“Was our father setting me up? We were battling for control of the company. Was he going to use this to blackmail me?” Declan’s voice cracked a little, and Wes looked away.
“No!” Cara cried. “He had them hidden. He must have been trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what? Don’t be stupid! I knew he hated me, but not this much!” Declan roared in Cara’s face. He threw the file folder across the glass coffee table, scattering the papers and USB. Luke took a step forward, his face tight, but Wes beat him to it.
“Never speak to her like that again.” Wes’s voice was low and fierce and took the three Bloom siblings by surprise. Declan’s face was stormy, but Luke chuckled.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself. Now…” Luke bent to grab a handful of the papers. “We need to find the source of these and why our father was hiding them in a vault in Dublin.”
Declan grabbed the decanter and poured another large drink.
Luke nodded at the glass. “I know you are upset, but that’s not helping.”
“I’m not upset,” Declan growled. “I’m fucking furious! I’ve never even been in a car accident, much less killed a prostitute!”
Wes’s eyebrows hit his hairline.Shit.
“As your counsel, I think we should have these conversations in private.”
“I would never say anything!” Cara sounded outraged, but from the look Luke sent his way, Wes realized he was the one they were worried about.
Declan straightened, sending Wes a death glare.
Cara, watching the byplay, blurted out, “There are pictures of Declan driving a car, and then the same car after a car accident.” She paled a little. “There’s a dead woman on the road.”
“Cara!” Luke snapped.
“Too late now. He can’t unhear it.” Cara turned toward her brothers. “I trust him. With my life.” Despite the situation, warmth flooded through Wes at her words. “I won’t have secrets from him.”
“He’s not family,” Declan insisted, sloshing his whiskey when he jerked it toward Wes.
“Not yet.” From the expressions on their faces, Wes wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised. He hadn’t planned on saying it, but once the words were out, nothing had ever felt more right.
“This is just fecking grand,” Declan muttered, turning away in a huff, but Wes met Luke’s appraising stare.
Luke gave him a faint smile. “Good luck with that.”
Cara’s face had a warm flush, but she didn’t speak. He wouldn’t let himself worry about that now. Wes knew she was still concerned about his feelings for Melody and that he was moving too fast, but suddenly it felt like they weren’t moving fast enough. He grinned at her and got a confused look back.
“I’ll call James. He should be able to pull up the case number.” Luke pulled out his phone.
“Absolutely not!” Declan snapped.
“I don’t have access in New York. It would have been a lot easier if you’d managed to get yourself framed for murder in Georgia.”
“If it’s even a real death,” Wes injected.
Declan’s eyes narrowed, but Cara nodded. “The photos may not be real. Show Wes. He knows more about this than any of us do.” The brothers exchanged a look. “Do it!”
“Might as well.” Declan huffed. “She’ll just show him herself.”
“Who said you weren’t smart?” Cara teased. “I have a feeling this is going to take a while, and I’m not interested in listening to you throw up all night. I’m going to order some food to soak up some of that alcohol.”
“That might be the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me. I’m an Irishman. We don’t get sick from whiskey.”
“Half-Irish,” she pointed out, but winked at Wes. “Everyone good with Thai?”
Wes listened with half an ear as Cara placed the order. He spread the pictures out, side by side on the coffee table. Luke plucked what looked like a police report from the pile.
