Page 89 of King of Temptation

It was grief rather than fury that flashed in his cousin’s eyes. “I’m sorry it hurts you, Aria. But I can’t and won’t take any more chances with this family. With you. And if that means hurting some feelings so I can figure out exactly who I need to sentence to a slow, painful death for daring to betray us, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

“He’s right, Aria,” Reagan said softly. “It sucks and I’m pissed too. But it’s Killian’s job to make those hard calls. To protect us even if it means stepping on our toes a bit.”

From Brody’s right came a deep sigh. “I know. I just hate the thought of any of you feeling like you can’t trust me.”

Rising from his seat, Killain rounded the desk to kneel at Aria’s feet, his hand resting on the generous swell of her growing belly. “I trust you with the two most precious lives in my world, Aria. I trust you with everything I am, my past, my present, and my future. You have to know I never doubted you, not for a single second.”

Silence stretched between them, several long, uncomfortable moments of it before Aria nodded. “All right. I believe you.”

Unease settled heavy in Brody’s gut. Before they’d left, Goldie had accused him of not trusting her. And he couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. Even though he did, indeed, trust her implicitly, there was much in his life he hadn’t been able to share with her.

Maybe he could start fixing that particular issue tonight. “What about Goldie?”

Pushing to his feet, Killian frowned. “What about her?”

“Have you eliminated her?”

“No, but only because I haven’t looked at her. She hasn’t been around long enough to be our mole.” Settling back into his seat, Killian cocked his head to the side. “Why?”

“She’d be a good asset. You’ve talked to her. She’s smart as a fucking whip and she sees things from angles we haven’t considered.”

Silence stretched between them, thick enough to cut with a knife before Killian gave a slow nod. “You think we can trust her with this?”

“Yes.” For him, it was as simple as that. He loved her, and loving her meant trusting her with the most important people in his life.

“All right, then. Go get her and we’ll fill her in, see if she’s thought of anything we haven’t.”

But just as Brody was rising from his chair to go fetch his girl, a knock sounded at the door and they all froze.

“Come in,” Killian called after a beat, and as one they all relaxed when Murphy stepped into the room.

“Ah… my apologies.” Looking more than a little uncomfortable, Murphy scanned the small gathering in front of him. “Rowan and I were hoping to speak with Killian. He’s come to apologize.”

For a moment, Brody was certain his cousin was about to refuse the offer of an apology. But then Aria flashed Murphy a bright smile and patted the couch beside her. “We’d love to speak with you and Rowan. It’s not right for the family to be so at odds, especially right now.”

Killian’s smile was much tighter around the edges than his wife’s but he nodded in agreement. Rising to his feet, he crossed the room to the bar and picked up the half-empty bottle of Murphy’s favorite whiskey. “Yes. Of course. Come in, cousin.”

The relief on Murphy’s face was almost painful to see. Brody couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be torn between two people you loved so deeply. Family was everything to the O’Rourkes, but Murphy had always put his son above his supposed duty, a sacrifice they’d all tried to respect.

Even when Rowan had turned out to be a bit of a shit.

“Rowan’s waiting in the foyer. I’ll go grab him.”

Brody waved him off. “I have to go get Goldie, anyway. She’s probably gnawing at the bars of her enclosure by now.”

Grinning, Murphy accepted the whiskey Killian had poured for him. “Bold move, leaving her to her own devices.”

“You’re not wrong.” And because he wasn’t, Brody put a bit more pep in his step as he made his way out into the hall.

Just in time to see his little menace creeping toward the front door.

Where the hell was she going?

Curious to see exactly what she was up to, Brody slipped out the side door and hurried toward the front of the house. Where he spotted Rowan standing on the front walk, a cheap flip-phone pressed to his ear.

Suspicion crept up Brody’s spine as he watched Goldie sneak out of the front door and all but dive into the bushes, making a fuck-ton of noise in the process.

He was really going to have to teach her how to be sneakier if he didn’t want her getting herself killed.