Page 19 of Dublin Debacle

“He never took off his wedding ring. I expected them to find it or the melted metal. The coroner didn’t have it, and the investigators who went through his vehicle didn’t find it. If that was my father in that vehicle, they would have found it on him.”

“Unless someone took it off him before the accident,” Jack suggested.

Emily sighed. “I know it’s a stretch, and maybe I’m clinging to hope, but my gut is telling me that body wasn’t my father.”

“Why would he or someone else fake his death?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe the propaganda, the attacks, and my father’s accident are all related.”

“It’s possible.”

“I’ve been asking around, trying to learn the truth and getting nowhere. If I help you find your propaganda source, it might lead me to the truth about my father.”

“I don’t want to drag you into a dangerous situation.”

She gave a short bark of laughter. “In case you missed it, I’m already in a dangerous situation, along with the rest of my family.”

“You have a point, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“I might be able to open doors you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, not to mention, as a pub owner, I hear things,” she said. “I’ll share what I learn.”

“If I share what I know…?”

“I’d share either way,” she said. “But it would be nice if you’d let me know about anything concerning my father or anyone else in my family. And if I’m helping you with your investigation, it will allow me to keep an eye on you. I’m still responsible for your life.”

“You’re not responsible for me,” Jack insisted. “My assignments can be extremely dangerous. You couldn’t tag along with them. And you have a pub to run.”

She huffed. “Details. Details. The point is, I’ll help you however I can.”

“Fine,” he said. “It would be nice to have an in with the locals. How will you explain my presence to them? I can’t announce to the world what I’m looking for. That could scare them off before I even get started.”

“I’ll tell them you’re my new employee,” Emily offered.

“I can’t be there all the time. How would that look if your new employee was always a no-show? And as an employee, I wouldn’t have the leisure to sit and chew the fat with the customers.”

“True. My customers know I wouldn’t put up with that for long.” Emily chuckled. “I’d have to fire your ass.”

Jack smiled. The sound of her laughter made his heart swell. She needed to do it more often. If he helped her find her father, or at least learn the truth about him, it might give her the closure she needed to move on in her life and learn to laugh more often.

“What if we tell people we’re dating?” Emily suggested. “That would explain why you’re there so often or why you’re not there all the time. You could be job hunting with the intent of staying in Ireland with me.”

Jack liked the idea. Maybe a little too much. He’d have to remind himself that it was all make-believe and that he hadn’t come to Ireland for a relationship. First and foremost, he was on a mission. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Emily asked.

“Okay, we’ll go along with the fake relationship. It would make more sense than my being an employee. That would give me the excuse to be everywhere with you.” He grinned in the darkness. “Because, like it or not, you need protection. Whether it’s me or another member of my Brotherhood Protectors team. Which reminds me, my lead is sending a protector to watch out for Dr. Kelly and your uncle while we work on saving the world.”

“Or at least Dublin,” Emily added. “When do we start?”

“We already have,” Jack said. “We’ve only just met, but we’re already sleeping together. If someone is watching your pub or your apartment, they’ll know you didn’t sleep there tonight. I’d say our fake relationship is moving right along.”

“Perfect. I was at a loss as to where to start looking for my father,” Emily admitted. “Two heads are better than one when resolving a mystery. And we can cover more territory and ask more people for the answers.”

He laughed. “You’ve got this all figured out, don’t you?”

“No, but it’ll do for a start.”

“Yes, it will.

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