“What did you find out about him?” Tristan asked, watching her curiously.
“And what makes you think that I looked into the man that can’t seem to stop glaring at me?” Ashlyn asked as she went back to twirling the memory stick between her fingers.
“Because you’re thorough,” Tristan said, which she really couldn’t argue.
“I know the basics,” Ashlyn admitted, knowing that it was pointless to lie at this point.
“And they are...”
“That he was a company sergeant in the Irish Defense Forces until he was twenty-four. He then became a sergeant for The Guard, the Irish police force until a year ago when an injury caused him to retire early, at which point, it appears that he decided to find his long lost brother in the States and came to live with him,” she drawled, reciting the bullshit tale that she’d been able to uncover.
Everything looked official, from the birth certificate that she found online to his immigration paperwork, but she’d been doing this long enough to know when someone was hidingsomething. If she had any doubts, the questioning look that Shayne sent Tristan told her everything that she needed to know.
“Then, you know that he’s more than qualified to help you with this,” Tristan said as a sudden gust of cold air washed over her only to immediately feel warmth envelop her seconds later.
“I did mention that I work alone, right?” Ashlyn asked, frowning as she quickly scanned the room, looking for a vent only to feel something bump into the back of her chair. She glanced over her shoulder, expecting to find someone standing behind her only there was no one there.
“Unfortunately, that’s not an option if you want my cooperation,” Tristan said, drawing her attention to find him watching her.
“I could always go above your head...” Ashlyn said, letting her words trail off as she watched his lips twitch.
“You could do that, but since the chief is my father-in-law, that might be a problem,” Tristan explained as she glanced at Marty to find the other woman worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched Shayne.
“I can see how that would be a problem,” Ashlyn said, barely resisting the urge to follow Marty’s gaze and focused on the problem at hand.
Getting the asshole sitting across from her to cooperate.
“I’m also working on this unofficially, so I’m under no obligation to share information with you,” Tristan pointed out.
“Then, I guess we’re at an impasse,” Ashlyn said, biting back a sigh as she twirled the memory stick between her fingers one last time before she closed her fist around it and stood up.
“It looks that way,” Tristan said as she made her way to the door, painfully aware of the large man watching her go.
“You’re not doing it right!”
“He won’t stop moving!” the frat boy with a shingle sticking out of his fucking neck snapped as he tightened his hold around Shayne’s arm while another frat boy grabbed his legs.
“Hold him still. I have an idea!” came the announcement that had Shayne looking up and-
Aw, fuck...
-barely had time to brace himself when the little bastard dove through him, sending a fresh wave of cold dread and agony tearing through his chest before the dumb bastard found himself falling through the back of the chair.
When Aidan and Quinn moved to stop the next frat boy from taking his shot, Shayne discreetly shook his head, forcing his brothers to stay right where they were, between the frat boys determined to find a warm body and Ashlyn. His gaze flickered to his left to find Liam, Declean, and Finn standing guard around Marty as another frat boy tried to make a run for her and-
“Oh, God,” came the softly whispered words as Finn placed his hand over the frat boy’s heart. A beautiful white light spread over his chest, sending warmth throughout the room seconds before he simply disappeared.
“Nate!” one of the frat boys screamed while the rest of them panicked, tightening their hold on him. “What the hell did you do to him?”
“Sent him home, lad,” Finn said, holding his hand out. “It’s time to join him.”
“No!” the kid said, shaking his head frantically as his wild gaze shifted from Marty to Ashlyn before landing on him and-
Fuck!
“Where the fuck is Connall?” Liam snapped when the kid tried climbing into Shayne’s body, the move causing agonizing pain to tear through his chest and spine. When Liam moved to stop him, Shayne glared at him until he took the fucking hint and stayed where he was.
Every time one of his brothers moved to step away, the frat boys would make their move, forcing his brothers to go after them while the rest of them went after Marty and Ashlyn. If it had only been a few ghosts, his brothers would have already dealt with them, but with ten ghosts determined to find a warm body to take over while they were forced to pretend like nothing was happening, their hands were tied.
