Flawless(42)

Julie smiled. “Hey, see the three guys over there at the far booth? Grooving to the music? They’re some of New York’s finest. This place is always filled with cops. New York has a lot of Irish cops, you know. Irish descent, at any rate.”

“You’re Irish, too?” Craig asked her.

“My dad,” Julie said, rolling her eyes. “I was a Jameson—no relation to the whiskey Jameson’s, I’m afraid.”

The white-haired man who seemed to be a fixture at the bar with his soda and lime suddenly rose and came over to them. “Mind if I join you for a spell?” he asked, his brogue rich.

“Of course not,” Kieran said. “Have you two met? Bobby O’Leary, this is my friend Craig Frasier.”

“Frasier, eh?” Bobby said.

“Yes, sir, how do you do?” Craig shook the man’s hand.

“Scotsman, eh?”

“My father’s father, yes.”

“You’re that FBI agent.”

“Yes,” Craig said.

He was always in control, Kieran thought. But she saw his mouth tighten a bit and realized he wasn’t pleased that he was known to be with the FBI.

“Saw you on the television with Kieran here. Scary thing. She’s precious to us. Glad you were there for her.”

“Actually, sir, she saved me.”

“From a water pistol,” Kieran said quickly.

“Still, we had no idea we weren’t dealing with killers,” Craig said.

“I think I was just functioning on adrenaline. Besides, I have a feeling you would have Rambo-ed your way out of the situation eventually,” she told him.

Bobby wagged a finger at them both. “You be careful now, you hear? This is no joking matter. Those killers out there are real. Now you, sir, you’re trained for this. Kieran, you may be a hero, your face plastered all over the papers, but you take care, lass, take great care. There’s no Finnegan’s without you, you know.”

He rose to leave them.

“Bobby’s one of our oldest customers,” Kieran said.

“He’s quite observant,” Craig remarked.

“He’s been in recovery for years,” Julie added.

“Must be hard, spending as much time in a pub as he does.”

“Pubs aren’t just bars,” Kieran said. “Pubs are meeting places.”

“Whoa, I wasn’t attacking the place!” Craig said, lifting a hand. “This is my new favorite hangout.”

Her smile faded. She looked uneasy.

Julie didn’t notice. “Rory outdid himself tonight,” she said. “This is delicious.”

By the time they were finishing, the pretty young Irishwoman, Mary Kathleen, Declan’s red-haired fiancée, came hurrying over to them.

“Julie, I know you’ve been wanting to move, and I have the perfect solution for you,” she said, flushing with pleasure.

“What is it?” Julie asked.

“My flat,” Mary Kathleen said. “I’m never there.” She glanced over at Kieran, blushing, a pretty sight given the fairness of her skin. “I’m with Declan all the time. Me toothbrush is there, you know? My place allows dogs. There’s a wee bedroom and a parlor, and a nice big kitchen. You and the pups would be gloriously happy there.”

“Oh, I couldn’t!” Julie said.

“You could,” Kieran told her. “It’s perfect for you. It’s right by the fire station on Reed Street, a great neighborhood, very safe.”

“I can help you get your things in the morning, if you can take a few hours off work,” Mary Kathleen said. “In fact, you can come home with me tonight and we’ll get started packing up me things.”

“Won’t Declan be upset you’re not going home with him tonight?” Julie asked.

“He’ll be thrilled—he was the one who came up with this idea,” Mary Kathleen said.

“Where are you living now?” Craig asked.

“At the apartment Gary and I still share,” Julie said. “We avoid each other as much as we can. He ignores me and the dogs, I ignore him. We try to come and go at different times. I wanted to move in with my parents temporarily, but their building doesn’t allow dogs. I haven’t found anything else I can afford, and Gary refuses to leave.”

“And you’re not afraid Gary will...try something?” Craig asked.

“Oh, Gary is hateful, but he’s not violent,” Julie said. “He says things, but he’s never touched me or hurt me physically in any way.”

That could change in a split second, Craig knew.

“Go home with Mary Kathleen tonight,” he said. “Please.”

“But the dogs...” Julie said.

“We’ll go get the dogs right now,” Kieran said, rising. “I’ll borrow Declan’s car.”

Julie paled. “What if he’s there tonight—after this?”

“I’ll take you,” Craig said decisively as he stood.

What the hell was he doing? He was getting far more involved than he’d intended. He’d meant to keep watch over Kieran. He hadn’t meant to become a member of the damned extended family.

“Oh, no, we can’t ask you to do that,” Kieran protested.