I move for the bedroom and grab my guns. Voices rumble from the front of the house. Instincts tell me not to assume that it’s John.
I grab the shorts I washed and tug them on. Not releasing my guns, I find one of John’s tank tops and pull it over my head. Dressed, I slowly inch out of the room with both guns aimed.
The voices get louder as I move forward. They seem to be arguing. I don’t hear John and I don’t know the two accented voices I pick up on. When I get to the living area, I have a clearer view of the open floor plan.
Standing in the kitchen stuffing his face with a sandwich is Noah. Two other guys sit at the island going at each other with thick Irish accents, although, they sort of have a hint of New York to them.
Noah freezes, a smile comes to his face. “Good morning, Roni,” he says after he swallows.
I have a gun aimed at the heads of the two I don’t know. They turn and I’m startled. I’m looking at two version of Wyatt with green eyes. One as big as Noah. He’s the one with the pissed as hell expression.
“What the hell is in you guys’ genes? Like, how?”
Noah laughs and the smaller one smiles. The mountain doesn’t look amused as I haven’t lowered my guns yet. He glares and I glare back.
“This is Cole and Logan,” Noah says. “You can put the guns down.”
I mutter to myself and lower the guns, placing them back on safety.
“Nice to meet, ya. No one calls me Cole. You can call me Brooklyn.”
The other one with his mean looking ass, narrows his eyes on me. It’s like he isn’t looking at me but through me. He tilts his head and narrows his eyes.
“Ya have a familiar face,” he finally says.
I shrug. “You don’t know me.”
“Aye, didn’t say I did.”
I dismiss him and look to Noah. “Where’s John?”
“Right behind you, watching you try to blow my cousin’s heads off.” I turn to find John with a smirk on his lips.
“It’s a family trait. We love ‘em violent.”
“Speak for yourself,” Logan’s gruff voice makes me turn to glare at him.
What’s he so pissy about? His eyes are on me again. My hand is twitching at my side. I’ll shoot his ass if he keeps looking at me like that.
“I don’t know. I agree with Brooklyn. We do tend to fall for shooters,” Noah says.
“You need to put some vitamin E on your face, and shouldn’t you be getting ready for your wedding?” I say.
Noah chuckles. “I’ll look into that. We had some business with you guys first.”
I lift a brow. John moves to walk by me, tapping my ass as he passes. I whip my head in his direction, but he acts as if nothing happened.
I glare at his back. We’ll be having a talk later. It looks like we need outside the bedroom rules as well.
“I’m going back in the room. You fellas enjoy your talk.”
“I could have talked to my cousin over the phone. I didn’t fly all the way from New York to talk to him. I came to talk to ya,” mean ass says.
“Me.” I hold the gun in my right hand against my chest.
“Yes, you. Ya’ve already proved what I heard about ya is right. I have a job. I’ll pay extra because of the timing and the inconvenience.”
“Yeah, I think you have the wrong person. Thanks though.” I turn to leave.
“Val said ya have an attitude. She also said she trusts ya with her life. Better yet, the lives of her wee ones. That’s why I’m here.”
I turn back slowly. I’m not quite sure I like this Logan guy; he has a chip on his shoulder or something. He oozes anger.
“What’s up? What’s the job?” John asks as he takes a seat in the middle of Brooklyn and Logan.
Logan seems to take a calming breath. He turns that mean glare on Brooklyn. “As you and Noah might already know. My brother here has been keeping little secrets from me while I was away.” He looks at me.
“I have a daughter. She’s two and a half years old. There are reasons I shouldn’t return to Ireland at the moment, but nothing will keep me away for my cousin’s wedding. I’ve been away for long enough,” Logan says.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Shauna is the most important thing in the world to me. There are people who are finding this out and that could pose a problem. I’m asking you to help look out for my wee one during the time I’m in Ireland. I won’t be staying long. The few days before and the day of. We’ll be out of your hair before you know it,” he replies.
“You don’t have to do this. She has her nanny and we’ll all be fine to look after her,” Brooklyn grumbles.
“Cole, you’re lucky I haven’t cobblered ya yet. Leave me be,” Logan says.
“Fine, suit yourself.”
“Let me get this right. You want to hire me to look after your little girl?”
“Aye, Uri and Val say you’re a natural. I asked them for one of their best hitters, one they trust, and they told me to come see you. That you work for John.”
“You know there will be tons of family there. No one will allow anything to happen to her,” Noah says.
“It’s yer wedding. I don’t want to take attention away from that.” Logan turns his gaze on me again. “My daughter is with my aunt Cass and uncle Joe. Aunt Cass mentioned your name. I knew you were the one I needed to talk to, love. Do this for me and there will be one million in your bank account before the plane lands in Ireland,” Logan says.
I sigh. It’s the plea in his eyes. I think I understand the anger coming from him. He’s concerned about his little girl. My heart twists. If someone were that concerned about me—I cut the thought off.
A glance at John and I can see that he wants me to do this. Not for the money, but for his family. His family that trusts me. Cass mentioned me. She talks to people about me like I’m already one of her daughters-in-law. I’ve heard her do it.
“Fine. Give me the details of what you need. I’ll do it.”
John
“You’re a da,” I say to Logan.
“Aye, I’m as shocked as you sound,” he says gruffly.
“I bet. You know they only did what they thought was right.”
He grunts and nods into the living room. “What do you know about her?” he asks, changing the subject as he watches Roni talk to Noah and Brooklyn in the living room.
“Only what I’ve learned over the last few years. She doesn’t remember anything before that,” I reply.
“You believe this?”
“Aye, I do.” I nod. “Roni may be a lot of things, but she’s not a liar. At least, she’s not able to lie to me. I see right through her. Val was right, you can trust her.”
“It’s not trust that I’m having a problem with,” he says and squints in Roni’s direction. “There’s something about her. Something about her face.”
I sit up a little straighter. “You think you know her?”
He shakes his head. “Naw, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in my life, but her face reminds me of someone. I’ve yet to figure out who.”