I know where it is. That’s the place my dad always talked about. The O’Sullivan clan had a castle overlooking the Atlantic there back in the 1100s. It’s where a bunch of my ancestors were born, got married, had their own kids, anddied.”
Jon took his cup from the microwave and sipped the hot liquid. “Is it possible someone there had the cross allalong?”
Jaya shrugged. “Anything’s possible. Do you think Finn isthere?”
“It’s the best place for us to start,” Shelby said. “I can contact the Garda and havethem—”
“No police.” Jon pushed away from the counter. “SFI will handleit.”
Shelby buttoned her lips, and Jaya knew there was a retort there, but she kept it to herself. “Jaya, I did some digging into your dad’s…activities. He has afile.”
“A file?” Jaya uncrossed her arms and leaned her butt on the back of the sofa. “My dad is wanted by theBureau?”
“Afraidso.”
