that I need to tell you how to proceed—”
“You don’t.”
“But the uranium mine is in Africa. Big continent, but . . .” Never in me life would I have imagined having this conversation. “Pay the Ogdenhayers a visit in South Africa then head to Malawi.”
Makes sense. Once this nonsense in Cork is over, the boss will want to investigate the source.
“You play the fool so well one forgets you’re quick on the uptake.”
“And yer compliments feel as gratifying as a dagger dragged across bone.”
“We’ll finish what we started first. O’Brien has buyers scheduled for pickup next week. You’ll take plate numbers until I arrive. I want a running record of everyone who comes and goes.”
I nod. Knowing what’s coming. Waiting for the ball to drop. A different man might show a bit of leniency. But this is TORC business. For better or for worse, I’ve a job to finish.
“For a man with a big ego, O’Brien’s meticulously organized.”
Don’t. Say. It.
“But then so am I. No stone left unturned, not even the kind that holds a man down and makes him want to set up roots in the middle of an assignment.”
Feck. Here we bloody go.
“You had to fall for a reporter, didn’t you?”
This time, I don’t deny it. Maybe because the truth is settling in. Maybe because I’m shitting bricks over what he’s about to say. I won’t kill her. But given the chance, what I will do is save her.
“Get rid of her, immediately. That’s an order.”
32
Clarissa
“You’re awfully quiet.”
Finn doesn’t answer, his eyes are fixed on the road ahead. His silence is a foreign thing, a surprise coming from an unknown place.
We’ve time alone now. Whatever’s bothering him can be fixed.
Finn is taking me to Derry for a few days. “A break from the shenanigans,” he informed me early this morning. A few days off? With this man? No, I’m not complaining.
Derry is about a six-hour drive north and we’ve been on the road for two. Between the lovely Irish countryside and a successful night, I should feel relaxed. Except Finn looks tired, and I wonder if this trip was a good idea.
I try to engage him in conversation. “O’Brien will be thrilled by your performance last night.” Finn had been in rare form. Insulting and egging on his opponents, acting the madman, allowing himself to be hit. I’m beginning to wonder if he enjoys the pain because he never takes the easy road and always gets into the cage against the worst of them.
Last night, he brushed off my offer to ice his swollen face, informed me that a good night’s sleep was in order, then left me to sleep alone. And it’s crazy that in a short amount of time, I’ve gotten used to him next to me. I missed him in my bed. Missed the feel of his big body snug against mine, the touch of his hand on my hip, his morning wood thick against my ass.
Finn doesn’t respond.
I sigh without making a sound then occupy myself by watching miles of green grass roll by. Brilliant flashes of white interrupt the landscape, and I almost laugh when I spot the small blue and pink dots coating the sheeps’ wool. I want to ask Finn about it yet don’t. Giving him space to work through whatever is troubling him even when doing so troubles me.
It feels like I know him. His goodness. His soul. Still, I know very little about his life. I glance at him, so contemplative, so darn quiet.
I bite my lip and make a decision. The next few days, it’ll be my mission to discover the truth about Finn McDuff.
“Do you miss this?”
“Ireland?” He nods. “Yes and no. Mostly yes.”
Victory—he’s talking. “I feel the same way about Maine. The fresh air, small towns, peace and quiet.”
“But you left.”
“I’m ambitious. I craved a bigger life, full of opportunities and challenges Maine couldn’t offer me. I felt like a big fish in a small pond there. I couldn’t stay without experiencing what was out beyond the limits.” I turn to smile at him. “We’re alike in this way, you and I.”
“Perhaps.” He draws in a breath. “Though sticking to a small pond is wiser. Little fish are too easily eaten by the bigger ones. Then, where will ambition get you?”
“Have to catch me first.”
I wait for the smile that usually follows. It never appears. A few awkwardly tense seconds pass before he pulls the car to the side of the road and parks.
He’s out of