Page 26 of Beyond Rosy Irish Twilight

I nodded in agreement, though, not because I was actually excited about going on a trip. “It’ll be easy to keep us protected and I’ll still be able to work.”

Patrick made a huffing noise from the front seat, but I ignored him. Glancing over at Jade, I noticed she had stiffened and was staring out the window. Clearly, she wasn’t too happy about this arrangement either. I couldn’t blame her in the slightest. It wasn’t something I had chosen, but I was glad I was getting out from under her father’s thumb. I might not be able to be a true husband to her, but I could protect her.

When we pulled up to the reception hall at the back of the club, I took a deep breath. This was his territory, and I had no control over what happened here. Thankfully, Chase had booked our flight to leave after two hours. Technically, it could be changed since Scottie was the pilot, but it was best if Ambrose didn’t know that.

I got out and walked around to Jade’s side of the car, helping her out after Chase opened the door for her. As I walked her inside, I saw Lock standing guard just inside the door. He gave me a curt nod, but otherwise ignored me. It wouldn’t be good if Ambrose caught on to just how well we knew each other. That basically consisted of us jumping out of a plane together.

“Why don’t you go sit at the table? I’ll be there in a minute.”

She looked shocked at the request until Patrick held out his arm to her and smiled. “My lady?”

I glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice as he guided my bride away. I took the opportunity to find Lock and get a report. He nodded as I approached, turning away from the growing crowd of people.

“Everything’s set. We’ve gone over the guest list, but so far, we haven’t seen a single person that is a threat.”

I sighed heavily. “I suspected as much. He wouldn’t invite anyone from The Syndicate here.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

I glanced around at all the foreign faces. “Get through the next two hours and get the fuck out of here.”

“We’re ready on that front. Scottie left the church and he’s preparing the place for takeoff as soon as you arrive.”

“And the vehicle?”

“We have your usual vehicle parked out front. If anyone tries anything, they’ll be sorely disappointed. We have a second vehicle in the back. That’s the one you’ll be taking.”

“And you have everything in the vehicle?”

He shook his head. “Scottie took all your luggage directly to the plane.”

“And the rest of the crew?”

“Chase gave me the list and I ran them all through the system first. Not exactly a stellar crew, but none of them have done hard time. They’ll arrive on a second plane with Edu and Brock. Cash hired another pilot, so we’re covered in every way possible.”

“As long as they don’t try to murder me on the island,” I muttered.

“Trust me, it won’t come to that. Take the time to get to know your new wife.”

I turned around and looked at her sitting at the head table. Patrick was entertaining her, but she still looked uncomfortable. “That’s not a good idea.”

The great thing about Lock was he understood the line in the sand that no man crossed. That happened to be falling for the woman that was now under my protection. Married or not, I couldn’t afford any mistakes in a game of risk. Any feelings I had for her would only muddy the water.

“Go sit with your bride. We’ve got this from here.”

I clapped him on the shoulder and headed to the table, but before I could get there, Ambrose stepped in my path. “So, you’re leaving for a week.”

“Yes, sir.”

His lips thinned as he stared at me. “I assumed we’d get started immediately.”

“You’ll still be able to reach me.”

“That’s not the same.”

I checked to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in to whisper. “And how would it look to your close friends if your son-in-law didn’t take your daughter on a honeymoon? There’s a balance between getting work done and keeping up appearances. You’ll be able to reach me the entire time.”

“As long as you remember what the end goal is.”

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