Which means Brody will require some convincing to do things my way. I’ll play his game and go along with his strategy, as long as he gets me where I need to go.
For now, I’ll offer him a carrot. He trusted me, so I’ll trust him.
His eyes remain closed, but he keeps shifting, so I know he’s awake.
No time like the present. “The Russians are after a hard drive I’ve spent years compiling.”
That hazel gaze pins me in an instant. “What are you saying, princess?”
I shiver under his attention, fighting down the flush of heat he always manages to pull from the depths of my body.
“You were honest with me, so I think it’s only fair that you understand what we’re running from.” I pause to let that digest while Brody attempts to sit up again. “Use the buttons on the bed rail.”
After huffing out a groan, he finds the controls and presses one until the head rises, carrying him upright. “All ears.”
I pick at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt. “I guess you could call it a weapon against the Gallaghers. I don’t know howthe Russians found out, but Kruschev mentioned it at the safe house.”
Brody’s hand, the one closest to me, waves in a small “get on with it” gesture. I squirm in my seat, struggling to find the right words.
Finally, I blurt the simplest truth. “I’ve spent years drawing a map to the weak points of the entire Gallagher empire.”
Brody gawks. “Why the hell would you do that?”
I shrug one shoulder, glancing at the monitor. His heart rate just spiked. “I guess I got tired of being left out of everything. I never felt like my family was my family. At first, I just wanted to know why they always pushed me aside. Sent me away to boarding school, then college…”
I’m lying by omission now. I’ll tell him about the drive, but I’m not ready to talk about Angelica.
Aside from the people who already know, like Finn, I’ve never talked to anyone but myself and God about her, and one of us never seems to listen.
I sigh. “The hard drive has most of my father’s dealings dating back decades. Business that’s now Finn’s operation.”
“So where is it? You haven’t lost it, have you?”
“I mailed it to Austin right after graduation.”
Brody snorts and shakes his head. “Of course. This explains why I’ve been fighting off the Russians like a virus that just keeps mutating.”
I drop my eyes to the tips of my shoes. “Yeah. I’m sorry.” Then I tack on one more little lie. Just to guarantee he won’t abandon me halfway to Austin. “And a fair amount of it is about the LA Gallaghers too.”
Thatreally gets the monitor jumping. Little waveforms spike across the screen. Being able to gauge his reaction this intimately almost feels like cheating.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” His cheeks flush.
“Nope.” I lean forward and keep my voice low. “I dug into Declan and anyone else who came into Shane’s orbit. Which means the file also has your finances, suppliers, and associates. Declan’s vulnerabilities.”
Brody’s blood pressure shoots to 140/85.
“Hey, be careful.” I touch his hand without thinking, then pull away to smooth the thin cotton sheet on the mattress. “They obviously want the drive so they can cripple both our families. If they get their hands on it, both coasts will be drawn into an all-out war.”
I force aside the guilt when Brody shoves his hand through his hair, a groan bubbling up from his chest. I really hate lying.
The sparse intel I have on the Port Kings probably can’t do much harm. I mean, I didn’t even have the names of Declan’s children. But the dirt I’ve dug up on my own family is nuclear, and I can’t let my mistakes ruin anyone else’s life.
Not again.
“I know you’re in recovery, and this is a lot. But?—”
“No. I need to know this.” Brody inhales through his nose and closes his eyes.
