Page 23 of Guarding Salvation

Aoife nodded at her. “Yes.”

“Jesus, he makes your dad look like the father of the year.”

“I know. I’d heard the stories and I tried to refuse but my father wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted the alliance to strengthen his ties with the Russians and help his export of drugs into the US.”

“So, you ran.” Bram itched to reach out and take her hand, but he knew he couldn’t. They were a hook-up, not a couple, and now she was meant to be a job, but he knew deep down she was so much more than that. He had all these feelings swirling around inside him that he didn’t understand, but one thing was for sure, he wasn’t walking away until he understood them all.

“Yes, I ran. Peyton, a friend of mine, helped me get away.”

Lotus had her pen poised as she was making notes. “Peyton what?”

“Peyton Lawson. She’s a PTSD councillor. We met at school.”

Bram glanced at Lotus wondering if it was a coincidence that Aoife ended up here after all. He was pretty sure Peyton was the same person who’d helped his friend Smithy when he was suffering from severe PTSD caused by hurting the woman he loved while he was drugged. Lotus knew him well, and it was a complicated relationship they shared as she’d been on the side of the woman who’d drugged him.

“And Peyton helped you get away and make your way here?”

“Yes, I used codeine and cyclobenzaprine to drug the guards.”

“What were you using those for?”

“I had a broken femur a few years ago and I still get pain sometimes, so the doctor prescribed it.”

Lotus cocked an eyebrow. “How did you manage to drug them?”

“I had free roam around the inside of the house, so I put it into their morning coffee. I knew my father would be out at his club overseeing his takings from the night before and then I ran. I honestly can’t believe I made it this far without him finding me, but I won’t go back.”

Bram fought his smile as pride in her resilience to overcome, and he fought the instinct to reach for her hand. Although he didn’t care how it looked to his team, he knew she would care. Aoife was doing everything she could to show strength, even though he knew it was costing her and every person in the room knew it too. He wouldn’t make her feel weak or exposed by giving in to his own needs.

“Well, Miss Doyle, we need to discuss this and decide what we’re going to do. Bein will walk you back to your room and we’ll let you know shortly.”

“What happens if you decide not to help me?”

“Then you’ll be driven to a location, given the bare essentials, and we’ll wish you well in your endeavours.”

Aoife gulped and nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

Standing, he held the door for Aoife before giving his team a look he hoped conveyed how much he wanted them to take this case. It wasn’t a usual case for them, but it wasn’t unheard of either. Lotus gave a short chin tilt, and he knew he had her support, and he’d need it because either way he was going up against the Irish mafia.

Chapter 10

“So, I guess you do a little more than mountain rescue?” Aoife walked beside Bram towards the room she’d not long left. She had to admit seeing him had been a shock, but on reflection maybe not. He’d been giving off that alpha protector vibe all along and although she didn’t really understand what he did here or what any of them did, she knew they helped people.

Bram chuckled as he held her door open for her to enter. “Yeah, and your name isn’t Debbie either, so I guess we both told a white lie.”

Aoife looked at the floor, not meeting his eyes and he could see she hadn’t liked lying to him. “It’s fine, Aoife, I get why you did. Running from a monster like that takes guts and smarts and changing your name was a smart thing to do.”

“Not enough though. It’s never enough.”

Bram stopped her just outside her room, his hand reaching for her arm and holding on, the small touch wasn’t enough but he knew it would have to be. She was a job, and he couldn’t cross that line with her now. “You did great, Aoife, you got away and you stayed ahead enough to stay alive. Let us do the rest now. We know how to deal with men like him.”

Aoife lifted her head, her eyes twinkling a little now, with his reassurance. “You’re kind of a badass then?”

Bram chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”

She stepped inside the room, sexual tension filling it as he glanced at the bed, making the room feel smaller as he followed, leaving the door open to the hallway so he wouldn’t be tempted to do something he shouldn’t.

Aoife paced, rubbing her hands against her jeans