Page 96 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
“Branigan likes older, wiser guys for hits.” He paused in his massage. “Says they make less mistakes than ones with young, hot blood who will shoot their way out of anything.”
Lily closed her eyes as he resumed massaging her. “Bad for business all around. I’m glad you weren’t upset they were offered immunity.”
His hands fell away, and he lifted off her to rest on his side, so she shifted to lie facing him. “I might have to tell myself a few times it was only a job for them, but in the end, I’m practical. When little fish can help you catch big fish, you do it every time. Besides, your way got us the names of the two officers in my department on the Kellys’ payroll.”
She touched his face as his mouth tightened, knowing that was a second betrayal that had cut deep. “You’re probably going to get a special commendation for working with Internal Affairs to bring down those cops.”
“I don’t want it,” he bit out harshly, scrubbing his face. “I just want to get back to work and forget this ever happened.”
Her heart suddenly felt all tangled up inside her chest because she knew he was hurting. “We both know that’s not going to happen.”
His blue eyes blazed as he cursed. “No, it’s not. The other thing I tell myself—and I’m telling myself a lot of things these days—is that meeting you is one of the best things to ever happen to me. Lily Meadows, you will always be my sunshine.”
She bit her lip, glad he could make a joke despite all this heaviness around them. “You’re enjoying Sheila’s little sunshine jokes, aren’t you? She’s upped her quotient because you’re new to them.”
Her partner was also doing her part to bolster Robbie before he had to go back to the office and face the gut-wrenching betrayal of his fellow officers head-on. He’d certainly have more to handle when they went back to Boston. Everyone agreed it would take a few more weeks to arrest Branigan and bring his organization down, given the pace of additional interrogations and further evidence collection needed to make the case airtight. Because they were not going to let his lawyer get him off on a technicality.
His gorgeous mouth tipped up in all its sexy glory. “The sunshine jokes are your Achilles’ heel, and Lily, you know what I told you about letting the O’Connors discover those gems.”
“So we’re playing dirty now?” She slid her arm around his neck. “Did I mention I signed up for a Shakespeare quote a day email? You’re going to be begging me to stop.”
He shifted until he could slide deliciously over her. “That’s my line,” he said, kissing her swiftly as he tugged at her clothing. “By the way, after we arrest Branigan Kelly and the rest of his guys, you’re going to have to meet the entire O’Connor clan. Including the Ireland contingent, who are primed to cross the pond. So prepare yourself.”
She knew what he was telling her. Meeting his entire family meant they were joining forces for life big-time. “I’m ready. I figure I’ve got two brothers down already, plus your favorite cousins. How was everyone when you talked to them?”
He rolled them to their sides again, keeping his hands busy at the bare skin under her shirt. “Fidgety. No one likes having FBI protection, of course, but they understand the necessity. Tara was hoping you and Sheila might be the ones to shadow her and the girls once we get back to Boston.”
“That’s Buck’s call.” She kissed his jawline, loving the feel of his stubble. “But given that he’s personally talked to the head of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and put in for my promotion, I might be able to convince him to assign me to protection duty until the paperwork is official. Tara is an important witness in our case, after all.”
She still hadn’t fully taken in that her dream job was coming true. Not when she was so focused on the present case, Robbie, and living off of four hours of sleep a night.
“Tara would love that. So would Reagan and Cassidy. Fortunately, my boss is also feeling magnanimous toward me since we got the names of the dirty cops, so I might also be given some leeway to look after them. Even if it’s a little unusual since we’re related.”
This case was filled with complications and conflicts of interests, but they would navigate them together. “If we end up looking after Tara and the girls, I’m going to insist Billie and Tim come around a lot. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”
He groaned as he rose over her again. “Try. I’m begging you.”
She tugged on his shirt. “Get used to those last words coming out of that gorgeous mouth of yours. Because it might be your new mantra.”
Scoffing, he helped her take off his shirt. “Mantra? I don’t really understand what that means. I busted a New Age bookstore four years ago for money laundering. The owner told me his mantra was world peace. I’d never heard such bullshit.”
Her lips twitched. “Well, in this case, a mantra is like an intention. But we don’t have to use that word. All you need to remember is the begging part.”
He coughed out a laugh. “I can probably get on board with that so long as you understand you’ll be begging too. But not too loudly this time, okay? Sheila is right next door, and she told me we kept her up last night.”
Lily looked at the shared wall. “She did not.”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “She so did, and with great pleasure. You know her.”
“Evil is her middle name,” she said, groaning.
“She’s only messing with you because she can,” Robbie told her, grinning now. “I didn’t know you blushed. Lily, it’s like the first blush of sunshine—”
“Shut up.” She shoved him onto his back with a quick leverage move and straddled his hips. “Or I am so getting the cuffs out.”
He shifted under her, settling her more intimately against him. “Sheila mentioned those to me too. Said she was coming by tonight before she hit the hay with a special set. I believe her.”
So did Lily. Her heart gave an extra knock against her ribs. “What are we going to do? Tyler’s on this floor too! Oh my God! I’m going to kill her.”
