“Why? Because I’m contractually obligated to like you?” she snarls, hitting me where it hurts.
“Because Salvatore’s daughter was kidnapped.”
She lets out a snort and throws her head back.
“Good luck to that bastard.”
“You know her?”
“Of course, I know her. We practically grew up competing with one another. If you think I handled being kidnapped poorly, I can’t imagine the dumbass who thought to take her.”
“He wants to take a stand against your brother. He suspects him.”
She takes out her lipstick and applies it to her lips. “He isn’t that reckless. Also, he doesn’t even really like Natasha. It was all about joining the two largest Italian families in the West. If anything, he’s probably happy someone else took her off of his hands.”
“You know we can’t just leave your brother untouched after everything he did?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
The answer settles something inside of me, and I take a few more steps toward her.
“Don’t,” she barks softly, shaking her head. “I’ll play my part tonight. I’ll be good, show I can be trusted. Salvatore will think I’m the devoted Omega of the O’Brien pack. But that changes nothing between us, Cillian.”
“You seem to have forgiven Lorcàn and Declan.”
As soon as I say it, I know it’s a mistake.
She spins around on the chair to look at me, her face filled with hurt.
Hurt that I helped cause.
“I haven’t forgotten or forgiven anyone. But I’m not a fucking idiot either. I know my options are few and far between, and I’ve chosen the lesser of two evils in this house. Don’t confuse my self-preservation as forgiveness.”
She gets up from the chair and walks to the bathroom before slamming the door.
A low whistle sounds behind me where Declan is perched on the wall in the hallway.
“Amazing how you dug yourself into an even bigger hole, cane and all,” he deadpans.
“Security needs to be tight with her coming with us tonight.”
“Already on it, boss.”
“One of us needs to be with her at all times, no exceptions. She needs to piss. You’re in the stall handing her the toilet paper. You got it?”
Declan rolls his eyes and pushes off the wall. “I really hope she forgives you soon so we don’t have to deal with your littletemper tantrum.”
Fucker definitely heard my call earlier.
“Where’s Lorcàn?”
“He’s at the venue making sure everything is going according to plan and that we have safe accommodations for Elena. You know he was her bodyguard for nearly four fucking years, Cillian.”
“I don’t give a shit.”
“Yeah, we all fucking know,” he grumbles.
I poke him with my cane, trying to catch up with him the best I can as he makes his way down the hall.
