“Just calling it like I see it.”
“Maybe you should focus on your own goddamn life instead of mine.”
I expect a snide remark in return, but instead, he simply picks up his whiskey and downs the rest of it before slamming the glass down on the table.
“Always a pleasure catching up with you, brother.” He gets to his feet and walks out of the pub without another word.
I sit there for a moment, trying to keep a lid on my temper. It’s a good thing the table is bolted to the floor, otherwise, I would have flipped it already.
I knew assigning Cormac to keep an eye on Callum would hit a nerve with Kieran, but a small part of me hoped he’d put his opinions of our brother aside in favor of the bigger picture. I should have known better than to think Kieran would take the high ground.
I wave a hand to the bartender to bring another drink, and as I wait for it to arrive, Kieran’s words about my wife echo in my mind.
He’s not wrong.
Ciara’s been keeping her distance ever since the night I stormed into my room and yelled at her. We might have called a truce, but that’s not enough to erase how I treated her. Add in my behavior today, and I’ll likely never have Ciara in my bed again, which hurts more than I care to admit, and not just because I enjoy fucking her.
“Fuck.” I run my fingers through my hair.
There’s no denying that Ciara gets under my skin. Hell, I can barely stand to be in the same room with her without wanting to tear her clothes off and bury my face in her delicious pussy. Her beautiful smile and hopeful eyes make methink about things I have no business thinking about, like the future,ourfuture.
She makes me consider walking away from this life and building an entirely new one with her, which isexactlywhy I need to bury myself in work and focus on stopping my father’s empire from crumbling.
The Sullivan legacy doesn’t allow for softness or distractions, and Ciara is both of those things.
So, I need to keep her at arm’s length, for her sake as much as mine, because the moment I start giving in to my feelings for her, I’ll want to put her first. And in our world, that equals a bright red target on her back, and I’m sure as hell not going to let that happen.
Chapter Thirty
CIARA
I rollall of the windows of the Range Rover down and let the crisp autumn air fill the car as I make the drive into the city.
Ronan has been hovering over me like a storm cloud ever since I found those additional encrypted payments, his moods dark and unpredictable, so for the first time all week, I finally feel like I canbreathe.
I’m trying my hardest to break through the encrypted payments, but between the pressure he’s putting on me and my own frustration at my lack of progress, I’m ready to claw my own skin off.
I just need some space. Just an hour or two where I’m not thinking about coded transactions or my husband’s glowering stare.
What I need is some girl time.
I call Mila on my drive into the city. "Please tell me you’re free for lunch."
She laughs, the sound instantly cheering me up.
"I’ve just gotten out of a meeting, and I was about to go and grab some food.”
“Oh, thank god. I’m about ten minutes out of the city.”
“Meet at the usual place?”
“Of course.” I chuckle.
I park a few streets over from the little deli we used to frequent back in our college days. As I walk down the street and spy the navy-blue awning and metal tables and chairs, a wave of nostalgia mixed with grief for the girl I used to be back then hits me.
If only I knew what was to come…
Mila is already waiting for me, sitting at one of the outside tables with a couple of iced teas. She’s dressed in a black pantsuit with a fuchsia blouse that perfectly matches her lipstick, looking effortlessly chic as always.
