Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Bloody hell.
I only nod, turn away from Megan, and go with them. I’ll have to deal with whatever’s going on with her later. When the men of the Clan call, I answer, and there’s no use fighting it.
We head to the meeting room. Behind us, the staff clears tables and dishes, china and glass clinking. Maeve takes Breena, and I go with my brothers.
We assemble in the private space. Keenan at the desk and Cormac to his right, Nolan to his left, the three McCarthy brothers in our lead. Boner beside Lachlan, and Tully alone to the right. I take the only vacant seat left.
Keenan wastes no time. “Father Finn came to me,” he begins. “Seems there was indeed a connection in Stone City to the man who was killed most recently.”
I sigh. “You mean the one I murdered,” I say to Keenan. “Don’t pull the punch, Keenan.”
“Aye,” Keenan says with a sigh. “The same.”
“What’s the story, brother?” Nolan asks. His arms are across his chest, and he looks more serious than usual. He hasn’t looked my way.
“Seems the man we thought homeless was, indeed, not directly connected to the O’Gregors. Certainly no kin.”
I nod. Keenan continues. “But he was a spy for them. He was unassuming, the quietest. No one thinks a homeless man is a danger, you see. He was paid by the O’Gregors to keep tabs on Stone City. He reported everything, and word was he was paid well for it.”
“Paid well?” Lachlan asks. “And yet he was still homeless? Explain that to me.”
“Drugs, Lach,” Cormac says. “The O’Gregors had him exactly where they wanted him. He informed them, they paid him. He put the money right back in their pockets and invested in their signature opiates. Best possible arrangement for them, isn’t it? They lost absolutely nothing but their time.”
“Right,” I say, my stomach sinking. “Which means they’re not too happy about losing their free informant.”
“Correct.”
“Do they know who’s responsible?” Nolan asks.
“Appears so,” Keenan says. “As of last night, based on what Boner heard at the Craic.”
Boner stands up, bouncing on his feet like a Jack-in-the-box.
“Aye,” he says. “They let it drop that the McCarthys would pay, that they were retaliating. They wanted me to overhear. Said it a few times when I was in ear shot. I tell ya, took everything I feckin’ had not to cut them, right then and there.”
“Of course,” Tully says gruffly.
“Any word on how or why?” I ask.
Boner shakes his head. “Nah. Seems they wanted us sweating it.”
Cormac snorts. “The day I sweat in fear of the O’Gregors is the day I cut off my own fucking bollox.”
“Same,” Nolan says. “With the O’Gregors, we don’t lie in wait. We act proactively.”
“Agreed,” Keenan says. “I’m right there with you, brother. Only, I don’t want to bring war here. We’ve too much to risk now. These aren’t like the days when we were only brothers here. We’ve families as well.”
“Jesus, I’m sorry,” I mutter. “Hate that I’ve brought this to you.”
Nolan’s brows rise. “You serious, Carson? Don’t fucking apologize for that. You defended Megan, and we all know that. We don’t blame you. In fact, we’re bloody grateful.”
The others murmur in agreement. I have to look away for a minute, when my rush of gratitude nearly fucking overwhelms me. Jesus, I’m growing soft these days, that I’m grateful my brothers have my back.
Still. I was the one who fucking brought the trouble of Stone City on our doorstep. I’m the one who could make it even worse and fucking easily.
I’m the one who’ll solve this.
We talk at length about what we’ll do, how to act proactively to defend the brotherhood against potential attack from the O’Gregors. Tully, Boner, and Lachlan will go undercover, incognito, and see what information they can find. Nolan will stay out of the fray, as he’s got three children he’s responsible for and one on the way. Keenan will oversee all of us.
But I know that the plan we have on paper, what we’ve agreed to, is only part of the plan. Keenan and I will talk privately when the others are dismissed. He doesn’t want to advertise that detail, though, and neither do I.
So when he dismisses the others, it doesn’t surprise me that he jerks his chin in my direction. “Carson. A moment?”
Nolan eyes me curiously but doesn’t ask questions. He may suspect Keenan wants to know what’s going on with me and Megan. They take their leave, and Keenan and I are left alone.
“Y’alright, brother?”
I nod. “I am. You?”
He smiles. “Aye. Caitlin’s saying she’s ready for another child, but honest to God, they’re already doing my head in.” But the way he shakes his head belies the way his eyes crinkle around the edges and he smiles. He has traces of gray in his hair and beard he didn’t have when he took the throne, but I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t trade it for the world.