Kieran shakes his head. “He’d be a fucking idiot if he did.”
“I agree, but the man is desperate. We need to prepare for all outcomes.” I turn my attention to Cormac. “I want you to keep an eye on him to see what he does over the next few days. Where he goes, who he talks to.”
Cormac dips his chin, a stray curl falling in front of his eyes. “You got it.”
Kieran scoffs. “You sure Cormac can handle that without getting twitchy and vanishing again?”
Cormac stiffens, his jaw clenching as he glares at Kieran.
I shoot Kieran a warning look, but he only grins at Cormac.
Brennan sighs, rubbing his temple. “Jesus, Kieran, don’t start.”
“I’m just saying, maybe the guy who ran off for two years shouldn’t be tasked with keeping an eye on Callum.”
Cormac looks like he wants to throw his glass at Kieran’s head, so I cut in before it comes to that.
“Enough. Brennan, go with Cormac.”
My youngest brother looks as if he’s about to protest, but he catches the look on my face and nods. The two of them get to their feet and head out of the pub, leaving me alone with Kieran.
Immediately, the air shifts between us, and the last of my patience grows thin.
I take a sip of whiskey, grimacing as it burns the back of my throat, before setting my glass down on the sticky table.
Kieran shifts beside me, no doubt uncomfortable with the silence, but I don’t care.
“You need to cut Cormac some slack.”
Kieran snorts as he leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Don’t start.”
“I’m serious. We’ve all made mistakes?—”
“Yeah, but some of us didn’t walk out on the family.”
I do my best not to react as I hold my brother’s gaze. “You don’t know what he went through.”
“And you do?”
I hesitate, but that’s all the answer he needs.
“You know more than you’re telling us.”
“It’s not my story to share.” I lift my glass to my lips and down the remaining whiskey.
“That’s bullshit.” Kieran slams a fist on the table, which rattles all of the glasses. “You’re the one in charge, Ronan. If Cormac is a liability, then don’t you think Brennan and I have a right to know?”
“He’s not a liability.”
“Are you sure about that? Because I’m starting to think you’ve got blind spots where family is concerned.”
I ball my hands into fists beneath the table.
Kieran has always known how to push my buttons, ever since we were kids, but before I can tell him where he can shove his nose, he lands an even harder blow.
“I mean, you want to lecture me about family, and yet you can’t even keep your wife happy. Everyone sees it, Ronan. She’d rather be anywhere else than locked up in that house with you.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I go deathlystill as I glare at Kieran, but he only shrugs, as if he’s completely unaware of how close he is to losing consciousness.
