Burning For Claire (The O'Connell Family Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

your stress. Yum.” He smiled and walked away with a pep in his step.
    The day seemed to last forever. I had one client after another. By the time I finished the last client, I was so tired that I just wanted to go to sleep. I was on my feet all day and was glad I ate before I started my workday or I would’ve fainted by then. I walked back to my office and started on the backlog of paperwork.
    I needed to put an ad online for new employees. By the time the day was over I was ready for staff members that actually came to work. I was just getting to some of the bills when my door opened with a slam.
    “Travis, I don’t want to go out tonight,” I mumbled.
    “Okay,” he said calmly. I was shocked that he just let it go.

Chapter 5—Travis
    I worked at the mall for about four hours before I had to report to the team. I hated working in the mall. I couldn’t wait until it was over. Maybe today I’d get lucky and be done with the job. I was sure Martinez and the other boys, back in McAllen, were enjoying my weekly reports. Assholes.
    I was meeting with the Detectives Cole and Kennedy today and just got to our meeting location. “Williams, I’m glad you came in. I want you to meet with our informant.” I turn to see none other than John O’Connell sitting at the table. Informant? What effed up world was I living in?
    “You’re the informant? Since when? After she ran from you?” I asked with a roar.
    “No. As it happens, I was there on the night to test the truth of what I heard. I played it up, but someone let it out that I’d been working with the cops, so I had to drop back and go back to my old way until the heat was taken off me.”
    “I supposed to believe that?” I questioned skeptically.
    “Yes, you are Agent Williams,” Detective Kennedy said. He was one of the main agents from the Chicago field office assisting with the case. “We have the proof we needed to proceed with the Lakes’ arrest, but we still need the other bidders and make the arrest when they’re on our soil. There are more kids on the market, Miss Lake is not the only one, so that’s what matters.”
    “What do you need me to do? She’s on vacation with Rick O’Connell right now,” I said with a grin. I knew John knew about them, but I just wanted to rub it in.
    “Then just keep going as you are, and then we’ll move in when they come to claim her.”
    “Good.” I got up because I needed to get ready to see Claire, but I turned back to him with an even bigger smile and said, “O’Connell, I’m dating your niece. If you’ve got a problem with it, it’s too freaking bad.”
    That was the moment that Detective Kennedy took his leave, clearly not wanting to get involved. He knew the issues between O’Connell and me. If he thought I was going to let this go he was out of his mind. My brother-in-law, Detective Cole stayed behind to have my back.
    “Don’t touch her unless you’re ready to put a ring on her finger because my niece is more special than you know and not a part of the issue between you and me,” he demanded.
    “My relationship with Claire has nothing to do with you or our former issues.”
    “I got you suspended. Are you going to tell me that you’re over it?”
    “Look, you old bastard, I want your niece despite the issues. You’re a sneaky lying criminal. I want her more than you can understand, so much so that I can forget that you’re related to her.”
    “That better be the case.”
    “It doesn’t mean I forgot that you fucked me over for doing my job, but I still have my job and you did time. You were the one forced to play ball, so who is the one with the issues? How was life in prison?”
    “It was short and sweet and so is Claire. If you hurt her there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to destroy you.”
    “She’s mine to worry about. You just worry about yourself.”             
    I walked away. I was wasting time. I had to get home, shower, shave and find a restaurant to