Page 74 of Redemption

“Of course. Of course. Your father and I have known each other a long time.”

“You said he was here the other week?” Typical for him to be in the same country as me and for me not to know about it. If anything highlights how far apart we’ve grown, this conversation with John is driving home the alienation.

“A minivacation from the expansion and the problems with your mother.” He lets out a deep sigh. “I’m sure you’re aware. I don’t need to tell you.” He gives me a sympathetic smile.

Since my parents came to see me together a few weeks ago, I wondered whether they put their differences aside. In some ways, I’m glad they haven’t. Whatever their marriage was built on to start has eroded into unhappiness. My mother might have found a measure of physical safety with my father, but she didn’t find emotional support or security.

Finn and Lorcan come into the examination room and hoist Jay into their arms. Finn’s gaze connects with mine. “He’ll be okay,” he says.

Tears spring to my eyes even though he’s right. I trail my hand down Finn’s back as they leave the room with Jay in their arms.

“Does your friend have another shirt? Being without one might make you conspicuous wherever you’re headed next,” John asks.

“We can buy one.” They dove into the SUV without any bags, didn’t they? All of us will need new clothes after the blood Jay shed. I’m afraid to look at my shirt and pants.

“Nonsense.” John opens a cupboard and riffles through things, taking out a black T-shirt emblazoned with charity information. “The clinic did a run in the village a few years ago and printed too many shirts.”

“Thank you.” I hold it up to check the size. Looks about right.

“When you see your father, tell him I said hello.”

“Sure.” I won’t. “Do you want—how can I pay you?”

“No need. You’re Charles’s daughter. He’d help one of my children if they ever found themselves in trouble.”

Once again, the urge to correct him rises to my tongue, but I hold the words back. “We’re building a hotel and casino in Cape Verde. If you ever want to come visit, let me know. Your stay will be on us.”

He puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles. “Charles raised you well.”

When I leave the office, Finn, Kim, Lorcan, and a semiconscious Jay are already in the car with Lorcan driving this time. Finn is in the rear with Jay, and my heart squeezes that he took the back to help monitor Jay’s condition or maybe to rib Jay about getting shot. In any event, when I scoot in, Finn grabs my hand and gives it a quick squeeze.

“You all right?” He peers at me with his familiar intensity.

“If Jay’s going to be fine, I’m fine too.” I scan Jay’s pained expression and dig around in the care package John gave us while Lorcan steers us along the long path again. I offer Jay pain pills, and he takes them gratefully.

Soon, he’s asleep again. I stare out at the lightening sky, thinking about how so many people know my father in so many ways, none of them quite like me.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Finn

Jay’ssleepisfitfulbeside me. I bet he’s never been shot before. Knocks the shit out of anyone the first time. The blood loss doesn’t help.

“It’s too early to roll up to Thomas’s house,” I say to Lorcan when we enter the city limits two hours after we left Belfast.

“Jay needs a place to sleep.” He catches my attention in the rearview mirror. “We’ve also got to figure out a strategy for approaching him for help. Jay’s no good to us for the rest of this assignment.”

Carys sucks in a sharp breath. “We’re notabandoninghim.”

“We can try to send him to the Volkovs in Boston, or we can see if Thomas will protect him,” I say while she stares at Jay with guilt written on her face.

“Could he get on a plane like this?” she asks.

“Not a commercial flight,” Kim says.

Carys eases her fingers across her forehead and meets my gaze. “What do you think?”

“As long as we’re sure we can trust Thomas when we talk to him, I vote we leave him there until he’s better or we’ve knocked the PLA out.”

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