Except there’s Jude to consider.
Aiden cursed.“You should have told me that to begin with.”
Sloan turned, starting to respond, but the words died on her lips.Aiden wasn’t talking to her.He was talking to Jude.From the determined set of his face, he had just discovered that Dmitri Romanov intended to murder Callie and her father.“Aiden—”
He held up a hand and put the phone on speaker.“I have men in the area.You know where he’ll strike from?”
“There’s a small apartment across the street from the restaurant.That’s where I’d hit from.”Jude paused.“But it’s entirely likely that he’ll have a backup location—several.”
“We’ll set up a perimeter.You take the apartment.”
Sloan glared.“You just gave him the most dangerous task.”
Aiden glared right back.“He seems to think that you two are going to ride off into the sunset together.You choose him?Fine.So be it.But he’s got to prove himself.”
“You are soruthless.”She sank as much disgust into the word as possible.Aiden was knowingly putting Jude in a situation where he might be hurt—or worse—and he didn’t have the grace to so much as pretend he was sorry.
“Sunshine.”
Her throat burned at the nickname, and she wanted nothing more than to snatch the phone out of her brother’s hand.There wasn’t time.“Jude.”
“Are you hurt?”
He was going to do it.It didn’t matter that her brother might have an ulterior motive for allying with him—temporarily or not.He would go into that apartment and do what needed to be done.
And there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it.“I’m fine.”
“I’m keeping my promise, sunshine.I’m tying up this last loose end, and then I’m coming for you, whether your brothers give their blessing or no.You know what will happen if they get in my way.”
She knew.
Aiden cleared his throat.“I gave my word, MacNamara.”
“We’ll see if you keep it.”Jude hung up.
“What the fuck was that?”Teague looked at Sloan and then Aiden.“Explain.Now.”
When Aiden didn’t immediately jump in, Sloan wrapped her arms around herself.“Dmitri Romanov is going to try to kill Callie and Colm—and he’s going to make it look like Jude did it.”
Teague was already moving, throwing open the door into the hall.“Micah.Call the men on Callie.Secure the entrances to the restaurant.Double the team in the restaurant.”
Callie.
Just because Jude thought he could handle the situation alone didn’t mean he could.If her family’s dealings with Dmitri Romanov had taught her anything, it was that the man had a nasty habit of doing the unexpected.If he was as smart as everyone said, he had to know Jude was having second thoughts about finishing the Sheridans.
If he thought Jude would break his word…
If he knew that Aiden was working with Jude…
Oh God.What if it was a trap designed to take out multiple enemies in one fell swoop?She looked at her brothers.They didn’t care about Jude…but they would move heaven and earth to keep family safe.“We have to go to them.”
Teague shook his head.“You’re not going anywhere.Our men can handle it.”
“Like they handled things at the house on Orcas Island?You don’t understand.Jude’s better than all of you combined.This is what he’s been training his entire life for.”
The confusion cleared from Teague’s face, leaving only fear in its wake.“He’s going after Callie?”
“Colm.”He already hated Jude.Telling him who he was gunning for wasn’t going to change that.But maybe itwouldensure they took her with them.
