“Who is he?” Mac asked. “Tell me it’s not one of those Russian motherfuckers.”
Freyja glared at Mac. “Lucille didn’t give me a name.” She stood up and bellied up to Mac. “But if it is one of thoseRussian motherfuckers, you will all stay the hell out of it.” She spun around, pinning that same glare on Sal and Duncan. “Understand?”
“Freyja,” Sal warned.
“Freyja’s right, Sal,” I agreed. “Maddie has been through enough. She’s lost more than anyone should, and if one of Maxim’s men makes her happy, none of you will stand in her way.”
“Caity—”
“I fuckin’ mean it, Sal,” I shot at my brother. He nodded, and I knew it was only a concession. It was merely an agreement to discuss it later. None of them would stay out of her life if Maddie fell in love with one of Maxim’s men.
Especially her father.
If he survived.
We sat for hours waiting for word on Cian. Dread left, making me promise to keep him updated. Soldiers came and went, getting their orders to surround the hospital and search the city for Sylvia St. James. I slipped outside for a few minutes. I needed some space, some quiet time to wrap my head around everything that had happened.
I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.
“Hello, Caitlin. What can I do for you?”
“Sinclair, Cian’s been hurt. He’s in the hospital. I haven’t told Maddie.”
“Why not? She would want to be there by her father’s side,” he said, causing my guilt to expand.
I searched the parking lot for any indication that I was being watched. “Sylvia St. James is alive. She hurt Cian, wanting to set a trap to snatch Maddie at the hospital. I need to know who’s following her.”
Sinclair was silent on the other end of the line, and I knew it wasn’t good. He would be plotting, devising a way to protect Maddie without me having to ask.
“Please, Sinclair,” I begged. I needed to know that my daughter was safe.
He sighed through the phone and revealed his name. “Rurik Ryabkin.”
“Can you get him a message? Tell him about Sylvia. Tell him not to take his eyes off my daughter. Not for a second, Sinclair.”
If Rurik was in love with my daughter, I wanted him as close to her as possible, knowing he would protect her with his life and kill anyone who threatened her. The Russians weren’t any different from the Irish or the Italians when it came to the women they loved.
“I will tell him,” he confirmed, and I closed my eyes. Relief washed over me knowing my daughter would be safe.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice catching on the tears threatening to fall again.
“Caitlin, if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”
I nodded, despite knowing he couldn’t see me. He didn’t need to. He was a father himself. He might not know where his son was, but he knew the fear of losing a child.
Sinclair disconnected the call, and I leaned back against the building for a moment to catch my bearings. This was part of the life we led. It would always be this way. We would spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, waiting for the next person to step in and try to take over everything we’d built.
Once more I thought about Maureen and what she’d done. Moving across the country to an unknown place where she didn’t know anyone—well, she thought she didn’t know anyone.
She was brave.
I envied her.
But I also knew this was my life. What I was born into, and I was finally a part of it. I couldn’t walk away now. Not with my daughter’s safety on the line.
I took a deep breath and pushed off the building. Walking back inside to the waiting room, my brother met me at the entrance.
“Where the fuck were you?”
