“That was fast,” she comments, putting her phone down. “Now that you’re here, you can fill me in. What’s new, how’s life, what’s happening at the house?”
I take a large gulp, burning my tongue. This is the new Sloane—who cares about the clan, who wants to make sure we’re okay. It’s Lex’s influence. “Well, Maeve is being a bitch,” I snap.
“Wow, it must be bad if you’re calling her names. Usually, that’s my job. What’d she do now?”
“Bruno sent a proposal.” I watch her confusion morph her pretty features. “Formarriage. He’s threatening to marry me because of the stuff your husband did to him and what Maeve is doing now.”
“That fucking prick.” She seethes, grabbing her phone. Her fingers move angrily over the keys, too quick for me to track.
“What are you doing?”
“Texting Lex,” she says, not looking up. “Like hell is my sister marrying that man. Look what he did to Jaconda!”
“I know.” I take another sip, enjoying the grassy notes and the scalding heat.
At my tight tone, she glances up under thick eyelashes. “Maeve’s not entertaining it, is she?”
My bored face has her cursing again. “Ofcourse, she is. That was stupid to think. Doesn’t she ever learn new tricks? Jesus, we’re not pawns for her to move around on the chessboard. We can’t be used like this.”
“You can’t,” I point out. “Not anymore. But if I recall, you two talked about why she gave you to Lex.”Unlike me.
Rolling her eyes, Sloane huffs. “Talk? Barely. She just said she did everything for us. But this? This isn’t for us. This is for the clan only. Giving you Bruno? He’s the absolute worst, Col. You can’t marry someone like that.”
“I know. And I’ve already come up with a solution.” My hands wrap around the cup, heat burning my palms, but it keeps me grounded in this conversation. “Maeve won’t marry me off if I’m with someone else.”
“Maybe.” My younger sister’s eyes narrow, a cat tracking prey. “Are you dating someone and you didn’t tell me?”
“Just know that you’ll probably hear all about it soon enough.” At least I assumed so. I needed to talk to Hayes and get our stories straight.
Would he agree? I’m not sure. That man lives to irritate me and get under my skin. It’d be just like him to say no and watch me be sold off.
I’ll have to entice him, make it worth it for him to be wrapped up into this insane plane. I just need to figure out what he wants.
That’s if I can find him.
Smiling like a pleased hellcat, Sloane nods once. “My devious big sister, my how times have changed. I like this side of you.”
It’s always been there. A side crafted of dark deeds and long nights under my father’s tutelage and it stayed—because I liked it.
11
COLLINS
When my shift ends, I stalk into Hayes bedroom. And unfortunately he isn’t there. Resolved to the fact that he is most likely out doing something for the clan, I turn to the only person who knows everything about my family. Killian.
If Hayes had a spare bedroom, Killian had a suite. Pops loved him like a son—probably better because Briar and Ferguson never got along—and was given the best room in the mansion. At the top of the three stories, hidden in the back corner, it overlooks the gardens behind the house and the sprawling forest that keeps our little paradise safe from spies.
The room is darker, walls wallpapered with textured grey, the king bed mussed from a restless slumber. The floor is littered with debris—guns, knives, and various other weapons. In the corner, by the window, is a wooden easel with bits of charcoal and paint brushes.
Other than that, there’s nothing personal. Killian just exists here.
He looks up from the desk, chest bare in a pair of dark sweats, hands cleaning his Glock with precision. It’s easy to seethe man created by my father—from the malnourished boy who would jump at every noise, he’s become the man our enemies fear.
“Collins,” he greets, dark almond eyes taking in my messy scrubs. I’m splattered in blood and other bodily fluids from my clinicals. Dillon had me helping with everything, again. He doesn’t blink. “It’s late.”
Glancing to the fireplace, a small fire crackles beside us and I peer at the clock. It’s after midnight and I’m running out of time.
Has Maeve already asked? Did she kill him?
