around. I’ll not be calling on you too often. Had no choice tonight. Did I interrupt something?”
“I was on a dinner date, aye, but about to take her home. No worries.”
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Liam’s voice softened.
“Your lovely lady? Aye. You’re a lucky bloke,” Lorcan said, his voice flat.
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Do I detect cynicism?”
“Not at all. I only wondered … Nah, forget it.” Lorcan took another deep swig of his drink.
“Go ahead, speak your mind,” Liam stated.
All the wine he had at dinner and now the Irish whiskey loosened his tongue. Normally, he kept his opinions to himself, especially when driving a client. Their lives and loves were none of his business and none of his concern. “Fine. I wonder why with that lovely lass at your side, you still dip your wick with all those hangers-on. It’s obvious you love the woman and have for a long time.”
He took another long gulp.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Liam would no doubt run to daddy Vinnie and complain that his driver was running off at the mouth.
Liam curled his lips in annoyance. “Not that it is any of your business, but when she gets her divorce and we marry, I’ll be faithful then. Until those vows are spoken, I do what I want.”
Lorcan snorted. “Jaysus. That is the most twisted logic I’ve ever heard, sick justification to screw at will. If I found a woman I loved that much, I would pledge my ever-lasting faithfulness to her the moment she moved in with me. The moment we declared our feelings.” Liam’s eyes narrowed, his face frozen in a steely scowl and Lorcan bit his tongue. Way to piss off the boss. “Feck it. You’re right, none of my business.” He pushed the glass away. “And I have had too much to drink tonight and all. Forget I said anything. I’ll wait in the car.”
Lorcan struggled to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. Liam placed a hand on his arm to halt him. “I’ll get this. And we’ll forget you said anything.” The fingers squeezed, digging painfully into Lorcan’s bicep. “And in the future, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
Lorcan stood. He gave Liam a mocking salute. A mobster’s son didn’t intimidate him. After all he’d been through in the army and secret service this guy wasn’t so tough. Was he frightened? Not bloody likely. How tempting to send De Luca sailing across the bar. Instead, he set his jaw and said, “Consider it firmly closed.”
Liam dropped his hand and strode away. Lorcan caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a coffee to go.
He left the club and headed toward the car. After he locked the gun away, he leaned against the headrest sipping the scalding hot coffee, hoping it would clear his head. What in the hell brought that on? He was more professional than that. Never had he spoken out to a client before in such a manner. Too much to drink, but it wasn’t the only reason.
He knew. He wanted what Liam De Luca had. A woman to love and love him back.
Too bad he didn’t deserve any of it.
• • •
Gunfire peppered the air. The unmistakable sharp crack of multiple AK-47s fired from a distance. Panicked screams mixed with the sound of the whizzing bullets. Black smoke rose from the village below as the Janjaweed militants set fire to the ramshackle structures dotting the dirt roads. People were being pulled out of their homes and butchered in the streets with machetes.
Lorcan stood on the hill with his unit. He watched the carnage unfold, could smell burning flesh and the copper smell of blood. This village had been under their protection until they had been told to stand down two days ago. His unit cooled their heels until they heard from the French leaders who were running this mission as to where they’d be deployed next. In the meantime, UN peacekeeping mandates were in place, no interference. Miscommunication and logistical difficulties had marred this so-called action from the beginning.
The Janjaweed did not waste
“I was on a dinner date, aye, but about to take her home. No worries.”
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Liam’s voice softened.
“Your lovely lady? Aye. You’re a lucky bloke,” Lorcan said, his voice flat.
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Do I detect cynicism?”
“Not at all. I only wondered … Nah, forget it.” Lorcan took another deep swig of his drink.
“Go ahead, speak your mind,” Liam stated.
All the wine he had at dinner and now the Irish whiskey loosened his tongue. Normally, he kept his opinions to himself, especially when driving a client. Their lives and loves were none of his business and none of his concern. “Fine. I wonder why with that lovely lass at your side, you still dip your wick with all those hangers-on. It’s obvious you love the woman and have for a long time.”
He took another long gulp.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Liam would no doubt run to daddy Vinnie and complain that his driver was running off at the mouth.
Liam curled his lips in annoyance. “Not that it is any of your business, but when she gets her divorce and we marry, I’ll be faithful then. Until those vows are spoken, I do what I want.”
Lorcan snorted. “Jaysus. That is the most twisted logic I’ve ever heard, sick justification to screw at will. If I found a woman I loved that much, I would pledge my ever-lasting faithfulness to her the moment she moved in with me. The moment we declared our feelings.” Liam’s eyes narrowed, his face frozen in a steely scowl and Lorcan bit his tongue. Way to piss off the boss. “Feck it. You’re right, none of my business.” He pushed the glass away. “And I have had too much to drink tonight and all. Forget I said anything. I’ll wait in the car.”
Lorcan struggled to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. Liam placed a hand on his arm to halt him. “I’ll get this. And we’ll forget you said anything.” The fingers squeezed, digging painfully into Lorcan’s bicep. “And in the future, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
Lorcan stood. He gave Liam a mocking salute. A mobster’s son didn’t intimidate him. After all he’d been through in the army and secret service this guy wasn’t so tough. Was he frightened? Not bloody likely. How tempting to send De Luca sailing across the bar. Instead, he set his jaw and said, “Consider it firmly closed.”
Liam dropped his hand and strode away. Lorcan caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a coffee to go.
He left the club and headed toward the car. After he locked the gun away, he leaned against the headrest sipping the scalding hot coffee, hoping it would clear his head. What in the hell brought that on? He was more professional than that. Never had he spoken out to a client before in such a manner. Too much to drink, but it wasn’t the only reason.
He knew. He wanted what Liam De Luca had. A woman to love and love him back.
Too bad he didn’t deserve any of it.
• • •
Gunfire peppered the air. The unmistakable sharp crack of multiple AK-47s fired from a distance. Panicked screams mixed with the sound of the whizzing bullets. Black smoke rose from the village below as the Janjaweed militants set fire to the ramshackle structures dotting the dirt roads. People were being pulled out of their homes and butchered in the streets with machetes.
Lorcan stood on the hill with his unit. He watched the carnage unfold, could smell burning flesh and the copper smell of blood. This village had been under their protection until they had been told to stand down two days ago. His unit cooled their heels until they heard from the French leaders who were running this mission as to where they’d be deployed next. In the meantime, UN peacekeeping mandates were in place, no interference. Miscommunication and logistical difficulties had marred this so-called action from the beginning.
The Janjaweed did not waste
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