“And why’s that, lass?” Shayne asked, keeping his gaze locked with hers.
“Besides the fact that Tristan’s biological parents were only sixteen when they had him?” Ashlyn asked, blinking at him.
“Are ye slut-shaming my mother, lass?” Shayne asked, making her lips twitch as she took another sip.
“Do you really think that anyone’s buying it?” Ashlyn asked as she placed her cup back on the table.
“Probably not.”
“Do you care?”
“Not even a little fucking bit, lass,” Shayne said, reaching over and grabbed the fork so that he could cut a bite-sized piece of cake off.
“Then, what’s the point of all of this?” Ashlyn asked, watching him as he took a bite of the cake that was sweeter than anything he had as a child.
“Ta make ye fall in love with me,” Shayne said, placing the fork back on the plate.
“And you’re doing a wonderful job,” she said dryly as she picked up the fork and took another bite.
“There’s nothing that I can say that will make ye trust me, lass,” Shayne said, watching as she went to take another sip of her coffee only to realize that it was empty and stole his instead.
“Probably not,” Ashlyn said, taking a sip of his coffee as she stood up to leave only to go still at his next words.
“They gave ye the wrong files,” he said as he reached over and plucked the coffee out of her hand and took a sip.
“They gave me the files that Detective Black requested,” Ashlyn said as she slowly sat back down.
“He requested eighty-seven files and they gave ye-”
“Eighty-nine,” Ashlyn finished for him, looking lost in thought as she absently reached over and plucked the coffee out of his hand.
“They gave ye two extra files,” Shayne said, watching as she took a sip of coffee as she thought that over.
“Which ones?” Ashlyn asked, making his lips twitch.
“Ah, lass, ye know that I can’t tell ye that,” Shayne said with a sad shake of his head as he moved to pluck the coffee out of her hand only to have her pull it out of his reach.
“She’s definitely thinking about going for the taser gun she has in the bag,” Aidan said, nodding solemnly.
“She’s thinking about going for his balls,” Declean said, gesturing lazily towards her. “Ye can see it in her eyes.”
“Fine. Then, tell me what he was looking for,” Ashlyn said, finishing off his coffee before placing the empty cup on the table.
“And take away yer only reason for working with me? I’m afraid that’s not an option, lass,” Shayne said, watching as she placed her hand on the table and began absently drumming her fingertips against the flat surface while she debated her next move.
“Then, what about a trade?” Ashlyn suggested.
“Ye have nothing ta trade, lass,” Shayne said with a pitying look that had her eyes narrowing dangerously on him.
“I have information that you need,” Ashlyn said, reaching into her bag only to go still when he reached into his pocket and pulled out the memory stick that his brothers swiped from her.
“Tell me that isn’t what I think it is,” Ashlyn said as her gaze flickered between him and the memory stick.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea ta lie this early on in our relationship,” Shayne said as he placed the memory stick on the table.
Ashlyn reached over and picked the memory stick up. “I’m assuming that you made a copy,” she said, absently twirling the memory stick between her fingers.
“And printouts,” Shayne said, watching as she slowly nodded.
