“We don’t need her. I’m already building a case on Sean. Between Liam Kelly’s ties to Sean and the footage we got from the ambush at the docks, we have enough.”
Ronan shakes his head.
“She’s the missing piece, Kieran.”
“You’re a stubborn ass, you know that?”
“Perhaps, but contrary to what you might think, I didn’t make this decision lightly.”
“So, what? We protect her in exchange for a few files? And then what? We’re supposed to trust she won’t turn around and screw us over the second it suits her?”
“She’s not her father.”
“You don’t know that.”
“She ran from him. She ran from Rion and from Oscar. That doesn’t exactly scream loyalty to the Walsh name to me.”
“It screams desperation.”
“Exactly.”
I fold my arms over my chest, frowning. “I don’t follow.”
“Riley is risking everything by coming to us. She doesn’t have the luxury of double crossing anyone because she has nowhere else to go. If anyone has the upper hand here, it’s us.”
I pace a few steps, trying to burn off the frustration simmering under my skin. “You’re too trusting.”
“And you’re too suspicious. Besides, even if we didn’t need her, are we really the type of men to sit back and let her be married off to someone as toxic as Sean O’Keefe?”
“Maybe we should ask Ciara that question? She has experience in the arranged marriage department.”
“I’m being serious here, Kieran.”
“So am I.”
For a moment, we just glower at one another.
Sometimes, it feels like nothing has changed since the two of us were teenagers.
“This isn’t our problem, Ronan. If Rion wants to marry Riley off to O’Keefe, then let him.”
“That’s not going to happen because she’s not marrying Sean O’Keefe.”
I scoff. “Oh, right, of course.”
“She’s marrying you.”
“I’m sorry… What thefuckdid you just say?”
“I want you to marry Riley.”
“And I want a brother who doesn’t make life-altering decisions without consulting me first, but we don’t always get what we want.”
Ronan runs a hand over his face. “Will you just stop fighting me for one damn second?”
He pushes off the wall and stalks toward me until we’re only inches apart, and I can see in his eyes that he’s deadly serious.
“I’m proposing a fake marriage between you and Riley.”
