Even when he frustrated me, my chest ached with the need to be with him. Conall was the spark of warmth on a cold night. He made me smile when things were at their worst. Now he was too far away. I craved his touch and his laughter.
“Killough.” Taffart’s sharp voice filled my cell, and I glanced up toward the door where he stood. He was one of the shortest guards in here, but he was Irish and one of us. His dark blond hair was cut short against his head, and he had hazel eyes and was kind of adorable. He’d been a guard in here for years, and as a secret Company man, he watched over our guys who’d been sent to Rikers, which now included me. “What have I told you, inmate? No more pissing around. Come with me.Now.”
His harshness was an act, and him asking me to go with him usually meant he had something to tell me.
I stood and followed him out of the cell.
Reyes smirked at me when I passed his door. He probably knew Taffart belonged to us, but he had some of his own men helping, too, so he wasn’t going to rat us out. No, that wasn’t his style. But he might kill me if he got the chance.
Taffart led me down a line of corridors before he opened a door to an abandoned office with a desk and chair. As soon as I stepped through, he closed the door behind us and turned to look at me.
“Boss, your pet’s been trying to call.” He shoved his hand into the front of his pants and yanked out the phone I used to contact Conall. He passed it over. “I couldn’t answer at the time,but there could be trouble because he called about four times in a row.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Taffart. You can wait outside.”
Taffart slipped out the door as I opened the phone and found Conall’s number. I called, but no one answered. Then, I called again. After the second time, I found Fionn’s name instead and he answered.
“Uncle?” His worried tone filled the line.
“Where’s my pet and what’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Fionn asked. “He’s upstairs, I think.” He sighed. “Tiernan, Senan, and Kyran showed up. It rocked him a bit. He didn’t know they existed.”
I pressed my fingers into my forehead as an ache began to brew there. I should’ve expected those idiots to visit as soon as they heard. It wasn’t Senan and Kyran I was worried about—rather Tiernan. He had the kind of ambition that I both appreciated and was apprehensive about. The attitude could easily turn into betrayal if not channeled in the right direction.
I hadn’t told Conall about my cousins because their playing cards were limited in our world. They were pawns, like everyone else under my orders, and Eddie was in charge over in Ireland. They weren’t family like Fionn. Their bonds went as far as blood. We barely knew each other growing up.
“Conall won’t answer his phone. Take me to him.” I paused. While Fionn was in the hospital, we’d discussed how I treated him, and I’d promised myself I’d try to be a bit softer with him. “Please. I’m worried about him.”
“Of course I will. You don’t need....” He exhaled and didn’t finish his sentence. “How’s jail?”
I hummed and took a seat in the chair behind the desk. “It’s Rikers and they housed me beside Reyes. It’sfun.” I tapped my finger on the dusty desk and stared around the bare room,taking in the flaking paint and cracking walls. Everything in this place was falling apart. “How’s Conall? How are you?”
There was silence for a short moment.
“It’s tense. Some of the men aren’t exactly respectful of my promotion. They haven’t done anything, but we’re watching them.”
“Ifanyoneshows disloyalty, kill them. I don’t care who they are. You and Conall are in charge. It was my choice to put you there, and I won’t have any traitors in the Company. Make it be known that those are my standing orders.”
“Yes, Uncle.” A knock echoed through the phone, and then I heard the sound of a door opening.
“What?” Conall’s voice was music to my ears.
“Uncle Sloan wants to talk to you,” Fionn said.
“Well, he can go to hell. I’m busy.”
I frowned and straightened in my seat. “Put him on the phone, Fionn, and tell him if he doesn’t talk to me, I’ll spank his arse red when I get out of here and not in a way he’d enjoy.”
“Is this some kind of weird foreplay before phone sex?” Fionn grumbled. “Take the damn phone, Conall. I’m not getting in the middle of this.”
“I said I don’t?—”
“Take it.”
There was a grunt, then breathing filled the line. “What?”
“What?Did you justwhatme? Is that how you’re really going to speak to me, Pet?” I growled low in my throat.
