Page 100 of Sins of Innocence

"For this trip, yes. If you feel good about it after spending some time with them, it will become a permanent assignment."

"But don't they already have mob jobs?" I ask under my breath, not wanting my mom to overhear.

"Yes, but there's no job more important than keeping my family safe."

When he says stuff like that, I don't know how to respond. My insides know just fine. They swoon. My brain? Feels like it's fritzing. Bzzt. Kieran claims me. Bzzt. Kieran kisses me. Bzzt. Kieran claims my girls. Bzzt. Kieran protects us. Bzzt. Kieran gives me the best orgasms—plural—of my life. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Joy shrieks with delight when a television starts lowering from the ceiling opposite the mini couch she's now sitting on with the flight attendant.

I shake my head. "Joy."

"Sorry, sorry." She claps her hand over her own mouth, eyes dancing above it.

"Here's the remote." The flight attendant hands the electronic device to Joy and stands. "You can access three different child-friendly channels. If you want to watch something on one of the other channels, Mr. Lleshi has the override code."

A squishy feeling in my chest, I glance up at Kieran. "You remembered to have them put parental controls on the television?"

"Of course he did," Ellie answers for him, not bothering to look up from her computer. "The boss is thorough and nothing is hurting your girls on his watch. Not even themselves."

Kieran just shrugs.

"Oh, I like that one. Can I watch it with you?" Dagda asks my daughter when a popular animated kids show with LEGO figurines for the characters and a world made from the building blocks pops up.

Joy looks up at him, then at Kieran, then at me and then back to Dagda. "You really like it?"

"Uh huh. My little cousin got me hooked on it the last time I was back in the Old Country visiting."

"What's the old country?" Joy asks.

"Ireland," mom answers, her attention on the bodyguard sitting beside her granddaughter instead of her knitting.

"You don't call it that." Neeve pushes up her glasses and frowns. "Why does he?"

"Me mam was from Eire and I went there to live after me da died," Dagda says, his Irish brogue thick.

Joy tilts her head to the side, her little girl eyes filled with curiosity. "You don't live there now."

"No. That's why I call it the Old Country."

"Okay." Joy turns back to the television and presses play. "We can watch this one, but after we have to let your friend pick. It's only fair."

Stifling a smile, I watch to see how the bodyguards respond to Joy's edict.

Torch gives her a tight smile. "Not necessary. You pick the next show."

"And then it will be Neeve's turn," I say firmly.

Sadie will watch her middle school appropriate shows on her tablet with earbuds when she needs the entertainment. Right now, she's too busy texting to worry about favorite T.V. shows.

"Are you Kieran's friends?" Joy asks the men over the opening credits of the show.

I try to not wince at the thought of a six-hour flight set to the soundtrack of kids shows.

"Aye," Dagda says.

Torch just nods, his attention on the door to the aircraft.

What does he think is going to come through it? A stray seagull?