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Shit. I race down the hall, wrenching Ronan’s office door open and slamming it shut behind me. Ronan looks up in surprise from his desk. He opens his mouth to ask what’s happening when his phone starts beeping its alarm sound.
Frowning, Ronan fishes it out, his eyes darting up to me.
“I’ll be right back,leannán,” he says as he stands. “Connor needs me.”
“I know,” I breathe. Ronan’s eyes snap back to me. “Shawna was bringing me Grant’s envelopes. She tried to give me one now. I ran into Connor in the hallway. He said to lock myself in here.”
Ronan nods, grabbing me and kissing me quickly and fiercely before disappearing. I turn the lock as soon as he’s gone, curling up in his comfortable leather desk chair while I wait.
RONAN
Shawna and Connor are in the dressing room. I’m not sure where all the other strippers have fucked off to. Shawna is crying, looking terrified. Her eyes are locked on Niall, in the corner, going through Shawna’s locker.
“I s-swear, I was just t-told to give F-Fi the envelope. That’s all. I didn’t know what was in it.”
“Whatwasin it?” I interject. Connor tilts his head at Fiona’s old dressing table. Moving across, I wrinkle my nose, staring down at the note smeared with blood.
TIME’S UP FI-FI.
COME TO OUR SPECIAL SPOT.
OR THEY DIE.
Frowning, I look at Connor in confusion. “Or who dies?”
Connor makes a face as he flips over the note. It’s printed on the back of a photograph. A photograph of Carmen and her two children.
“Who gave you the envelope, Shawna?” I ask her as Liam, Seamus, and Paddy arrive.
“Carmen,” she sobs, burying her face in her hands. “She looked scared and was wicked insistent that I get it to Fi. Then she left.”
Seamus plucks the photograph off the table, his lips thinning, but Liam snatches it out of his hands. Frowning at it, a look of realization flashes across Liam’s face.
“Motherfucker,” he hisses, the entire room shifting its attention to him.
“What?” I demand. Liam drops the photograph, scrubbing his face.
“Carmen had these bruises on her arm the other week. I noticed them when I held the door open for her. It looked like someone had grabbed her hard. I asked her about it, and she said she had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend, and he grabbed her to stop her from slapping him. I asked if she needed help with the situation, but she laughed it off. She said, ‘Grant has a temper, but he’s not crazy’….” Liam trails off, and Shawna jumps when Niall slams his fist into his locker.
“Niall, Paddy.” Seamus turns to them. “Check Carmen’s home address. Connor, you and Liam run down anything we can find on this bastard Grant Clatham.” He turns to me. “Ronan, Fiona doesn’t need to see this shite.”
Seamus gestures to the bloodstained photograph. Nodding sharply, I shove it back into the envelope, handing the thing to Seamus, who pivots on his heel and stalks out. Probably heading back to West Roxbury to fill his Pa in.
“Get yer things, Shawna,” I tell the sobbing woman. She flinches, staring up at me.
“Am I being fired?” she whispers, sounding miserable. I shake my head.
“No, ye’re not. Carmen could have told this bastard who she gave the letter to. Ye’re possibly in danger. Ye can come with Fiona and me.”
Shawna lets out another stifled sob, scrambling to grab her things. Tapping on the door to my office, I call through to Fiona, and after a moment, she unlocks the door and steps out.
“What was in the envelope?” Fiona asks in a small voice, but I throw a warning glance at Shawna and shake my head.
“Don’t concern yerself over that,leannán. We’re heading home. Shawna’s coming with us for the moment.”
Both women nod and quickly follow me out to my SUV.
Once I have them safe inside my condo, I jerk my head at the sofa. Shawna looks at my face, paling and hurrying over to plant her arse down on it, staring at the blank telly. I draw Fiona into the kitchen, taking her hands in mine.
