Page 42 of Dublin Debacle

Emily nodded. “But he was here and has been here before. As long as he doesn’t know we’re looking for him, he might come back. How did you know he was here?”

“Our expert hacker, Lucie, shot me a text right about the time the game ended and the fight broke out.”

Emily shivered. “It’s kind of creepy knowing he was here all this time and we didn’t know it.” She picked up a chair that had been knocked over, flipped it over and set it upside down on a table.

“Who are your customers here at the pub?” Jack asked. “And what I mean is, are they mostly Travellers or a mix?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I’m not exactly sure,” she said. “I know some are Travellers, but some are just old-timers, who’ve lived in the area for a long time. My grandmother’s family was Irish Catholic Dubliners who took pride in their city and country. But they were also business people who didn’t discriminate against whoever was paying them good money for their beer and whiskey. My grandmother married a Traveller. Granted, she left him to carry on her family’s pub when she was all who was left of her family.”

Jack lifted a table that had been knocked over and set it back on its legs.

“You don’t have to stay and help clean up. My staff and I will take care of it tomorrow before we open,” Emily said. “It’s late, I’m tired and I plan on calling it a night.”

“I don’t mind helping,” he said and lifted a chair from the floor, turned it over and set it on the table like he’d seen Emily do. “Besides, I get the feeling that if I left now, you’d stay up cleaning until you have everything back where it belongs.” He cocked an eyebrow. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Her lips twitched. “Maybe. But you have to be exhausted after sleeping on a hardwood floor last night. I don’t mind staying up to clean, but you shouldn’t feel that you have to.”

“I’m not tired. In fact, I’m still on a bit of an adrenaline rush from all the excitement. Helping you clean up will burn off that energy and let me get to sleep easier.”

Emily’s brow wrinkled for a moment. Finally, she shrugged. “I won’t turn away help, if you really mean that.”

“I do,” he said with a grin.

“Then...thank you.”

They worked together, setting all the tables upright and laying the chairs on top. The broken ones were placed in the store room until Emily could determine whether they could be salvaged or just thrown away. Once they had the floor cleared of furniture, they swept broken glass, napkins and debris to the center and collected it in a trash receptacle.

Armed with mops, they started at opposite ends of the room and cleaned the sticky spills, working their way to the center, bumping into each other at the pail.

Emily laughed, pushed her stray blond hairs behind her ears and sighed. “That went a lot faster than I expected. Thank you for helping.”

“You’re welcome.”

She tilted her head to one side. “Would you care for a nightcap? I think Moira put some of the seafood chowder in the refrigerator before she left. I could warm some up.”

Though he would like nothing more than what she offered, Jack couldn’t ignore the shadows beneath her eyes. “That won’t be necessary,” Jack said. “You should get some sleep. It’s late, and you were up much of last night with your uncle.”

She sighed. “Will I see you again?”

Jack smiled. “Since Flamethrower hangs out here, and I want to find this person, I’d say that’s a distinct possibility.” His brow furrowed. “Are you going to be safe on your own? I mean, can I walk you home?”

She grinned. “I live in the flat over the pub. I don’t have far to go.”

He glanced around. “How do you get there? Are the stairs hidden inside the pub somewhere, or do you have to go outside to go up?”

Her brow wrinkled. “Outside the back door and around the side. But I’ve done it a thousand times. I’ll be fine. You don’t need?—”

Jack shook his head. “I’m walking you to your flat. And, if you’ll let me, I’ll clear it before you go inside to make certain you’re safe.”

She held up her hands. “Really, that’s not necessary.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “Does your uncle normally live with you?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve been on my own since my father’s accident and Finn moved out.”

Damn. Jack didn’t like that at all. “Sweetheart, your uncle was nearly killed last night, and those same people almost kidnapped you. And that all happened outside the back entrance of this pub. Don’t think I’m going to walk away and let you walk alone to your flat, even if it’s only a few steps away.” His frown deepened. “Do you trust me?”

“You saved my life,” she said softly.

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