I don’t move, but Kaden does; he rises slowly, stepping between us with a grin that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Go on,” he says, voice like gravel, and Flanaghan freezes mid-step.
Then, like a coward, he turns toward Declan.
“See this? A fuckingsecurity guardtalking to me like that?” he barks, spit catching in the corner of his mouth. “Why is he even in the room? He’s not family.”
I push up from my chair, and Flanaghan flinches.
“Why’shehere then?” I ask, motioning toward Doyle.
“If Doyle can stay, so can Kaden,” Declan answers evenly, not even looking at John.
“Autumn is a friend of my wife,” he adds, keeping his voice calm. “She had a rough situation. Viv wanted to help, and Flynn took her in.”
Flanaghan lets out a laugh, but there’s no humour in it.
“He didn’ttake her in; he’s fucking that slut and letting her nose around Consortium documents like it’s her fucking right—”
He doesn’t finish.
I move before he can say another word, grip locking in the collar of his jacket as I slam him into the wall.
Doyle doesn’t move. Not a twitch. Like he knew this was coming.
“Call her a slut again, mate,” I growl, lips curling into a smile that feels more like a threat.
I’m so close I can see the fear in his pupils, the sweat starting to bead above his brow.
“Go on. Say it.”
Behind me, I hear chairs scrape and footsteps shift.
They all feel it now, how close I am to snapping, even though I’m not. I just want to scare the fucker up.
“Flynn.” Kian places a hand on my shoulder.
“The rules—” Flanaghan grits out, his voice strained beneath my grip. “No one outside of the Consortium—”
I slam him back into the wall hard enough to rattle the frame, then release him and step back.
“It’s a stupid rule,” I mutter, already turning. I take my seat again, calm, unmoved.
Declan still hasn’t stood. He watches me carefully.
“I’m not going to kill her.”
My voice is level, final. “You’ll have to kill me to get to her.”
Silence hits the room like a shot.
Even Christian’s mouth drops open.
“Fuck,” Declan groans, rubbing a hand down his face.
“If that’s what you choose,” Flanaghan says, grinning like he’s already won.
I don’t look at him. I turn to Declan instead.
