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His hand fists in anger, but he thinks hard as he stares at me. I want to tell him not to hurt himself, but I’m already pushing my luck.
“Jordan said something of the like as well, but I didn’t believe him,” Seán grunts. “You’re too well trained just to be a silly little girl with great pipes. I’ll take it into consideration. Now go visit with your uncle.”
Pushing open the door, he shifts back, allowing me to take a step forward. Uncle Jordan is working on something on his computer, sporting a black eye and split lip. Quickly checking the room for dangers, I walk inside, certain Seán is going to lock me in with my uncle.
The slamming of the door behind me alerts my uncle, jerking his head up.
“Uncle Jordan,” I breathe, walking forward.
“What the hell are you doing here?!” he roars, but still opening his arms to me as he surges forward. I don’t care if he yells as he hugs me tightly. His bark was always worse than his bite with me, anyway.
Nineteen
JORDAN
I’m holding the woman I was trying to protect, and now I feel like a dick for yelling at her. Pulling away from Layla, I squeeze her shoulders as I stare into her blue eyes.
“How are you here?” I rasp. “I think you just broke me, Layla.”
Her lips twitch as she looks up at me. There’s mirth and mischief in her eyes, and I can tell this story is going to be more fun for her to tell, than for me to hear.
“Let me wash my hands first. I had a bit of trouble earlier,” Layla begins. Turning, she washes quickly, my face paling as I watch the water tinge with red.
What the hell happened?
“Sit, and tell me everything. Don't start and stop to make me insane. I don’t know how long you’ll be allowed to talk to me,” I insist, grabbing the only other chair at the table as she comes back after drying her hands. Pushing her into the awaiting seat, I wait for an explanation.
“I’m going to give you the cliff notes,” she says, rubbing the inside of her arm absently. Sitting down, I can see there are darkening fingerprints, making me growl. “Hush, uncle. I’m completely fine. It’s just a little sore is all. So you went missing, and I was starting to worry. I reached out to Lenny and the record label about my worries, only to find out that I was right to ask. The label ended up getting a ransom note from Seán insisting that I call him. When I did, he insisted I meet him.”
“Woah,” I grunt. “I’m sure you’re skipping a lot. What the hell is wrong with your arm and where is Tyler?”
“Well that’s a two part answer…One of Seán’s goons grabbed me, so I stabbed him. I’m pretty sure Jack is dead. The other guy was too rough when he found me following his boss in the back hallway. Who the fuck grabs people in this day and age?” Layla rolls her eyes.
This girl is going to give me more gray hairs. Saints preserve me.
“Seán—”
“You’re calling the head of the Irish Mafia by his Christian name? Are you insane, because I’m very sure he’s not your type,” I hiss. My eyes are huge, and I’m pretty sure my blood pressure is insanely elevated. I need to get that checked out when I get out of here. And then it hits me… “You stabbed someone? Layla Louise Campbell!”
Layla giggles, shaking her head at me. “He’s probably dead, which may be bad. I’m not worried about that or the blood debt Mr. O’Brien keeps blathering on about,” she says. Yes, my youngest niece is going to kill me. “Tell me why you’re here? How did this happen?”
Sobering, I think about that story, and how I’m stuck here for a while. I hope she didn’t promise anything crazy, because Seán O’Brien isn’t likely to let me leave anytime soon.
“I went to the bar, and started digging into their security system on my computer while I was drinking a pint. I didn’t expect the fuckers to find me,” I complain. I usually watch my mouth a bit more around Layla, but I think we’re a little past that right now if she’s killing Irish mobsters.
What can I say? They grow up so fast.
“I managed to trip one of the fail safes in their system as I was digging around, and next thing I knew I was getting yanked into their back room. It was dumb,” I sigh. “I didn’t even plan to hack into their security feed and computers, I just couldn’t help it.”
“Why are you still here?” Layla asks. “You have access to a computer, but haven’t contacted anyone?”
She sounds hurt, and I squeeze her hand. “It’s not like that. They’re watching me,” I explain, pointing at the cameras in the room. “I’m money laundering for them. The Irish Mafia recently lost their main guy for this because he double crossed them. They know I won’t do that.”
“Why not?” she whispers. Layla is a smart girl. I know she knows.
“I have a family,” I remind her gently. “Lenny is fine with Orion and Derek, but you’re a bit more vulnerable. Though, I have to ask myself what your sister is teaching you in those self-defense classes.”
Layla bursts into laughter before looking at the cameras. “I’m convinced they were too cheap to wire it for sound,” I tell her, keeping my lips angled away from the camera.
