Page 52 of Crown of Thorns

"She stays," I say.

Everyone looks at me.

"If you need a third party, I'll stay. If that's what builds trust, I'm willing to do it."

Lorcan's eyes meet mine. There's something in his expression — anger, maybe, or respect. Or both.

"Then she stays," Lorcan says.

What happens next is chess. Micheal lays out the situation. The external pressure. The federal liaison. The fact that both families are being squeezed from the same direction. That their usual operational approaches are no longer effective because the pressure isn't coming from traditional competitors.

Lorcan asks questions. Technical questions about the Guard structure. About the superintendent's known associations. About the likelihood of specific agencies being involved.

Then I say something.

I'm listening to the escalation pattern. The way the pressure increased once the external liaison arrived. The way the Guard suddenly had resources and authorization they didn't have before. And I think about what this looks like from outside the city.

"It's not about money," I say.

Everyone stops. Lorcan's eyes are on me.

"What?" Micheal asks.

"The external pressure. If it was about money — if someone was trying to take territory or extract value — they'd come directly. They'd try to buy people or establish leverage. But this is coordinated, slow, and institutional. That suggests someone is trying to map the structure. To understand who's connected to who. To identify the weak points in the network."

"That's obvious," Lorcan says. But he's watching me. Not dismissing me.

"The weak point isn't the Guard. It's the distribution network. Someone is trying to understand how the supply chain works. How the products move. Where they're sourced."

Roisín leans forward. She's engaged now.

"She's right," Roisín says. "They're not trying to disrupt operations. They're trying to identify the source."

"Why?" Micheal asks.

"Because control of the source is control of the entire market," I say. "If they can identify where the products are coming from, they can intercept them. They can either seize the supply or buy it directly from the source. Either way, they cut out everyone in Dublin."

Lorcan moves. He walks to the window. Looks out at the Liffey. His shoulders are relaxed, but his expression is cold.

"That's a sophisticated threat," he says.

"It is," Micheal agrees. "And it suggests federal involvement. Possibly anti-trafficking bureau. Someone with authority and coordination capacity."

"We need to reverse-engineer the investigation," Lorcan says. "Find the source they've identified. Secure it. Create redundancy."

He turns back to the table. His eyes land on me.

"You should help with that," he says.

"What?" Declan asks.

"Renny should help with the supply chain analysis. She understands systems. She understands leverage without violence. She's good at finding the actual problem underneath the surface conflict."

Micheal nods slowly. "That's acceptable. If she's willing."

"I'll do it," I say.

Lorcan watches me with an expression I can't fully read. Pride, maybe. Fear. The recognition that he's just brought me deeper into operational security than he intended.