Page 62 of Dublin Debacle

Emily suspected Jack didn’t want her to go, but he had the good sense not to try to convince her to stay back, out of danger.

Jack was in the back office working with Lucie on last-minute information.

Emily couldn’t stand still for that long and had left the office to work off excess energy.

“You’re going to rub a hole clear through the bar,” Daphne called out from where she was arranging chairs around a table.

“I can’t help it,” Emily said. “I have to do something.”

“No use worrying,” Daphne said. “It won’t change a thing.”

“I know.” Emily’s hand paused in her frenetic wiping. “But so many lives are at stake.”

Jack appeared, carrying sheets of paper. He stepped behind the bar, laid the papers down and pulled Emily into his arms. “Hey, it’s going to be all right.”

She leaned her cheek against his chest, loving the strength of his arms holding her tightly. “What if they can’t get Rory up on the stage with Faherty?”

“They will. Between your father’s contacts with J2 and my people, we’ll make sure it happens.”

“What if Faherty denies hiring the mercenaries?”

“Your father and Rory will convince the crowd that he’s lying and that fighting is not the answer.” Jack tipped her chin up and stared down into her eyes. “We’ll be there to help.”

She stared into his blue eyes, amazed that this man found her attractive and wanted to help her. “Thank you.”

He chuckled. “For what?”

“For being here. For helping.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “For caring.”

He brushed his lips across her forehead. “Sometimes, I think I care too much.”

“Never.”

“We’ve known each other such a short time, yet I feel like I’ve known you forever,” he said. “How does that happen?”

“I don’t know. I’m not questioning a good thing.” She laughed. “I’m just going with it. Life is too short not to grab for happiness with both hands and hang on for the ride.”

“Words to live by.” His arms tightened around her. “I’m hanging on.”

The door to the pub opened.

Jack brushed a kiss across Emily’s mouth and whispered. “More later.” Then he turned to welcome the men coming in.

Emily joined Jack as they shook hands and introduced the members of the Brotherhood Protectors who’d been sent to help.

“I’m glad you all could make it,” Jack said to the people gathered around. “This is Emily O’Brien. Her father, Seamus O’Brien, owns this pub and has been an informant to the Irish Directorate of Military Intelligence, or J2, for some time. Let’s make the introductions quick. Some of you might not know the others, and I haven’t met the newest members of the team. We have a lot to cover, and then we’ll need to move to the area of operations soon.”

He waved toward a tall man with auburn hair and hazel eyes and a statuesque woman with black hair and blue eyes. “Fearghas Gordon, former UK SAS. Beside him is Catya Romanov, former double agent for Russia and MI6.”

Jack continued to a broad-shouldered man with dark hair and darker eyes. “Dax Franklin, prior US Marine Force Recon. With him is Giva Haviv, Israeli Sayeret Matkal.”

Emily shook hands with all four, impressed that Brotherhood Protectors had members from a variety of special forces from different nations.

Fearghas waved a man forward. “Jack, let me introduce one of our new recruits, an old mate of mine, Callum McCall. Another Scotsman. We worked together in the SAS.”

“Welcome aboard, Mr. McCall.” Jack shook hands with the man.

“Glad to be here,” Callum said. “You can call me Cal.”

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