“Tierney Blake?”
The Irish accent hits me like ice water.
They’ve come all the way from Dublin.
My blood chills.
I lift my chin, forcing my expression into polite confusion.
“I think you have me confused with someone else.”
The man studies me, his mouth curling into a sly grin.
“No confusion,” he says. “We know who you are. And it’s about time we talked about your brother.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, we think you do.”
The second guy lingers a few steps behind him, blocking the view from the rest of the room.
“We know he’s in New York, hiding like a little bitch.”
I curl my hand around the knife handle as my mind jumps to the Tribunal. To our life back in Dublin. The jobs. The assholes who’d love to see the Blake family buried.
“He’s been hard to find,” the man continues, glancing around the room as if he’s admiring the décor. “But we tracked him down and now he’s gonna pay up.”
Livvie shifts in her seat beside me, her hand tightening around her champagne glass.
“Who the hell are they?” she whispers.
I ignore the question, keeping my eyes on the man in front of me.
“You’re making a mistake,” I say, steeling my spine. “My brother isn’t involved in anything.”
The man chuckles and scratches the side of his jaw.
“Don’t play dumb, Tierney,” he says. “He’s in it up to his fucking eyes.”
His gaze flicks toward the entrance.
“And he thought hiding in New York was the answer to all his problems.”
“He’s not hiding,” I snap before I can stop myself. “He’s under Viacava protection.”
The man’s grin widens.
“Very convenient. But protection won’t help with what’s coming.”
Livvie’s breathing has gone shallow beside me. She understands enough to know it’s dangerous.
“Tell him we haven’t forgotten what happened in Dublin,” the man continues. “Some debts don’t disappear just because ya cross an ocean or whore out your sister to the mafia.”
My pulse pounds in my ears.
“Get the fuck outta here,” I hiss, choking the knife handle and knowing I can’t stab this fucker in the throat in front of these people. “Before security removes you.”
