“Is that where we’re at, O’Nunan? Talking about the weather.” I grinned. “Because we’re not ninety-year-olds. Yet.”
He laughed. “Some days I feel like it.”
“I can’t argue with that.” I glanced around the yard, taking in the men close enough to watch our interaction. A few stopped to pay attention, while others pretended to do their job, when in reality, they were trying to listen in. There weren’t many guys who had the balls to actually talk to me, but O’Nunan was one of the few.
“How’s the boss handling things?” O’Nunan pursed his lips into a thin line as my stomach raged at the question, caught between lingering anger at Sloan but also missing his presence.
“He’s fine. He’s the boss. Sloan knows what he’s doing,” I said. “He has trust in us to handle this business while he’s dealing with the cops.”
O’Nunan’s attention flicked to the side, toward a couple of the men who stopped at the edge of the pool eavesdrop. I wanted them to hear that Sloan gave us orders to run the Company. The more they understood, the better off they were.
O’Nunan leaned in closer. “I heard a couple of the Killough cousins are here from Ireland. Some of the men think the boss wants reinforcements.”
I laughed, mean and angry, rage bubbling as acid in the depths of my chest. My fingers itched to punch something. Or someone. I hadn’t decided yet. Maybe I needed to get into the gym Sloan had built me. Ask for more self-defense lessons from Fallon.
“They’re here. That’s all the men need to know. Why they’re here is not any of their business.” I didn’t know the truth—not until I spoke to Sloan—but if the cousins had come on his orders, they would’ve told us. And Sloan would’ve let me know beforehand. He’d never lay a surprise like this on us.
O’Nunan inclined his head. “I’ll let the men know, sir.”
“Good. And tell them that any contact with the cousins without Fionn’s or my express permission will not end well for them. We will not punish lightly.”
“Yes, sir.”
He moved out of the way as I strode toward the greenhouse. As soon as I went inside, my breath expunged itself from my lungs, each second a moment of pain I welcomed. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until I sat down at the stone bench in front of some of my favorite orchids, the humidity and heat controlled air blasting me from the ceiling above. The tightness in my muscles eased and I exhaled deeply through my nose again, eyes clenched shut as I centered myself. The sweet aroma of the flowers filled me with calm until my body slumped.
Fuck. I hadn’t realizedhowangry I was until now. This place was my safe space, and everything felt right here. Peaceful. While I was in the greenhouse, Sloan wasn’t in jail, the men weren’t out to betray us, and everything was okay in the world. I was happy, at least for the time being. If I had the choice, I’d never leave these glass walls.
The door behind me opened and closed, and I took another deep breath. Not just anyone was allowed in here.
“Conall Morrissey.”
Fuck. My back went rod straight, a creeping sensation slicing down the knobs of my spine. Lorcan Lee’s voice was a horrible thing to hear, the deep edge of his tone nothing more than a sharp knife. Technically, he was Sloan’s advisor, but he was never around, and Sloan never listened to him. The only reason Sloan gave him that position was because his father asked him to on his deathbed.
Lorcan’s presence wasn’t a good omen.
I turned my head, fingers curled around the edge of the stone bench. “Lorcan, why are you here?”
Lorcan was the father of Lor, one of the men I did trust, which was a confusing predicament. Lor had more loyalty in one bone than his father had in his entire body. They also looked nothing alike, which made things so much easier whenI stared at Lorcan. Over the years his dark hair had thinned, leaving him with a bald spot at the front of his head. He had a permanent sneer on his face and his eyes were the same shade as Sloan’s, but lacked warmth. His were as cold as ice, while Sloan’s reminded me of a tropical ocean.
“I came to check on the boss’s . . . pet.”
I had a feeling he would have preferred to call me Sloan’s whore. It wasn’t the first time I’d been called that and it wouldn’t be last. I wouldn’t give Lorcan the satisfaction of a reaction.
I smiled. “I’m good, thank you for asking. That wasreallynice of you. Wow. I didn’t know you had a civil bone in your stiff cold corpse.”
Lorcan’s mouth twitched as he came closer, arms crossed. Slimy bastard. “I don’t think you’re fit to be in charge,sir. You’re better at spreading your legs for the boss. And the boy? Well, he might be a Killough by blood, but he doesn’t have what it takes. Neither did his father.”
I hissed through my teeth quietly and stood, a prickling sensation working its way down my back. He could call me what he liked, but I wouldn’t let him talk negatively about Fionn. “Careful, Lorcan. Sloan’s been easy on you because of his father’s wishes, but there’s a line and you don’t want to cross it.”
“Where’s Sloan right now?” Lorcan dropped his arms, stepping closer. “He’s getting messy, making mistakes.”
“Don’t let his power blind you. He’s still human, though not always the most forgiving. When he gets out, he’ll remember who was loyal and who spoke ill of his choices.” I met his advance with my own until we were face to face. “Which side do you want to be on? Or do you really have a death wish?” I seized his cheeks between my fingers, squeezing until his lips resembled a fish’s. Rage throbbed at my temple. “Because if you think I’m going to let anyone, even a general, question the boss’sdecisions, then rethink yourself. Fionn and I will bury you before Sloan gets the chance.”
Fear sparked in his eyes, and pleasure simmered in the base of my stomach. Good. This was the first time I’d ever seen him afraid of me and I liked the look on him.
I released my hold on his face. “Now, you were saying?”
Lorcan chuckled awkwardly. “Nothing, sir. I wish our boss only the best.”
