Page 30 of Redemption

Kim shoves her hands deeper into the pockets of her leather jacket. “Thought we were meeting with PJ?”

“If we’re not meeting with somebody who can tell me why you’ve kidnapped me, then I’ll be catching the next plane out,” I say.

“Oh?” Noel grins. “With what money?”

I chuckle to hide my annoyance. “You think I can’t come up with enough cash for a plane ticket?” I cross my arms. “When I want something, I get it.”

“Which is exactly the kind of winning attitude I need.” A man wanders into the room through the same doors as Noel. His outfit is rumpled, and his too-long brown hair curls at the ends. He’s younger than Kim. Must be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties with his baby face. Slight frame, average height.

A sheep. Is there a wolf under that façade? “Oh yeah?” I raise my eyebrows. “It’s my winning attitude you need.” I smirk. “I coulda loaned you that from a distance.”

“Oh, no.” He wags his index finger. “I like up close and personal much better.” He throws himself into one of the thrones and gazes at the three of us in silence.

“PJ?” Kim hedges.

“Pierre-Jacques.” He removes a knife from a holder on his hip and presses the tip into his index finger, peering at us over the top. “Kim and Lachlan?” There’s a touch of a French accent, but no lilting Irish.

“Aye,” Lorcan agrees.

At some point, I’m going to screw up his name. They’re close, but not quite the same. Will I be able to plead ignorance? Definitely can’t call him mydeartháir beag,or I’ll have a hell of a time explaining that one. Who calls a stranger their younger brother?

“Finn,” Pierre-Jacques says. “We have a job for you.”

“Didn’t realize I was looking.” I want to snatch the knife from his hand, but we’re not positioned close enough to make that easy. As annoyed as I am by this government assignment, I’m aware of my role. Whatever this guy is after, I have to go along with it… eventually.

He grins and spreads his hands. “When we are done with you, we’ll send you home. Not to worry.”

“What is it you’re after?” There’s no getting around my commitment, and I’m not in the mood to play hard to get.

“Two things.” He holds up the corresponding fingers. “We’ve found ourselves in a bit of a dispute with the McCaffery family. You know them, yes?”

Lorcan, Kim, and I tense at the same time. Jesus. I haven’t thought much about them since one of their crew almost murdered Carys eighteen years ago. Going after them won’t be a hardship.

“Ah.” Pierre-Jacques points to the three of us. “A name you all recognize. Excellent.” He tucks the knife into the carrier on his hip. “We want to do business with the Byrne family, and they won’t meet with us. We want you to go to them on our behalf. You know them as well, correct?”

I squint in wariness. “What kind of business?”

“Mutually beneficial.” Pierre-Jacques’s expression is calculating.. “I hear you can be quite persuasive.”

The truth is, I like Thomas Byrne and his family. When Carys disappeared last year, snatched up by the CIA for questioning, he milked his contacts to get me information. I owe him. I’m not sure coming to him with a PLA deal is going to go over well. “What do I get out of this?”

“Your freedom.” Pierre-Jacques shrugs as though that’s obvious.

I chuckle. “You think I couldn’t get that right now?”

“Oh, I am sure there is someone in the world you care about, who you would not want to let down with any foolish behavior. No?”

I grit my teeth and force my shoulders to relax. If I had any doubts about sending Carys straight back to Cape Verde, he just eliminated them. That threat was thinly veiled. “If you wanted my help, I’d need more information.”

“Of course. Of course.” Pierre-Jacques rises from his seat. “Tomorrow, I will give you more details.” He focuses on Lorcan and Kim. “For your help in this matter, I can offer you money or a job.”

“I like earning my way,” Lorcan says.

“Me as well,” Kim agrees.

“A job it is. It’s actually perfect. Noel doesn’t like Finn, so it would be better if he stayed with you tonight. Can you handle him for one more night?”

Kim and Lorcan exchange a glance. “We can,” she says.

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