Rafferty, the merc would be singing in no time. Conlan wished that he could be there to watch, if and when it happened.
“I don’t know what you were thinking about right then, Conlan, but you were looking pretty scary.”
He laughed. “I’m thinking about fishing.”
She arched a brow. “Really. Fishing? Here in downtown New Eire? What kind of fish are you planning on catching around here?”
“One of those mercenaries who’ve been dogging our trail. If I can get my hands on one of them, I’m thinking we’ll be a whole lot closer to finding out who’s after you.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask this, but what—or who—are you planning to use for bait?”
His smile dimmed a bit. “Well, that is a problem. Using you as bait to cull one of them from the herd would mean putting you in danger. I won’t do that, not if I can’t guarantee your safety.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Right now we’re chasing ghosts, Conlan. If dangling me on a string means we can get some answers, then I say go for it.”
No way in hell he was going to risk it. “Damn it, Kat, you don’t know what these guys are capable of. They’re trained killers. I’m good, but I can’t defend you effectively unless we get lucky and find one out on his own.”
“But—”
“Let’s not argue until we’ve had a chance to eat something and regroup.”
“Fine, but don’t think I’ve given up on this idea.”
He wisely kept his mouth shut and circled the block one last time. When all appeared clear, he pulled into a parking lot next to a small neighborhood restaurant he used to frequent when he lived in the area.
That was back in his previous life. With luck, the same guy owned it, because he owed Conlan a favor or two. Right now all Conlan needed was the use of one of the private rooms in the back. Dwayne would feel as if he was getting off lucky to make good on a favor so easily.
Although Conlan hadn’t seen any sign of the mercs, that didn’t mean they weren’t out there. The last thing he wanted was to get caught out in public where he couldn’t control the situation. If the mercs tried another snatch, innocent bystanders could get caught up in the fallout.
He scoped out the area carefully. No movement. Good.
“We’ll make plans after we eat, but let’s get inside. I don’t know about you, but sitting out here makes me feel like I’ve got a target taped to my chest.”
They headed for the door, moving quickly but not so fast as to draw unwanted attention to themselves. Inside, he was relieved to see that the same balding, skinny guy was behind the counter. Conlan caught his eye and then jerked his head in the direction of the small rooms down the hallway past the restrooms. When Dwayne acknowledged him, Conlan led Kat to the one that had at least two exits besides the one from the hall. He had no desire to end up cornered.
A few seconds later, the ugly picture in the corner swung away from the wall, and Dwayne stepped through the opening.
His smile was friendly enough, even if the expression in his eyes was understandably cautious. “It’s been a long time, lawman.”
Conlan offered his hand. “You know I’m not a lawman anymore, Dwayne.”
“The fact that you spent time in prison doesn’t change that none.” He accepted Conlan’s handshake with a firm grip.
“Lucius warned me you might be stopping by. He wanted me to be ready. Said for me to give you anything you needed and he’d stand good for it.”
Dwayne shuffled his feet and added, “Besides, I haven’t forgotten I owe you.”
Conlan stared at the guy for several seconds. Dwayne held his gaze long enough to convince Conlan that he was on the level. The man was referring to the time Conlan had broken up a gang that was extorting money from a lot of the small businesses in the area. Dwayne had been on the verge of losing his restaurant, but Conlan had not only taken down the gang, he’d recovered the money.
“Okay, then. We could use a hot meal, and maybe a couple of sandwiches to go. You okay with us being here that long?”
“Not a problem. Have a seat, and I’ll be back in a few with your food.”
On his way back to the picture, he pointed at a small green light up near the ceiling. “If that light starts blinking yellow, something’s going