A Little Harmless Fantasy(31)

She snorted. “I doubt Zeke and Rory are going to let me sleep.”

As soon as she said it, she blushed. Jillian laughed and slipped her arm over Maura’s shoulders.

“You go, Maura.”

* * * *

Zeke leaned back in the chair irritated he didn’t have eyes on Maura. He knew she could handle herself, but something in him made him want to have his attention on her and not her brother. He kept going on about work and for the first time in a long time, he could care less. He wanted Maura. Now.

“I heard from a source that Petersen is finally ready to deal,” Conner said.

Zeke brought his attention back to his friend. “About fucking time. The guy was an idiot. The cartel was letting him go down for the laundering and they were threatening him and his family.”

“I think the bastard was waiting for a better deal,” Conner said.

“No. He was expecting to be saved by his Columbian connection,” Rory said. “Zee and I saw it a lot in Ireland, but then the mob there is much more family oriented. Sure, they have families here, but they have lost that in the last few decades. I doubt they would have hired out like that. And if they did, it would have been someone they considered family. Now, they don’t have give a damn who they hire as long as they do their job. That way, the people who work for them are expendable.”

Rory knew better than most. Zeke didn’t know much about it, but he knew Rory had worked undercover for the British government in Ireland. His knowledge of the Irish mob was considered one of the best in the world. It was one reason he had money to spare. Many intelligence agencies paid him well to consult on cases. Hell, he didn’t even have to leave the confines of their apartment. They sent him a secure file, Rory told them what he knew, they paid him.

Conner rolled his shoulders. “Anyway, I heard from a friend that his lawyer finally got him to sit down with the federal prosecutor. I hope he takes it.”

“You want scum like that to walk the streets?” Rory asked.

“No,” Zeke said surprised that Rory didn’t pick up on it. “He knows that if Petersen turns evidence over, the three of us will be off the cartel’s hit list. They’ll go after him.”

“Or that’s what I hope. I know bringing the three of you here isn’t much, but it allows for some space. And here, especially in the places locals love, people take notice of a new face. Miami is such a melting pot.”

“Honolulu is too,” Zeke pointed out.

Conner shrugged. “But the house is in an area not a lot of tourists go. And the streets aren’t that easy to set up a stake out. It is safer.”

He understood his concern, but Zeke didn’t like the idea of his friend doubting his ability to protect Maura.

“And before you argue with me, I know both of you can protect her. She’s had enough lessons from you and me both for self-defense so she will argue that she can take care of herself. But this way, she is close during this time. Just removing you from the area is good. It also puts pressure on Peterson. Plus, we have the office to talk about here. I want to come up with some planning for expanding here in the Pacific Rim.”

“We could do that online.”

Conner looked at Rory. “Is he really bitching because I brought him to Hawaii for a week?”

“I do believe he is,” Rory said chuckling. “You know our boy, Zee. He likes to work.”

Conner shrugged. “That’s why we understand each other and why we do well on the business front.”

“So, you want to talk that over today?” he asked not really wanting to. His every thought was getting Maura to the house and watching what Rory would do to her. He hadn’t seen what kind of toys Rory had bought, but Zeke was sure it would please Maura. Just concentrating on Conner’s words was getting difficult. Of course, anything was difficult when you were walking around with little blood in your brain.

“No. In fact, I have an idea that Jillian would yell at me.”

“Tsk, tsk, done in by a woman,” Zeke said with a smile.

Rory shook his head. “Being done in by a woman like that, I can see why the man is busy.”

“She’s worried about Maura. She thinks something’s going on with her.”

Of course there was, but he couldn’t tell Conner that. They had been friends for a really long time. He had no problem when Zeke and Maura hooked up. Okay, Conner had a few but he had gotten over them, especially when they ended it. Rory and him bringing Maura into their bedroom that might be the end of their friendship if he didn’t handle it the right way.

And, there was part of him still trying to figure out what the hell he had been thinking. What he did know was he had been thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy. Still, he didn’t regret it. Couldn’t.