The Mystery of the Claddagh Rings (4 page)

She sighed with contentment. Just another few months and her dream would become a reality. She’d already bought the restaurant location—thanks to her financial backer—the pretty stone cottage overlooking Boston harbor. As for unfinished business, all she had to do was find the rightful owner of the Claddagh rings and return them—
if
Ryan was telling the truth and Poppy had no legal claim to them. And she needed to deal with Ramsey. Her newfound confidence said she could handle both.

Look out world. Here I come!

She turned the key in the lock. The lights didn’t come on when she flipped the wall switch. Dropping the bags on the couch, she tried a table lamp. Nothing happened. She stiffened when the smell of sweat and dirty clothes hit her, heavy breathing blowing tendrils of hair across her nape. Someone stood behind her in the dark. Grabbing a metal bookend, she spun fast, swinging it with all her strength. It bounced off an arm and crashed to the carpet. The man was built like a gorilla, his silhouette towering over her in the dim outside lighting. He grabbed her by the collar and shoved her against the picture window. Her back hit, cracking the glass. Pain racked her spine. She panicked, fighting for breath against his chest.

He wore a ski mask, his flat gaze staring out at her through the holes. “I want the rings.”

“I-I don’t have them.” He tightened his hold on her neck and squeezed. Fin’s vision blurred, her air supply all but choked off. She’d be dead in a few seconds if he didn’t release the pressure.

“Listen, ya little bitch. You don’t woont to make me angry. Give me the rings!”

He loosened his grip for a second and she lashed out. Her boot connected with his shin. He doubled over and let out a roar. She kneed him in the face. Leaping over the couch, she raced to the bathroom and shot the bolt. Frantic, she opened the medicine cabinet, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. He threw his weight against the door.
No time. Fin was halfway out the window when the doorframe splintered. She shrieked when his hands gripped her ankles, dragging her back inside. Her knees slammed down on the edge of the tub. Heaving her to her feet, he spun her into the mirror. Glass shattered and blood dripped down her temple.

The cold barrel of a gun tapped her cheek. “I won’t ask ya again. Where are the fookin’ rings?”

****

Ryan entered the guesthouse through the open front door. He pulled his Glock, instinct calling the shots. Fin was in trouble. She had parked in the drive five minutes ago, yet the lights were still off inside the cottage. A crash sounded in the bathroom, a man’s voice shouting. He raced toward the sound, bumping into the couch in the dark. A small cylinder rolled out from under, caught the ball of his foot, and sent him flying. A hiss sounded as he face-planted on the floor, a cloud of vapor shooting from the can. Fin’s pepper spray! Damn, he was choked and blinded within a couple of seconds.

Lurching to his feet, he plowed into a wall. Wiping the worst of it on a sleeve, he leaned against the plaster. He couldn’t breathe, needed to wash his face to get rid of the stuff.

He heard something bang at the back of the house. Someone rushed toward him. Fin, he recognized her footsteps. “It’s okay, the jerk went out a window. You scared him off.”

“I can’t see worth a damn.” Grabbing his arm, Fin led him to the kitchen sink and turned on the taps. Still gasping, Ryan holstered his Glock, soaking his head under the faucet for a good two minutes. He checked Fin over while he dried off with a dishtowel. “Are you okay? There’s a nick at your hairline.”

“It’s nothing serious.” Fin reached for a paper towel to dab at the blood. “It’s just a scratch.”

“You want to tell me what happened?” Of course she didn’t, he could see it in her eyes. “Who was he? What did he want?”

“If I tell you, you have to keep it to yourself until after the wedding.” She licked her bottom lip, something he’d noticed she did when she was nervous. It drove him crazy on a whole other level. “I don’t want Poppy upset before her big day.”

Wasn’t that a crock of crap? Hell, Fin thought she could play him. “Think again, sunshine. Let’s try for the real reason you want me to keep silent.”

“Look, he was after the rings, okay?” Fin tossed the paper towel in the garbage, squaring her shoulders. “But the truth is, if my mother finds out she’s liable to tweet about it or do another television interview to create more publicity for herself.”

“That’s another lie. You’re afraid for her, worried someone else will come after her.” Ryan shook his head to clear it. His eyes still stung, but at least he could see again. “Describe the man to me. What did he look like?”

“A big guy, built like a wrestler. I couldn’t see much in the dark and he wore a ski mask. But he spoke with an Irish accent.” Fin moved into the living room, holding her breath as she crossed to open the windows. “We need to air this place out.”

“Which reminds me…” He wrapped an arm around her waist and reeled her in. “Did you forget to pick up your pepper spray earlier after our little tussle on the floor?”

“Hmm, guess I forgot.”

“I guess you did.” He curled a strand of her hair around his fingers. She smelled like a tropical rain forest, sensuous and exotic, tempting him to forget the mission and lose himself in her scent. He backed off a couple of inches. “Do you know where the rings are?”

“Yes, Mom gave them to me this morning for safekeeping. But you’ll never find them.” She tipped her head to gaze up at him, her blue eyes daring him to think otherwise. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give them to you after the ceremony if you promise not to involve Poppy in this. And that’s only if I think you’re on the level.”

“No dice, sweetheart. Your mother’s already involved—she’s had the rings for almost twenty-eight years.” Eyes narrowed, he studied the stubborn tilt of her chin. Figured she’d already made up her mind and would hold out until she got what she wanted. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

“Take it or leave it, O’Shea. It’s up to you.” She flashed him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Besides, you’re here to protect us. Right?”

“Damn, woman, you’re not making this easy.” He hauled her back when she tried to turn away. “What difference does it make whether you give them to me now or later, as long as I don’t upset your mother?”

“That should be obvious.” The thin thread of humor in her voice reeked of sarcasm. “I don’t know who you are and I don’t trust you. For all I know, you’re as rotten as the guy who came at me with a gun.”

“Think about it, Fin.” Ryan touched a hand to her collarbone and felt a spark of heat. Everything about her attracted him—from her looks, to her intelligence, to her spunk. “If I wasn’t on the level, I’d have hogtied you, Poppy, and her fiancée this morning before anyone else arrived. Gotten the rings and taken off.”

“Not with the cook and housekeeper inside to call the cops. No, I’ve made up my mind. You won’t get your hands on them until I know why people are after them.” She folded her arms across her chest and shot him a glare. “Do we have a deal or not?”

“You drive a hard bargain.” Ryan knew she’d checkmated him and then some. Hell, he’d been outwitted by a master negotiator. “But, I have one sticking point. You move into the main house where you’ll be safe and then I’ll agree. We can shake on it.”

She thought about it. He could practically see the wheels turning inside her head. The hell with it, she wouldn’t get away with calling the shots without suffering the consequences. When she finally offered up a handshake, he ignored it and touched down on her lips. Heard her sharp intake of breath and didn’t much care. Her taste hinted of strawberries and chocolate, warm and sweet. Oh yeah, he wanted a whole lot more. But for now, it was enough. “Just sealing the deal with a kiss, sunshine.”

“Whatever,” she said, clearly rattled. At least she hadn’t pushed him away. “I’ll get my things.”

Ryan followed her around while she gathered her unpacked suitcase, backpack, and shopping bags. “You’re sporting a different look since I saw you this morning. Very nice, but what’s with the new clothes and makeup?”

She handed him her rollaway, staring at the floor. “I needed a morale booster before greeting Poppy’s guests.”

Sure she did, especially if this had anything to do with Ramsey Carlyle. Ryan had checked him out earlier. The guy was a pervert with two complaints filed against him for inappropriate behavior with teenage girls. The charges were dropped in both cases, but he suspected large amounts of money had changed hands to make it happen. “Is this about your stepfather?”

“Let it go, O’Shea.” Determination tightened Fin’s jaw as she locked up the guesthouse. “I’ll handle him myself.”

Ryan scanned the shadows as they walked, a hand on his weapon. While it bothered him Fin planned to go up against Ramsey, what concerned him more was how the gorilla in the guesthouse had known she had the rings. A gnawing feeling clawed at his gut. Either the security system had been high-jacked and someone had seen Poppy give her the rings, or one of the wedding guests was involved.

He entered the main house through a side door, following Fin up a narrow back staircase he imagined was used by the servants. Noise filtered from the front of the house. The party was in full swing; raucous laughter and voices carried on the steady thump of drums and riffs from electric guitars. Paul must be getting his groove on with his band.

Fin paused at a door on the second floor, seemed to steady herself before turning the handle. He understood why when she flipped on the lights. “This is my room. Welcome to the time warp.”

No kidding? Ryan couldn’t believe his eyes when his gaze landed on the frou-frou canopy bed, frilly curtains, and shelves of Barbie and Ken dolls with accessories lining a far wall. Everything was pink, from the pleated shades on the lamps to the scatter rugs on the floor. “This is the room of a seven or eight-year-old girl.”

“Oh, I know.” Fin’s mouth curved into a sad semblance of a smile. “Poppy kept it the same after I reached puberty. She didn’t want to acknowledge I was growing up, since that meant she was getting older, too.”

“I’m sorry.” For the first time in a long time, he was at a loss for words.

“Don’t be. I survived.” Fin opened a cupboard door, shook out the new clothes she pulled from shopping bags, and hung them on hangers. “But maybe now you’ll understand why I’m so protective of my mother. She lives in her own world most of the time.”

True
. And Ryan understood a lot more. His heart expanded in his chest for this woman who had somehow survived an unbearable childhood and grown into the person she was today. Jesus, how could anyone be so level-headed and strong under the circumstances? She deserved more.

For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to be the man to give it to her. He knew she wasn’t someone he could mess with—a convenient and pleasurable hookup. No, Fin’s emotions were raw, on the surface for everyone but a blind man to see. He wouldn’t betray the tenuous thread of trust he saw growing in her eyes whenever she looked at him. She’d been disappointed too many times, but wouldn’t be by him.

Chapter Three

Fin opened her eyes and turned on a lamp, shuddering when she realized she was back in the pink room. The good news? She wasn’t a kid anymore. The bad news? She couldn’t lay in her childhood bed another minute. Dressing in sweats, she took the back stairs to the dining room, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t run into anyone. The house was quiet. The others must still be sleeping. She imagined the party had lasted most of the night. After pouring a mug of coffee from the urn on the sideboard, she grabbed Poppy’s old coat from the mudroom and slipped outside.

An icy blast of wind blew across her neck. She snuggled deeper into the sheepskin jacket, walking around to the front of the house, away from the wind. Daylight was still an hour away. Cheery Christmas lights around the windows tinkled against the glass. Tomorrow was Christmas day, but she didn’t feel like celebrating, not with Poppy’s entourage—especially Ramsey—in the house. Her mother’s wedding would be the day after, then hopefully everyone would disappear. If only she could sneak off to the guesthouse, light a fire, and enjoy her coffee in peace. She nixed the idea, knowing O’Shea would catch her with video surveillance. Besides, she’d given him her word.

“Morning, sunshine.” He stood on the path to the gatehouse, ambient light shining behind him through the open door. “Come in and get warm.”

“You’re up early.” Jeez, she almost jumped out of her skin when he appeared. Between the Irish guy attacking her and Ramsey staying for the wedding, she was a bundle of nerves.

“I wanted to tidy up the guesthouse and replace the broken mirror in the bathroom in case Poppy strolled down there.” Ryan stepped to the side as she mounted the steps ahead of him, curious to see the inner workings of the small office. She already knew the layout—a bedroom, kitchenette and full bathroom in the back—but the new tech toys in the work area amazed her. “A lot has changed since I’ve been gone. Look at all the monitors and computer equipment.”

“Yeah, I was impressed too.” He ran a hand along his jaw. “Your mother hasn’t skimped on security, whatever else she might have missed.”

Fin whirled on him, defensive as ever about Poppy. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I was talking about husband number three.” He sipped his coffee, studying her over the rim of his mug. “She didn’t know Ramsey Carlyle was hitting on you, did she?”

“No, and I don’t want to talk about it.” Fin turned away to watch the digital feed on the flat screens. Maybe if she ignored O’Shea, he would run for the hills. His arms came around her instead, his chin touching the top of her head. She flinched at his touch. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I thought it was obvious. I’m holding you.” He turned her around, brushing his lips against her cheek. If she moved slightly, his mouth would touch hers. Tempting, but no. She wasn’t sure she could trust him. What if she instigated an innocent kiss but he misunderstood? What if he took things where she didn’t want them to go? Although, the softness in his eyes said she needn’t worry. “I’m here for you, Fin. I’m strong and solid. I won’t let you down.”