He was going to respect that.
But he was also going to follow through on his threat if he thought for a second that one of those bastards she called brothers so much as touched her.
Aiden, at least, sounded like he was willing to hear her out, and wasn’t that a strange turn of events?Jude hadn’t expected a call from the oldest O’Malley brother.He knew the man was perceptive from his reputation, but apparently he’d underestimated him.Maybe he’s perceptive enough to be an ally instead of an enemy.
There was only one way to tell for sure.
A grand total of ninety seconds later, two cars slammed to a stop in front of the house, immediately expelling Aiden and five of his men.He paused and looked up and down the street, which only went to show he had good instincts.Jude wouldn’t let himself be seen, but it said something that Aiden sensed his presence at all.
His phone rang as the O’Malley group walked into the Sheridan house, and he answered without taking his gaze from the door they’d disappeared through.“What?”
“You’ve traveled to Boston earlier than we discussed.”
He silently cursed.“Aw, Romanov, did you miss me?It’s only been a week.You should have said something.I would have come back sooner.”No reason to let him know that the plan changed.
“Charming.”A careful pause.“I truly hope you’re not planning on double-crossing me, Jude.”
“And let Colm walk?Not likely.”He clenched his jaw, determined not to say more.In order for this to work, Romanov couldn’t know his intentions, which meant playing along.
“Perhaps you should add some of the O’Malleys to that list you have of dead men walking.”
Even though he knew better than to get drawn into a conversation with this man, he said, “And do your dirty work for you?I don’t think so.You can’t afford me.”
“All evidence points to the contrary.I’m paying you to remove Colm Sheridan—something you’d do well to remember.”
“I have certain criteria.The O’Malley men don’t meet it.”
Romanov chuckled.“Not yet.But when they decide to keep your precious Sloan from you?They will.She’s the sweet little sister and you’re a vicious killer.In what world would an O’Malley give their blessing?”
“Funny, but Carrigan gave her blessing.She says ‘hi’ by the way.”
Silence for a beat, and then two.“You’re a clever one, aren’t you?”
He moved to the window and looked out, but nothing had changed.“I like to think so.”
“Then tell me what the O’Malley men will do when they find out Sloan’s carrying your child.”He’d recovered from the Carrigan jab far too quickly, regaining his unruffled tone.“They’ll keep her from you, and they’ll remove the child.You know it’s the truth.”
Jude gripped the phone so tightly, the case creaked.“You’re a motherfucker, aren’t you?”They might not push her to have an abortion—bastard or no, he didn’t think Teague would go to those lengths—but they would keep her under lock and key and then push her to give the baby up for adoption.No.I won’t allow it.
“As you said, you’re a smart man.Which is why you will be in that apartment with your finger on the trigger in an hour, won’t you?”
“I’ll be there.”Jude was already moving, hustling down the stairs and onto the street.He could get to the apartment across from the restaurant in twenty.As much as he wanted to stay here and ensure Sloan got out okay, he didn’t trust Romanov’s timetable any more than he trusted the man himself.Guess I’m going to get to find out the hard way if Aiden was serious about taking Sloan’s word for it.“Don’t get any funny ideas, Dmitri.You fuck with me and I’ll kill you.”Jude disconnected before Dmitri could respond.
Sloan’s brothers wouldn’t hurt her, not in any permanent way.But Teague was already convinced that Jude had brainwashed her, twisting her will into his own.She was outmanned and outgunned, and she would be helpless if the tide of her family turned against her.
A slow burning started in his gut, working outward, scorching away every tendril of humanity Sloan had worked so fucking hard to bring out in him.He wouldn’t let them take her away from him.Wouldn’t let them decide the fate ofhisbaby.He’d already lost too much.He wouldn’t lose her—them—too.Every instinct he had demanded he turn around and rush back to defend them, the Sheridans be damned.Up until a week ago, he’d been planning on killing Colm.What did they matter when weighed against the life of the woman he loved and their child?
I promised Sloan.
That he wouldn’t hurt Callista—or let her be hurt.That he’d stop Romanov.That he’d trust her to do what she needed to do.If he went back now, he’d be breaking her trust and potentially doing irreparable harm to their relationship.
Jude hesitated, torn, and then gritted his teeth and charged forward.He would keep his promise.
But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t weigh things a bit in his favor in the meantime.
Chapter Thirty
Sloan couldn’t breathe.She stood in the middle of Callie’s living room, watching her older brothers snipe at each other like rabid junkyard dogs.Teague looked half a second from pummeling Aiden, and Aiden was right there with him.Theonlysaving grace was that they’d sent their men away and closed the doors, so it was just the three of them.
