“You should be, I couldn’t believe it myself, but it all adds up.”
“Who is it?”
He takes a deep breath, and his eyes meet mine. Pain and anger are at war with each other.
I want to hide, to block my ears, I know whatever he is about to say will crush me.
But the one word he utters implodes my whole world.
“Lorcan.”
“No, it can’t be.”
My uncle, my father’s younger brother, a man who I have looked to for advice and guidance ever since I was a boy, could he really be our biggest betrayer?
If Ronan is right, and he really is behind this, then everything I knew about loyalty and family is a fucking lie, and Lorcan is about to learn just how far I will go to make him pay for turning his back on this family.
“How sure are you of this?”
“The address I gave you where we found Cormac, it came from one of Lorcan’s old contacts.”
“So, he was in the loop all along?”
“Yeah. There were also frames taken from surveillance footage of Lorcan meeting with Sean.”
“What the fuck?—”
“Shh,” Ronan hisses as Addison starts to stir.
“Lorcan has been scheming with Sean all this time?” I hiss through my teeth.
“There were photos taken three weeks before the attack at Sullivan Investments.”
I shake my head slowly. “No. No way. Lorcan wouldn’t?—”
“I thought the same thing. But the evidence keeps stacking up. The bank statements showed transfers from his shell companies to Sean’s crew. He’s been in this from the start.”
My mouth goes dry.
“He’s ouruncle, Ronan. Him and Dad taught us everything we know.”
“Yeah. But he also taught us how to cover our tracks.”
I can’t breathe. “Why would he do this? What does he gain?”
“Control? Power?” Ronan shrugs. “He’s been playing the long game, Kieran.”
“He used Sean.”
“Exactly. Sean thought he was calling the shots, but Lorcan was feeding him everything. Our schedules, our security codes, when Riley would be left unguarded. Every move Sean made, Lorcan orchestrated. And when Sean outlived his use…”
“He sent us after him. To clean up the mess he created and to tie off any loose ends.”
Ronan nods grimly. “That’s exactly it.”
“Jesus Christ, man. We trusted him.”
“I know.” Ronan’s voice softens as he glances over at the girls. “We both did.”
