Conall hummed. “Promise me we’ll take care of him.”
“I promise.” I pulled him in closer.
22
CONALL
Sloan leaned back into the sink as my fingers carded through his hair with the running water, washing out the bleach that remained in his strands with shampoo and conditioner for the second time. The brilliant white blond that I loved was back, and while I didn’t mind seeing his natural brown with streaks of gray coming through—silver was a sexy look for him—he hated it.
“Gorgeous,” I murmured, leaning down to lay an upside-down kiss on his forehead. “Fucking gorgeous.”
“Language,” Sloan grumbled, the corner of his mouth curving as he sat up. I took a towel to his hair, rubbing aggressively to dry the wet locks.
I ignored him as I drew the towel away and took a good look at his messy appearance, amused by how much his hair was sticking up in all directions. He would be caught dead before anyone other than me and his stylist caught him like this. I thought he looked adorable.
“So damn cute.” I pinched his nose, and he swiped at my hand. Laughing, I plopped a kiss on his lips.
“Only you would call me cute, Pet.” Sloan shook his head, exasperation flooding his expression, but I didn’t miss the fondness that joined as he stared up at me with my favorite sea blue eyes. His gaze was warm, and that look was only for me. His pet. No, not only that, but his fiancé.
The stench of the bleach made me scrunch my nose as I finished off drying his hair. I always hated when Sloan bleached because day one was the worst, but this was the first time I’d helped him do his hair. The chemicals burned my nostrils and I didn’t enjoy it at all.
“How’s your knee?” I asked because I couldn’t stop myself. I felt partly responsible for the attack. If I hadn’t left, Sloan wouldn’t have been so set on reconstructing the greenhouse to the point he’d let himself be vulnerable. We joked that I was his weakness, but there was truth to our teasing. If anyone wanted to destroy Sloan, all they’d have to do was aim for me.
Sloan raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged. I wasn’t going to be sorry for asking the question even if he hated it. Goodheart told him there would be days where he’d need to rely fully on his cane, but others that he might be able to handle without it.
If he was going to reply, he didn’t get the chance because a resounding knock came from the door of our bedroom.
“Come in,” Sloan said gruffly. “We’re in the bathroom.”
The creak of the door met my ears before Fionn appeared in the threshold of the bathroom, a piece of paper clutched in his hands. His eyebrows furrowed in concern and he switched his weight between his feet like a kid who was up to no good and finally got caught.
Sloan sat up straighter in the chair in front of the sink. “What’s wrong?”
Fionn hesitated, brown eyes flicking to me. His hair was mussed as though he’d been running his hand through it andhis tie knot was looser than usual. “Uncle, I—” He flinched. “I did something that I thought was strategic while you were in Rikers.”
Sloan tensed, his spine going ramrod straight. He glanced at me, but I cocked my head because I wasn’t sure what Fionn was talking about. As far as I knew, we talked to each other about everything happening in the business.
“What did you do?” Sloan’s controlled voice sent a shiver of fear through me.
I swallowed and shifted closer to Fionn. He was young and still made stupid mistakes. While Sloan had been unforgiving at times, he’d made an effort to be more patient with his nephew after his accident. But that’d been before jail.
Sloan’s anger was a thin thread since he was released. Especially after the greenhouse incident. I wasn’t sure what he was capable of. The man I knew and loved would never have been so impulsive.
Fionn massaged the back of his neck. “When you first went into Rikers, I received a call from Giordano. Carmine. He offered hisconcerns about you being arrested, and I assured him that his interests and alliance with us was safe. But he didn’t believe me. He wanted a stronger attachment to us.”
My stomach folded over in on itself, unease snaking up into my chest and constricting my lungs. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what he was about to tell us.
Sloan’s eyes darkened and the mood in the room dropped until the air dripped with ice.
Fionn took a deep breath. “He suggested we create a family. Together. His son marries one of our loyal men.” He licked his lips and squeezed the back of his neck harder. “There was a conversation about who could tie us together. He wanted someone important, and at the time, I couldn’t lose any of our best. We needed every one of them, and I didn’t know how longyou’d be in jail. Carmine didn’t give me much time for a decision and this alliance is important, for our company and for the safety of Vail. Lor saw me stressing and asked me about the issue, and I told him. You said you wanted him to be my heir, so I filled him on what was happening. Hesaid he’d marry Carmine’s son, if only to keep Vail safe.”
“What?” Sloan’s tone leaked with poison and anger.
“I didn’t force him,” Fionn continued quickly. “He was worried about Vail! Lor doesn’t know the entire truth about who he is to us, but neither does Carmine. Lor volunteered. You know how he is about Vail.” He pursed his lips, his face paler than usual. “I forgot all about it until this came.” He held up the papers in his hand. “A contract. If we go back on our word, it’ll undo all the work we already put in protecting Vail. Plus, then there will be the insult to their family. It might end up as a war.”
“Ourword?” Sloan stood, his posture dangerous and his muscles locked. I didn’t miss the wince of pain—it was fleeting, but there. He tried his best to hide it.
“My word.” Fionn exhaled and closed his eyes for a long moment before staring at Sloan again. “Lor offered.”
