Page 57 of No Lies No Promises

Hell, yeah! As I shut down my laptop, Dante pounds on the cottage door.

“Hey, you two. Hate to interrupt, but Ruthanne and Rebecca left the safe house. Any idea where they’d go?”

Lil jumps up, opens the door, and juts out her chin. “Why didn’t anyone stop them?”

“They aren’t prisoners.” Eyeing her open laptop, my friend removes his cap, then steps inside.

No doubt noticing the lines under his eyes, Lil makes coffee. “What reason did they give? What happened?”

“His Grams had a vision.” Dante opens the fridge, drinks orange juice from the carton, then tosses the empty in the trash. For a heartbeat, I think he’s kidding.

The ensuing silence tells me he’s not.

“Oh, for chrissake. Perhaps my father’s correct. Grams is losing it.” Taking a deep breath, I count to ten, forcing myself to listen. “I assume you followed them.”

“Yeah. Lost them in the subway system. But not to worry. We’re using facial and body recognition. It’s almost impossible to disappear in the Big Apple.”

Despite considerable effort to remain calm, my fists clench. “Except underground. There are plenty of ancient, unmapped tunnels and Grams knows them all.”

“Not to mention, Rebecca has a drawer full of fake identities.” Face flushed, Lillian forces my fingers to uncurl, then slips her hand into mine. “We spent much of our lives hiding from my father. It won’t be easy to find them.”

“If what you’re saying is true, no one else can, either.” Dante makes a good point, but do we dare take that chance?

“We need to get back to the States.” Already in the bedroom, I toss my clothes into the suitcase as Dante picks up his phone.

“I can have my private jet in Ireland within twenty-four hours.”

A few seconds later, Lil joins us. “There’s a flight leaving Dublin this afternoon with two first-class seats available. I’m booking them. We’ll make it to Newark by ten.”

Dante sighs. “What about your father?”

“Ghosted us.” Frowning, she unzips her bag on the bed.

Shit. Back to square one.

Chapter 29

Lillian

Settling into my first-class seat by the window, I press the recline button on the armrest. “I still can’t believe those two bolted from the safe house.”

Sean flips open his tray table, leans over, and kisses the tip of my nose. “Blame my grandmother. She’s the troublemaker.”

With my mouth open, I force my ears to pop as the plane levels off before answering. “Ruthie does have an uncanny sixth sense. Perhaps her subconscious picked up some weird vibe.”

“We’re both exhausted.” He lowers the barrier between us, tugs me close, then rests his chin on the top of my head. “Let’s get some sleep. Trust our team to find them.”

Much later, the landing gear thumps into place. After we descend, the tires screech against the runway. When the fasten seatbelt sign goes off, Sean shares a weary smile.

“We’re home.” He checks his burner phone. “Dante’s sending a car.”

Bags in hand, we spill off the plane. Once we clear customs, we step into the crowded waiting area. His long stride moves us through the sea of travelers past a noisy airport bar where rowdy tourists cheer their team.

Head on a swivel, we reach the escalator. Stepping aside, hand on my back, he motions me on first. At the bottom, a line of drivers waits, holding placards or tablets at chest height. We head toward the one with our names and follow him out the door.

“I’ll take this for you, Miss.” As the man lifts my luggage, his right sleeve rides up, revealing an inked wrist.

Oh, my fucking God. I know that tat. My pulse skyrockets. Hooking my fingers behind Sean’s neck, I pull him into a kiss, then brush my lips across his ear. “He’s my father’s man.”