Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“It’s only an offer, Anna,” I explained, wondering why she looked so upset. “Maybe you had plans to return up north or another idea?”
“Oh no,” she said. “I had been dreading trying to find a job, and I would love to stay here. I’d get to work with Una?”
“Yes, and the other staff. You’d be in guest services. Trained and paid while doing so.” I looked at Niall, lifting my eyebrows to indicate for him to talk.
“And you’d get to live in the hotel,” Niall added, turning to her.
“I would?”
I cleared my throat. “I’m indebted to you, Anna. You and Una developed a friendship while you were, ah, trapped. She told me if it weren’t for you, she would have gone mad.”
“She was equally good to me,” Anna said. “She tried to protect me from, um, him.”
Her hand shook as she reached for her coffee, and she paled simply at the mention of Juan. Niall shifted closer, draping his arm over the back of the chair she sat in.
“He can’t hurt you anymore,” he assured her.
“But what if he comes looking for me?” she asked, her eyes wide. “And hurts Una? I can’t stay here and risk that.”
Niall met my gaze, and I nodded. Leaning forward, he spoke quietly, telling her and Una that Juan was dead.
“You’re sure?” Anna asked, her voice thick.
“They can’t ID him since there was no way to fingerprint him and no DNA in any system. But the fact that he was so close to the track and had a gunshot wound, the coincidence is too great,” I replied with confidence. “Plus, he was wearing those hideous sneakers.”
“Why no fingerprints?” Una asked.
I cleared my throat. “Mother Nature has a way of removing them.”
Una looked confused, and then her eyes went wide. “Oh. Oh.”
Anna looked at her, and Una mimed biting her nails. Theatrically. Anna looked startled, then turned her face, coughing to cover a little laugh.
“He deserved it,” Una stated.
Anna nodded, shifting in her chair to face Niall. I couldn’t help but see his fingers tangled in her hair that fell over the back of the chair. He saw my glance, pulling his arm back, but I’d caught him.
“Maybe we should discuss it?” she asked.
“It’s your decision. I think you’d like it here. Great staff. And you’d be safe.”
She turned back to me. “I accept.”
“Great. I’ll get the paperwork in order with HR. You can take a little more time to recover and start next week.”
“Okay.”
Niall stood. “You look pale and should probably lie down.”
She stood as well, hesitating, then leaned down and hugged me. “Thank you, Finn. I see why you’re Una’s hero.”
Niall glared at me, and I patted her back. “Thank you.”
They left, Niall’s hand on the small of her back, the gesture oddly intimate since he rarely touched anyone.
Una turned to me, lifting her eyebrows. “Are they…?”
I shrugged. “Niall says no. He is only helping.”
“Bullshit. He’s as protective of her as you are of me.”
“I agree.” I leaned closer. “And he insists she use his mum’s room. Which adjoins his.”
She clapped her hands in delight. “Oh my God, they are such a cute couple. He’s all big and strong. Dark and broody. She’s little and golden. Like night and day.”
I chuckled. “Good description.”
“We need to help them,” she decided.
“We need to wait and see what happens.”
She frowned but didn’t argue. I wondered how long until she asked Anna what was going on.
I hoped she’d tell me.
She picked up her coffee and sipped. Then she turned to me, looking serious. “Finn.”
“Mo chroí?”
“I want to go back to work this week. Well, at least Friday and Saturday night.”
I smiled widely. “You want to sing?”
“Yes. I need to move forward. Do something that gives me joy.”
“Your voice gives me great joy as well,” I murmured, stroking a line up her throat.
“You’ll be there, right?” she asked.
“Always.”
“My, ah, dresses,” she paused and swallowed, the memories of the last time she was in her apartment no doubt racing through her head.
“You’re buying new ones,” I informed her. “I’ll take you down to the boutique later. You pick what you want.”
“I have to go back—”
“No. I’ll have it cleaned out and your personal stuff brought to the suite. You never have to go back there again.” I didn’t want her to face those memories.
She paused. “You told me Tom wasn’t dead, but I haven’t seen him.”
“He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“And you’re sure he’s okay?”
“Yes,” I assured her. “He’s fine. I made him take a few days off, that’s all.”
I practically had to have his wife tie him down, but I kept that to myself.
“Oh, good. I look forward to seeing him.”
“He is looking forward to seeing you too.”
UNA
Friday night, I sat at the dressing table, finishing my makeup. The soft fragrance of Finn’s flowers drifted over, and I inhaled, stopping what I was doing and stroking the soft petals. The arrangement was huge, and this time, there was a card.