Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Another couple sat at the far end of the table, as far from the rest of them as they could get. The man was like a blond lion lazing in a chair with his woman on his knee, but there was a coiled tension in his body that spoke of violence ready to be unleashed. For all his surface attitude, it was clear he didn’t want to be here and didn’t trust any of them. This had to be James Halloran—which made the woman perched on his lap in a borderline indecent dress Carrigan. She, at least, wasn’t pretending to be anything other than what she was—powerful and dangerous.
God, Charlie could barely breathe.
Her gaze skated to the middle couple. This man was dressed in a three-piece suit and had tattoos peeking out at throat and wrists—that would be Aiden’s brother Cillian. He was in charge of the O’Malleys’ accounting and cybersecurity, and though he didn’t have the level of power that some of the other people did, the way he hovered over the woman and child at his side…Another person not to cross.
She started to dismiss his wife—a pretty Middle Eastern woman with a wild mane of hair—but froze. Charlie knew that face. Olivia Rashidi and her daughter were Dmitri Romanov’s last remaining family, though Olivia was only his half sister via their late father’s mistress.
Liam had left out that little piece of information.
Charlie shot a look at Aiden to silently tell him that he’d be answering her questions later, but found his attention focused on James and Carrigan.
I am in the room with the most dangerous people in Boston. Who thought this was a good idea?
She’d gotten through the last four years by flying under the radar and biding her time. Now she was about to be thrust into the limelight, such as it was, and Charlie suddenly wanting nothing more than to turn around and walk out of the room. Only the fact that Aiden promised to bring about the justice she desperately wanted kept her feet planted and her chin up as every eye turned to her.
Aiden, at least, didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the attention. But then, he’d grown up in this world. This was his natural habitat. He guided Charlie to a chair and pulled it out for her. Her instinct screamed at her to remain standing with a clear path to the nearest exit, but she managed to sink into the seat all the same.
He stood at her back, likely knowing that she was half a second from bolting. “Thank you for coming.”
Carrigan uncoiled herself, though she didn’t move away from James. “I’d be tickled pink over the invite if I thought for a second this was a friendly family gathering. Except I know the O’Malleys don’t have those, and, even if we did, I wouldn’t be invited.” She made a show of looking around. “Where is our darling father? He’s been missing in action for well over a year now.” She raked her gaze over Charlie. “And who the hell is this?”
Charlie wasn’t going to touch that with a ten-foot pole. The only thing Aiden had told her before leading her in here was to let him do the talking, and she was more than happy for him to field the hostility.
No one seemed particularly thrilled to be here—herself included.
“You know damn well that Seamus is in Connecticut,” Teague snapped. “I’d think you’d be as grateful as the rest of us for his absence.”
“It’s not like I see him when he is in town. That’s your burden to bear, obedient son that you are.” Carrigan smoothed back her hair. “Though I much prefer dealing with Aiden to Seamus. At least you aren’t pretending I’m dead and buried.”
There were so many undercurrents that Charlie felt adrift in shark-infested waters. These people had been playing dangerous political games long before she showed up—long before Dmitri Romanov was on their radar, too, she’d wager.
Aiden ignored his siblings’ bickering and looked around the room before nodding at Liam. The man detached himself from the wall he’d been leaning against and moved to stand next to them. Aiden spoke low enough that Charlie doubted anyone else could hear him. “Where is Keira?”
“Mark’s on her, but I don’t have the exact location. I’ll look into it.” Liam walked through the door, and if she hadn’t been watching him so closely, she would have missed the flicker of worry in Aiden’s green eyes.
Carrigan clapped. “You’ve lost Keira. Again. Congratulations.” Apparently, Aiden hadn’t spoken softly enough. His oldest sister’s upper lip curled into a truly impressive sneer. “You really know how to treat your sisters, don’t you?”
There was too much history in that question for Charlie to fully understand. She knew there was another sister, Sloan, but Liam hadn’t said much about her other than that she wasn’t currently in Boston. Maybe I should have been taking notes when he was bringing me up to date.