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“Not only that,” Eoghan continued, straightening. “You threatened him with an incriminating letter. A letter that doesn’t even exist, am I right?”
I swallowed a carrot medallion whole. “The letter exists. It just doesn’t say what he thinks it does.”
Eoghan stared, open-mouthed. It made him look younger than me, although we were around the same age. The deadly man from a couple hours ago had vanished and he was, once again, the Eoghan I’d grown accustomed to—frazzled hair, distressed jeans, inquisitive eyes.
“Why haven’t you told Jack any of this?”
I set my spoon down, readying myself. “What exactly did Jack tell you before he left? Regarding how to handle me.”
Eoghan looked uncomfortable, but answered, nonetheless. “He said to keep you safe and to follow your command.”
“Well, I’m safe. So where does that leave you?”
His expression turned scrutinizing. He didn’t want to say it. “Under your command.”
I folded my hands on the table. “Good. First command—I decide what to tell Jack. If he doesn’t want me to know about the Babau, then I don’t know about the Babau. And we don’t tell him about my visit with Nicoletti or the deal I have with him. He’ll turn around and fly home immediately. He needs to bury his brother in peace.”
Eoghan looked sicker and sicker as I spoke. He ran a hand through his messy hair, brows raised. “He’s my boss, Emma.”
“I’m your boss, too,” I reminded him. “As long as you keep me safe, you’re still upholding Jack’s command. Every other order you’re to follow comes from me. Got it?”
Eoghan cursed, leaning back in his chair. His loyalty to his boss was admirable, but Jack had given him to me. If Jack wanted to pass his second lieutenant around like an old iPad, so be it. I’d decided on the drive to the Shannon that I could use someone on my side, someone who knew how knee deep in shit I stood with the don.
“Fuck it,” he said, a rush of air leaving his body. “Anything else?”
“Just a simple question. How long have you been tracking my phone?”
He shrugged, like stalking wasn’t a big deal. I supposed in their world, it wasn’t. “Since January when I accompanied you and your sister on the subway. I’ve also been hacking into the transit system database for alerts on your MetroCard usage. Phones don’t always send a location ping underground.”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from forming an ‘O’ in disbelief. I had known he was capable of tracking my whereabouts, but breaking into citywide transportation data was on another level. “Hacking? You’re a hacker?”
“Yup.” He popped his lips sanctimoniously. “I’m pretty good, too.”
“Huh,” I mused. Eoghan didn’t look like someone who spent too much time with computers. He was tall, tan and dressed like a grunge kid who smoked too many cigarettes outside a convenience store. “I never would’ve guessed you were a techie. You don’t look the part.”
“No?” he asked, the corner of his mouth lifting in a mischievous grin.
“You look like the kind of guy who yells at his friends to shut up while the Yankees are playing.”
He snickered. “I don’t like baseball.”
I furrowed my brow. I had never not seen him in a Yankees cap. The royal blue of his hat was worn, lightened by the sun and frayed along the brim. He put his elbows on the table, noticing the direction of my gaze.
“I don’t like baseball, Em,” he repeated, locking his eyes with mine. “But I enjoy the players.”
“Oh.” I pondered his words, following the insinuation. “Oh!”
Eoghan chuckled, but it sounded shaky. “Jack doesn’t know I’m gay. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Why the secrecy?” I asked, tilting my head. “Jack isn’t homophobic. Kieran is bi.”
He grimaced, the apples of his cheeks pinkening. “Still, it’s a touchy subject.”
I held my hands up in retreat. “All right. Say no more. Your secret is safe with me.”
He regained his usual knowing grin. “Anything else, ma’am?”
He didn’t say thanks for my discretion, but it wasn’t like I was expecting it. A person’s sexuality was their own business. It wasn’t my place to tell Jack anything about his employee’s sexual preferences, especially when he was keeping my own secret from his boss.
