Jim: I’d like to go with you.
Me: No problem.
Jim: There’s a helo pad on the top of Jackson Graham’s building. I call him and get permission to land there.
Me: Thanks.
I turn on my computer and do some quick research. Now that I know names, it’s easy to fill in some blanks. Then I call my buddy, William Carroll, the warden at Atwater prison.
“Hey. Can I come up and meet Liam McPhee with a buddy of mine later this morning? Preferably someplace private and anonymous? I need some information that he won’t give if anyone is listening.”
“Sure. We can clear out the hospital wing, and I can call a meeting of all the US Marshals and staff.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you. We’re going to fly up in a private helicopter and land on the medic pad, if that’s okay. The pilot can stay close if you need it to move.”
“No problem on one condition—if you’ll hook me up with your company.”
“You can talk to my boss while we’re there. He’s coming with. Let’s plan for lunch after I meet with McPhee.”
In less than an hour, Jim and I are airborne and heading southeast of San Francisco to USP Atwater.
“Fi told you about Matthew?” he asks.
“Is he the boyfriend the IRA killed?”
Jim nods. “He was fresh out of law school—young, from a midwestern town. Fiona warned him, but he thought he’d be able to negotiate with these guys.”
“Do you know specifics?”
“He essentially brought his brain to a gun fight.”
“Jeez. Do you think she can get out of this?”
“Maybe, but it’s not for anyone to negotiate but Liam and Fiona this time. You’ll be there as her muscle and boyfriend.”
I nod, thinking that over. What happened before is terrible, but it also confirms that I’m way more suited to the job than poor Matthew was. I love Fiona, and I know we can find a way to free her from this.
A little while later, we land on the hospital helo pad, and Will is waiting.
“William Carroll, this is Jim Adelson,” I say when we’ve cleared the noise of the rotors.
“I’m looking forward to lunch,” Will says with a smile.
He escorts us through the admin entrance, and before I know it, I’m sitting bedside with Liam McPhee.
“Mr. McPhee?” I say just above a whisper.
He opens his eyes. “Sebastian Pontius, partner at Clear Security and the man who’s screwing my daughter.”
He’s sharper than he likes to let on. I know Fiona didn’t tell him about us. “Yes, with one correction,” I reply. “I’m not just sleeping with your daughter. I’m in love with her.”
He cracks a smile. “How does Fiona feel about you?”
“She tells me the same.” I hope I don’t sound defensive.
“Do you believe her?” He’s needling me.
“I do, and that’s why I’m here.” I lean closer. “She told me the IRA’s plans for her. She doesn’t want your life. What do we need to do to get her out?”
He looks over at Jim. “Mr. Adelson. What a surprise. You’ve gotten old.”
Jim shrugs. “So have you, but at least I’m not confined to a bed all day.”
“True.”
Silence settles over us. After a moment, Jim says, “I’ll just wait outside.”
After the door closes, Liam looks at me. “She can try to negotiate a separation. They may not agree.”
“What do I need to do? I think she’s ready to bolt, and you know she has the means to go so deep underground not even I can find her.”
“Sounds like her. Talk to Sinead and David. They have my will, and there are some provisions if you don’t have an heir. They’re ready to support her however she wants or needs.”
I don’t know who Sinead and David are, but I nod. I’ll find out. “Do we need to take her underground for a while?”
“Fi looks like she could use a vacation, but first she needs to sit down with the council of generals and convince them she’s a better asset on the straight and narrow than she would be calling the shots.”
“Thank you for your time,” I tell him. Then I take a deep breath. Might as well make the most of my visit. “Also, if you’re okay with it, I’d like to propose to her. As cliché as it sounds, I didn’t know I was incomplete until I met her.”
He smiles. “It makes me happy to know she’ll be in good hands. She has a giant heart and wears all that leather to protect it.”
His blinks become longer, and before I know it, he’s sleeping. I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze.
I find Jim waiting for me just outside the door. I promise to update him on the ride back, but for now we join Will and head to lunch in Modesto, choosing the same Mexican place Fiona and I stopped at after her visit to her dad.
Once we’ve settled in with our food, Will makes his move. “Jim, I’m looking to get into personal security. I’m over breaking up shiv fights and dealing with criminals.”
Jim throws his head back and laughs. “Even if you change careers, be ready, because most of the people you’ll work with are like small children. Do you have small children?”
“No way.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat,” Jim warns. “We put everyone through an extensive background and personality assessment. We also have offices all over the country. Any particular location you’d be interested in?”
“I’m from Vegas,” Will says sheepishly.
“We might be able to help you out. When do you have some time off after the first of the year?”
“I can take what I need,” Will assures him.
“I’ll be out until the end of March on my honeymoon, but we can circle back when I return and see if we can make something work,” Jim says.
“Thank you. I appreciate the chance to do this.”
“No problem,” I say.
We talk a bit about the challenges of working at Atwater, and he and I enjoy catching up before Jim and I return to the helipad for our trip back to San Francisco.
As we get into the air, Jim asks, “Will you be okay if we don’t hire your friend?”
“Will? Sure. What concerns you?”
“I think he’s worked too long in the prison system, and I don’t think he’s well suited for personal security.”
“I get that. Do you want me to tell him?”
“No. I might refer him to someone else I know. They do more PI work, which may be a better solution for him. Plus, they’re not as picky as we are.”
I chuckle. “Great. Thanks. Mostly I think he just wants out of the prison.”
“Did you get what you needed from Liam?”
“He gave me a road map. I have some work to do. I also asked for Fiona’s hand in marriage, and surprisingly, he agreed.”
“That’s fantastic,” Jim says.
Once we land in San Francisco, Jim heads back to the office, and I put a call in to Maureen. If anyone knows what’s going on, it’s her.
After I tell her who’s calling, she says, “I still don’t have the hair results, and I screamed at them this morning.”
“I understand. That’s not why I’m calling. I met with Liam McPhee today out at Atwater.”
“Does Fi know?”
“No. And for now, I’m asking you to keep it to yourself. I want to tell her about it tonight.”
“As long as you promise to tell her.”
I roll my eyes. “He told me to reach out to Sinead and David. Can you point me in the right direction?”
“Why did he ask you to do that?”
“It was a special request from a dying man. Can you help me or not?”
“They run The Blarney Stone Irish Pub on Columbus and Union.”
“Thanks. I’ll text you to let you know when I’ve told Fi. If she’s had a hard day, I’m not going to make it worse.”
“Don’t wait,” Maureen counters. “That’s something that will bother her.”
“I understand.”
I have the car drive me over to the Irish pub. When I walk in, an older woman with graying red hair is wiping down the bar. It smells of stale cigarettes and whiskey.
“Would you happen to be Sinead?”
She looks up and furrows her brow. “You’re a cop?”
I shake my head. “I’m Fiona’s boyfriend, Sebastian Pontius, and I met with her dad today to ask for her hand in marriage.”
She grins wide. “That’s fabulous. Are you meeting Fi here?”
“No, not today. She’s told me about her situation with your friends back in Ireland. Liam said you had a copy of his will, which has some helpful information?”
She nods. “What are you going to do with it?”
“Help her broker a deal with the generals.”
She whistles through her teeth. “You have no idea who these blokes are. They’re going to clean your clock.”
“Maybe, but she doesn’t want the gig. You know that.”
“She’d be the first woman general.”
“She doesn’t want the gig,” I repeat.
“David’s not here right now,” she says after a moment. “When he gets back, if he can remember the combination to the safe, he can open it for you.”
“I’ll wait. You did that fantastic Irish stew Fiona fed me not too long ago, didn’t you?”
“You’re good.”
I nod. “It was fantastic. Do you think you could get me six stew dinners to go?”
She eyes me for a moment, and finally her shoulders relax. “You got a big appetite?”
“No, Fiona has some people living in her office. I thought I’d drop some food off for them, and then I’m going to sit down with Fi and another couple as we read through what David pulls from the safe and make a plan.”
“It’s been cooking all day, but it won’t be ready for another bit yet. How about an Irish whiskey?”
“If it’s the same lighter fluid Fiona has, no thanks.”
She smiles. “That ninety-proof shit? It’s terrible, isn’t it?”
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“This one is made by my cousin—much smoother and more in line with American whiskeys.” She pours me a glass of the amber liquid, and I take a smell.
“Cinnamon, nutmeg, and something else.”
“Impressive…”
“Tell me about Fiona as a little girl. She had to spend a lot of time here.”
Sinead stands up tall and regales me with stories of Fiona at the bar, studying and working here. “She was destined for so much more.”
“Do you want her to take over for her dad?”
“Goodness, no. That shit’s a mess. Plus, they already harass the shit out of her. She’s better off leaving it far behind. Her father wouldn’t mind it staying in the family, though.”
“He seemed to realize she wasn’t interested when I met with him.”
She shrugs. “I guess being on death’s door will do that.”
Light crosses the bar as the front door opens and a man with purple lenses in his wire-rimmed glasses enters. He walks right by and doesn’t say anything to Sinead.
“Is that David?”
She nods. “Let me go talk to him.”
“You can use your connection to confirm I was up at Atwater earlier today, and that I received permission to marry Fiona.”
“You know exactly what it takes.”
“We’ll see when you come back with the will.”
She’s gone for a good fifteen minutes. I’ve finished my whiskey and wouldn’t mind another, but at this point I need to get going. Finally, Sinead and David reappear. She presents me with the dinners I requested, and they sit down opposite me in the booth.
David pushes a folder across the table. “Liam let me know you were coming. He told me you were going to marry Fiona.”
“Well, I haven’t asked her yet, and we all know how stubborn she can be.”
That gets a grin out of David. “As long as you know what you’re up against.”
“I think if we can get her out of her commitment, it’ll be easier.”
“It took Sinead and me a long time to convince him his organization had changed and wasn’t anything he’d want Fiona involved in. We all want her to marry and have a big family—if that’s what you and she want.”
“That’ll be up to her.” I open the folder and look through the will. It’s in Gaelic, and I have no clue how to read it since it isn’t even close to a Latin or romance language. “I’m not sure this is going to help me.”
“It says you need to call Timothy Donnelly in Dublin. He’ll make arrangements to meet with the generals. It most likely won’t be in Dublin but somewhere else in the world.”
“Okay. Can I make this call or should Fiona?”
“I think she should.” He stands and picks up a saltshaker that’s been on its side at a nearby table. He places it upright and clears the table of the fallen salt with a pinch going over his shoulder.
“Any other advice?”
“Go with her when she meets them. They’ll try to intimidate her and bully her. She plays fierce and acts like nothing scares her, but that’s just a mask she hides behind.”
“I have no intention of letting her do this alone.”
We shake hands, and I head out.
The car drops me at Fiona’s office, where I leave meals for Trevor and Hunter and then find Fiona at her desk. She seems a bit out of sorts.
“What’s wrong?” I ask from the doorway.
“Someone ran a red light on Van Ness and hit Marci. She’s in critical condition.” She puts her face in her hands. “I was just with her looking at wedding dresses this afternoon. I can’t believe it.”
“Do you need to go to her?”
“No, but I need to put a stop on their wedding invitations. We’ll delay.”
“I’ll help you deal with whatever you need to tonight.”
She shakes her head, and her eyes laser-point to the bag in my hand. “Is that Irish stew?”
“It is.”
“Where is it from?”
“The Blarney Stone on Columbus and Union.”
Her brow furrows.
“Have a seat,” I say. I settle into a chair across from her. “Jim and I flew up to Atwater today.”
Fiona’s eyes flare. Suddenly she’s like a cornered animal, looking for a way to escape.
“I had a question for your dad, and I asked him about what you told me.”
Her throat turns red, followed by her face.
I hold up my hand before she blows her top. “In his will, he has information that may help us get you out of becoming a general.” I pull it out. “Sinead and David had it in their safe. They translated some of the Gaelic for me. We need to call Timothy Donnelly, and he’ll make plans for you to meet the generals. We can make our case. Your father said we need to convince the generals you’re a better asset to them in a clean and above-board role.”
She’s quiet for a long time as her face slowly returns to its normal shade. “I’m not happy you went to see my father,” she finally says.
“Well, it was a quick trip, and Jim also met with my buddy, Will, at Atwater,” I offer, praying she’ll let this drop so I can propose to her properly when the time is right.
She’s silent, eyeing me for a moment.
“Let’s take the will over to Jim and Kate’s and work out our plan,” I suggest. “We’ll make this call and get it over with.”
Finally, she nods. “I need a distraction anyway.”
Chapter 25
Fiona
The last few days have been a whirlwind. Christmas keeps pushing closer—four days and counting—but I have a lot to clear off my plate before I can rest and relax. Bash and I did get through to Timothy Donnelly from Jim’s last week when we were looking at my father’s will and having our planning meeting. He told me there’s likely to be a council meeting in January and promised to add me to the agenda. He said he’d send details
when they’re confirmed. He was so deferential; it was as if I was the general already.
The rest of the week was absorbed with keeping tabs on Marci—whose condition is fortunately improving—and unraveling the plot at The Dungeon and its participants. We believe we’ve accounted for everything, but having this conversation with Erin will bring me no joy.
Nevertheless, it has to be done, and bright and early on this Monday morning, I find myself sitting across the table from Erin in her office. She’s wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, and despite dreading our discussion, it makes me laugh.
She shrugs. “I know it’s ugly, but I have to get in the holiday mood.”
“I totally get it. Will it be busy for you this week?”
“Not until Christmas Day, beginning in the afternoon. The overnight rooms are booked straight through New Year’s.”
I nod, impressed. I open my mouth to speak, but Erin jumps in.
“Before you give me the bad news, can I get you a drink?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Do you have coffee made?”
She nods. “Of course, and because it’s just me, I brewed the expensive stuff—kopi luwak.”
“Is that the stuff with the animal poop?”
She chuckles. “Just try it.”
“If you poison me, Bash will hunt you down.”
Her eyes light up as she heads for the coffee setup in the corner. “We need to talk about that fine specimen. I bet he’s beautiful naked.”
I blush twenty shades of red. “No comment.”
“At least tell me he’s got a small dick and doesn’t know his way around a vagina.”
I grin. “If that will help you sleep at night…”
“Damn, girl. Do you know how many of the women on my staff would give their firstborn for twenty minutes with him?” She sets a mug in front of me.
I’m changing subjects. I don’t want to know how many women want to bed Bash. “This coffee is good. It’s the poop coffee, isn’t it?”
Erin rolls her eyes. “They’re partially digested. The animal likes the coffee berry, and they poop out the seed, which ferments it as it passes through their digestive tract.”
Unwrapped: Clear Security's Holiday (Clear Security Holiday Book 2) Page 18