Page 43 of Deceived Wrath

I mean, I was, or rather, Iam, but that's not the point.

Why Lorcan thought I would be the right person for this job when it's clear I have about as much subtlety as a bull in a china shop is beyond me.

I wonder if the deal with Lorcan will become void if I get fired...

I guess only time will tell.

Chapter Ten

CORMAC

I leftthe office less than six hours ago, but I'm already back, sitting behind my desk after sleeping for only a couple of hours. But that's nothing new.

I've always been prone to insomnia, though it's gotten significantly worse since I've been back in New York. Every time I close my eyes, I picture Scout in various scenarios that cause me to wake in a panic, covered in sweat and struggling to breathe.

The obvious solution would be to fly him out to New York to be with me, but I'm not about to risk his safety just because I need to sleep. Sacrifices are just part of being a parent.

So, I decide to make the most of the early hour and get to the office before anyone else to try and get a head start on things.

RunningSullivan Investmentshas been more intense than I expected. I knew it would be a lot of work, but after arriving home last night, I ended up taking calls until one a.m. when I finally collapsed into bed with a pounding headache.

Add to the fact that I don't know where my uncle is or what he's planning, I'm on the verge of some kind of mental break.

The pressure is suffocating. But Ronan and Kieran trusted me to keep the business afloat while they take a step back, and I'm not about to let everything go to shit just because I can't handle the pressure. I would rather swallow a bullet than admit to my brothers that I'm struggling.

Something else I will never admit to them, or Fiona for that matter? That having an assistant is actually proving to be helpful.

She has taken a lot of the busy work off my plate, which I thought would help alleviate some of the suffocating pressure I've been feeling.

But it turns out it's just made room for bigger things to creep to the front of my mind at all hours of the day and night. Like wondering what the hell Lorcan is up to.

In the hopes of making some progress on the search for my uncle, I decide to bypass the quarterly projection graphs and load up the spreadsheet that Brennan and I have been compiling of possible alliances he could have contacted since our run-in with Sal Romano.

So far, we have about twenty names listed, but between runningSullivan Investmentsand interviewing for an assistant, I've barely had a chance to make much progress.

It seems now is as good a time as any to work through this list before the rest of the world wakes up and starts bothering m?—

Right on cue, my phone starts incessantly buzzing on my desk.

The only people who would be calling me this early are either Ray or Kieran, both of which have my pulse spiking.

I snatch up my phone and let out a string of curses.

"Seriously?"

I scroll through a bunch of messages on one of the many chats that Brennan likes to create. I swear, he was only born to annoy the shit out of the rest of us.

I long ago stopped trying to remove myself from them because it doesn't work. He either re-adds me or creates a whole new chat. I've made a point to permanently mute them because the last thing I need is constant access to Brennan's stream of consciousness.

But, apparently, I forgot to mute this one.

Bros before Hoes

BRENNAN: Good morning, Sullivan fam!

KIERAN: It's six a.m.

BRENNAN: Hell yes, it is, brother! Early bird gets the worm and all that.