She slid out of the bed and walked to him.
“Can you live with that?” he asked her. “I know your father’s actions hurt you.”
Sinead thought about that. It had hurt her. She’d always wanted her dad to be a good guy. Wanted to be able to look up to him. Maybe she had punished him too much for not being what she wanted him to be. Maybe if she hadn’t judged him so harshly, their relationship wouldn’t have broken down as badly as it did.
All she knew was that when she needed him, really needed him, he was there for her without question.
“It depends. Are you a good guy or a bad guy?”
He cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked into her eyes. “The jobs I take, the governments I serve, I believe have a just cause. I think the things I do make the world a safer place. But the actions I take to accomplish that… Well, there is no easy black and white in that world.”
Sinead nodded. If she was going to accept him, and that was still a big IF in her mind (although it probably really wasn’t), she had to accept everything about him. The light and dark, he said.
“Okay. One more really important question.”
“Anything.”
“Are you still really, really rich?”
Declan tipped his head back and laughed loudly. Then he hugged her close to him. “Yes, my love. I’m still filthy rich.”
“Good. That means you can stop the dangerous stuff whenever you want, right? I mean, you don’t need to do it to live. You just do it because you can?”
He pulled back and looked at her face. “Yes. I can stop the dangerous stuff whenever I want. In fact if I knocked you up earlier this afternoon, I might consider it sooner rather than later. Although you should know, I’m very good at what I do.”
“I don’t know, technically you got caught by me. I could have shot you.”
“Yes, but you were enthralled with me. You were very easy to charm.”
“I’m going to hit you again.”
He actually squealed like a girl then, and it made her laugh. Something she never thought she would do with him ever again. Which was why she immediately felt tears rush to her eyes.
As if sensing her rolling emotions, Declan stepped back to give her space. He kissed her on the forehead gently.
“Get dressed and I’ll see you downstairs.”’
She nodded and made her way around him to the bathroom.
“Sinead?”
She turned back to him.
“I did underestimate you. I won’t again.”
“Bet on it.”
He flashed her a brief smile and then he left. She was happy for the down time. She took a long, hot shower in a ridiculously large space with multiple shower heads slamming water down on her from all angles. Because rich people needed to be cleaner than most, she supposed. The hot water helped to center her. Let her think for a second without thinking necessarily about him.
When she came out of the bathroom, the overnight bag she had in her car was sitting just inside the door. She changed into jeans and a shirt, but she put her cool red pumps back on. They made her feel just a little badass.
Then she thought about the phone call she needed to make but really didn’t want to. Inside the bag was her cell, and she pulled it out and made the call. He picked up on the first ring.
“You find him?” her father asked without a hello first.
“I did.”
“You kick him in the balls?”
She’d done a heck of a lot with his balls, but nothing that she was going to share with her father. “I clocked him pretty good.”
“Good. You coming home?”
She paused, and it must have been long enough for her father to put two and two together.
“That motherfucker. That cocksucking motherfucker. He got to you again, didn’t he?”
Yep.
To her father she simply said, “It’s complicated. Look, Dad. I need some space, okay? I mean, I’ve never been on the east coast. I thought I might check it out. You okay with that?”
“Where are you?”
Sinead hesitated. She couldn’t imagine telling her father where she was would actually put anyone in jeopardy. Then again, Declan didn’t strike her as the type to take any chances. “Let’s just leave it with the east coast.”
“Can I stop you from doing this?” he asked. His voice was gruffer than normal and she didn’t think it was because he had a cold.
Sinead figured he meant staying with Declan. “Nope.”
“What did I always tell you? You got to watch your heart. When O’Haras fall…”
“They fall hard.” Sinead thought truer words had never been spoken. “I got it.”
“Maybe… just… check in. Once in a while. Maybe. When you get the chance.”