Page 54 of Dublin Debacle

Jack nodded. “It appears that way.”

“So, it’s a ruse to make each side think the other is causing trouble.” Emily’s lips thinned as she headed back across Dublin toward the pub. “Who would do this and why?”

“That’s what we have to find out.”

Emily’s worried frown faded into a smile. “And my father has been working the issue from the start. The best news of the day is that he didn’t die in the crash.” Her lips turned downward. “But that crash was meant for him.”

“And now, they’re after the rest of your family.” Jack didn’t like that at all. The attacks weren’t random. They wanted all of the O’Brien family.

“Do you think they’re going after us to bring my father out in the open?” Emily asked, her voice hushed.

Jack gave her a grim glance. “I’d bet money they are.”

CHAPTER12

As Emily drovetoward the pub, she alternated between sheer joy that her father was alive and abject terror for him and the rest of her family. Someone wanted to get to him and didn’t mind hurting his family to make him desperate enough to come out in the open.

What had her father discovered that had made him a target and now the entire O’Brien family?

“Is it possible to get another one of your guys to protect my brother and Ciara until we find the people responsible for all the attacks?” Emily asked. “Unlike my uncle, they’re in a public hospital. Anyone could find them.”

“On it.” Jack’s thumbs flew over his phone’s keyboard. He sent the message and stared down at his screen for a long moment. “Damn.”

“What?” Emily slowed at a light and shot a glance across to him.

His brow furrowed as he focused on his phone. “Flamethrower just posted, calling all Travellers to show up at the campaign rally happening later today to stop Radical Nationalists from eradicating Irish Travellers from Ireland. I quote: Don’t let them hurt your women and innocent children. Now is the time to fight for your families, your country and your way of life.”

The words hit Emily like a sucker punch to the gut. “Wow. I keep seeing all those people in the basement of that distillery. They’ve been forced into hiding, abandoned their homes and way of life, all because someone is pushing the agenda. They want a war between the Radical Nationalists and the Travellers. It makes me sick to my stomach. If that happens, the peace Ireland has known for over two decades will be over.”

Jack nodded. “I’m seeing the same call to arms coming through for the Radical Nationalist claiming Travellers will come for them in the night, murder their children and rape their women.”

“What rally are they talking about?” Emily asked. The light turned green. She eased forward, a frown pulling her brow low.

Jack continued searching his phone. When he looked up, he said, “There’s a campaign rally for politicians running in the upcoming election. It’s this afternoon in front of the capital building.”

“That would be the perfect place to start a fight,” Emily said. “But how can we stop it?”

Jack sighed. “We have no evidence to show them they’re being played except one dead mercenary. Either side could blame the other for hiring him.” His mouth pressed into a thin line. “I don’t like that we have no further information about the Flamethrower. That’s who we need to catch and hold up at the rally.”

“He could be anyone,” Emily said.

“And hard to track down since he’s hopping from place to place to spread his hate. However, our computer guru, Lucie, is an excellent hacker; if anyone can follow a money trail from the mercenary to its source, she can.”

“Will she find tangible evidence soon enough to do something to stop the war that’s brewing?”

“She might be able to track down the people funding the mercenaries. But that kind of tracking might take more time than we have.”

“What can we do in the meantime?” Emily asked.

“Let’s see if we can find the person who painted your car. He might be the Flamethrower,” Jack said. “There has to be a surveillance camera that captured him leaving the alley near the pub.”

“Perhaps the jewelry shop across the street, or the upscale clothing store, will have a system with cameras pointed our way.” Her foot pressed onto the accelerator. “This is all so frustrating. I’m not the kind of person who can sit around waiting for others to solve my problems.”

“That’s what I love about you,” Jack said.

Emily’s gaze shot across the console to Jack. His gaze was on his cell phone as he searched for information. Did he realize he’d used the wordlove?

Her pulse thumped hard through her veins. Just because they’d made love the night before, and he’d used the word love just now, didn’t mean he’d fallen in love with her.

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