The Apprentice (The Killough Company #4)

Chapter 11

11

FIONN

I was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop me. The soldiers around the house glanced warily at me as I strode past, and while they each inclined their head— Like Daire had done the day before, fuck him! —they didn’t stop me as I stalked down the hallways like a predator after prey. The closer I got to Sloan and Conall’s room, though, the more wary the soldiers became. One looked ready to stop me as he hesitantly took a step forward, but another yanked him back with a shake of his head.

“Move,” I hissed.

The men scattered like frightened mice as I passed them and finally stopped in front of my destination. Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage and knocked on the door. Twice. Once to alert Conall I was here, and another to assert my dominance. At least, that’s what I told myself.

The door swung open, and Conall stood on the other side in a pair of long red pajama pants with little hearts printed across the very thin material and a plain white T-shirt. His collar was still around his neck, even though it was nearing ten at night, and he was obviously getting ready for bed. Sloan was still in his office—I had checked.

Conall stared in surprise. “Hi?” He tilted his head to the side. “Are you looking for your uncle? He’s still working. Something about paperwork for Elio.”

“Can we talk?” I didn’t wait for him to respond. I pushed past him. The guards must’ve reacted because when I spun around, Conall had raised his hand at someone outside the room, then closed the door.

He frowned at me. “Okay. Are you here to look through my drawers again? Let me tell you, that might get weird because they’re Sloan’s drawers, too. Have you ever wondered what kind of underwear your uncle wears? You’ll find out if you go snooping.”

Ah, a joke eight years in the making.

I would’ve mentioned how long it’d been since then if I wasn’t wincing with a shame I didn’t expect to ever feel. I’d always thought I would hate Conall, and while the jealousy still lingered, it didn’t revolve so much around Sloan’s pet anymore. It was easier to like Conall and hate Vail and Lor. I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry.”

He cupped a hand behind his ear and leaned forward. “What did you say? I didn’t catch that.”

I huffed and crossed my arms. “I’m not saying it again.”

He smirked, his nose wrinkling a bit. “Oh, you will because you want something, and I’m not going to help you until you say what you just said louder.”

Fuck . I dropped my chin in defeat. The bastard knew he had me by the balls. Biting down hard on my bottom lip, I took a few short moments to ponder my options before realizing I truly had none. I sighed and finally raised my gaze to Conall again. “Fine. I. Am. Sorry. I was an ass.”

“You still are.” He grinned and shifted forward, bare feet padding across the thick carpet. “Luckily, I like that about you.”

“You do?” I stared at him. He was joking, right?

His mouth quirked into a small smile, and he gestured for me to follow him over to a small sitting area near the window, right behind a feature wall with a stone fireplace. He sat on the wide windowsill, stretching his legs along the ledge, while I took a comfy gray leather armchair. He’d changed up the style since moving into Sloan’s room many, many years ago. The area itself was elegant, and they had the biggest bedroom in the house. It had plenty of light, with floor-to-ceiling windows, except for the nook that Conall had added to go with his sitting area.

“Believe it or not, yeah, I do like you, Fionn. You’re a good guy, and behind that obnoxious exterior is a man who’s loyal to Sloan and worries about his safety. I can respect that because I do, too.”

“Oh.” I shifted uncomfortably.

“Anyway, forget it. What do you want?” He relaxed and bent his knees while curling his arms around his stomach.

“Uh.” All the confidence I’d had coming in here evaporated, and now I felt stupid. My cheeks heated, and I scratched the back of my neck. “I was wondering if you know Michele Scotti? He’s Matteo’s brother.”

Conall’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “The same Michele who flirted with you at the club? I heard the men talking before you put a stop to it.”

I sighed. “Yeah. Listen, what happened between Daire and I?—”

“Is none of my business.” He shrugged. “You’re an adult. You can do what you want.” He smiled smugly. “And if you want to change it up to get some sexy Italian cock, that’s your choice, as long as it doesn’t affect the Company.”

“It won’t.” I sat up straighter. “I just want his number, and maybe to talk to him.”

“Phone sex?” He winked.

I held in a groan and wrung my hands together. “Maybe? I don’t know.”

Conall laughed. “You don’t need to be embarrassed. I mean, you see me and Sloan fuck all the time.”

“How do you do that?” I asked seriously, eyebrows furrowed. “In front of everyone? Isn’t that... weird?”

He pursed his lips in thought and hummed before finally shaking his head. “At first it was a lot to handle, but I think it’s hot now. I like people knowing I belong to Sloan. I want them to watch us and know Sloan’s mine and he’ll only fuck me from now on, you know?”

I didn’t know, but I nodded anyway. Conall and I had very different ideas of what was sexy. “So, uh... would you happen to have Michele’s number?”

He snorted and tapped his foot on the sill. “No. Can you imagine me having an insignificant man’s number like that? Sloan would lose his shit, and Michele wouldn’t be alive.”

“Oh.” Disappointment twisted in my gut and my shoulders slumped. After another conversation with Daire that had left me hot and horny and ready to be fucked—yet also gutted and alone because he didn’t want to kiss me in public—I’d decided nothing with him would change. I needed a man who wasn’t afraid to want me and be with me. Michele had been that person.

Conall chuckled. “But, I know someone who might. Give me a sec.” He jumped to his feet and flounced over to the bed. Grabbing his phone off the mattress, he waved it at me. “I was playing a game when you knocked. Chapters . Have you ever played it? That shit is addicting. It’s an app where....” He broke off and laughed as he headed back to the windowsill and took his former position. “Never mind. You don’t want to start it, trust me.”

I squinted at him, not quite sure what to say. I didn’t think I had any games on my phone other than the kind that involved math equations, and I was positive Chapters wasn’t one of those.

Conall unlocked his phone and played with it for a second before he held it up to his ear. After a moment, he smiled. “Ardan, I called Mancini’s phone.” He pulled the phone away and hit a button, switching it to speakerphone. The grunting in the background gave me an idea of what was happening.

Everyone was having sex but me!

“You did, sir.” Ardan’s calm demeanor wasn’t anything new, but it was strange to hear him so controlled when he and Mancini were clearly doing something sexual.

Conall threw me an amused grin. “Mm-hmm. Is he available?”

“He’s currently busy.” It wasn’t much of an answer, but it was the best Conall was going to get from him.

“Aw. Is his mouth full?” Conall chuckled and shifted—I didn’t miss the noticeable bulge growing in his thin pants. I grabbed the chair by the arms and turned it away a little. I didn’t want Sloan coming in here to see me too close to his pet, who was on his way to rock hard.

I doubted my uncle would kill me, but I was smart enough not to test my luck.

I thought I heard Mancini mutter “fuck, baby” in the background, followed by a grunt.

“Something like that, sir.”

I snorted.

Conall poked his tongue out a little. “Now I’m curious.”

Ardan made a humming sound and there was another grunt that didn’t belong to him. “Best to stay that way, sir. We don’t want to upset the boss.”

Conall pouted. “Eh, I suppose not. You and Mancini know Michele Scotti, don’t you?”

“Yes.” A simple answer, but I supposed we were lucky to get anything right now.

“I want his number. Can you text it to me?” Conall was back to business, and he straightened, laying a hand over his hardening erection, hiding it from my view, as though I hadn’t already seen it.

“On it.”

“Thank you, Ardan. I love our witty banter. You’re a man of many words. We should do it again sometime.”

“Good night, sir.” Conall’s entertained voice was met with nothing but an unamused tone. The line went dead.

Conall stared at the phone with an even bigger pout. His gaze slipped to me and he shrugged. “Ardan’s really no fun at all.”

I held in the urge to roll my eyes. I could’ve told him that; although, he was clearly being sarcastic because anyone who’d had at least one conversation with Ardan knew what he was like. He was a no-nonsense, straight to the point guy, and he took his job seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he’d answered the phone when he was having sex with his partner.

A moment later, Conall’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it. He made a sound of triumph and shook it in my direction. “Got it. Let me just....” He typed quickly on the screen, then my phone vibrated in my jeans pocket. I kept the ringtone of my Samsung turned down because I hated talking to anyone but Sloan and Daire... and I supposed Conall now, too. “There. You now have Michele Scotti’s contact information.”

I tugged the phone out and checked the message, a knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach as my gaze settled on the digits. I usually liked working with numbers, but these came with expectations that I didn’t know how to handle. From the age of seventeen, I’d found myself enraptured by how smart Daire was, and we had in-depth conversations about topics no one else would care about. When I turned eighteen, my interest turned into more and I’d figured out a way to get his attention so he’d have sex with me. After that, I’d spent another eight years in a loop of fantasies that involved me and Daire being in a relationship. Stupid .

This was the first time I’d ever truly considered having sex with another man.

I felt Conall’s stare penetrate my skin and he cleared his throat. “Do you want to tell me about what happened between you and Daire?”

There was a sense of knowing in his eyes, like he saw something no one else could. I never imagined I’d want to tell Conall anything, but I didn’t have anyone else to talk to, either. If Sloan found out that Daire had led me on for so long.... Well, I didn’t know what he’d do.

“A lot of things.” I clutched the phone tightly.

“But not like what you said to the men. You and Daire haven’t fucked, have you?”

“We have. We do.” I straightened, my cheeks heated as embarrassment swelled in my throat, making it hard to speak for a moment. “It started when I was eighteen, a few months before Sloan found you.” I needed Conall to know that Daire hadn’t done anything bad, that he hadn’t started anything I couldn’t consent to. “We’ve had sex ever since. Only sex.”

“Yeah?” Conall’s surprise made me shift uncomfortably in my chair.

“He didn’t even care about me until I threw myself at another man, and I only flirted with the soldier to get his attention. Pathetic, huh?”

Conall shrugged. “You’d be shocked at what I do to get your uncle’s attention. It’s fun, though.” He grinned and a dreamy expression brushed over his handsome face. “I love making Sloan jealous. Not enough for him to kill someone, but just enough for him to throw me over whatever flat surface is close enough and fuck me in front of everyone.”

I cringed. “No offense, but I don’t want to hear about my uncle fucking you. I see it enough as it is.”

He laughed and waved his hand. “Understood. So, you flirted to get his attention.”

“Yeah. I was eighteen when we started it.”

Conall made a disinterested sound. “Not judging, if that’s what you think. As long as you were an adult, I don’t care.”

“Anyway.” I sighed. “We had sex at my party and it was fucking awesome.”

“Did you just swear?” Conall’s mouth curled into a large grin and he raised his eyebrows. “The icy Mr. Fionn Killough swore.”

I rolled my eyes. “Conall, concentrate.”

“Right. Sorry.” He slid off the windowsill and came to sit on the other chair near me. He leaned his elbow on the arm. “Continue. You have my full attention.”

I pressed my tongue to the top of my mouth as I thought about what else to say without sounding like a lovesick fool, but nothing I could think of made me sound any more mature. “He left before I woke up, but we stillhad sex. It became a thing, and it’s nice. But I want more. Why can’t we have a relationship? Why doesn’t he want me? He keeps holding back. It’s not even him teasing me at this point, it’s him leading me on and using me.” The frustration poured out with my words, and my hands moved on their own, swinging around in front of my face as I spoke. “It’s infuriating. And I’m stupid because I keep hanging on to his every word and waiting for us to be something, but he acts like he doesn’t want it. He just... . Ugh. I’m a hole to him, and I’m tired of being a puppy who follows him around.”

By the time I was done, my chest heaved, and I fell back against the seat with a groan. I covered my face with my hands.

“Wow.” Conall whistled. “And at the club?”

I laughed at the ridiculousness of what happened now that Conall asked. “Michele flirted with me. Daire showed up and he didn’t like it. He said that I shouldn’t have been there without guards. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder and walked out of there as if he owned me. It was ridiculous and stupid and annoying and really fucking hot.” My chest rose and fell fast and my cheeks burned warmer.

Conall’s mouth quirked. “Mm-hmm. So, what you’re saying is that you really enjoyed him being possessive.”

I nodded, not sure what else to do. I clutched my phone even tighter.

“And now you’re sick of his shit, so you’re going to get with Michele?” he asked.

Again, I nodded.

“Interesting.” His grin transformed into a smirk that reminded me of my uncle. “Do it. Go out with Michele. Flirt with him. Fuck him if you want. If you aren’t exclusive, you have that right. Make Daire realize what he missed out on.”

“That isn’t... childish?” I winced. “Because Sloan always says I act childish.”

He snorted. “You’re what? Twenty-five?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but Conall was on a roll.

“I mean, you can’t be with the man you want, but you aren’t required to settle for less than you deserve. If Daire, a man in his forties , can lead you on like that, then fuck it. You can do whatever the fuck makes you happy. Make the fucker jealous. Make him a raging green monster, and while you’re at it, shake your ass at him and say you could’ve had this permanently , big boy , but you didn’t have the balls to make me your boyfriend , and enjoy every second.”

The entire thing sounded very dramatic, and while I wasn’t usually the kind of guy who liked to make a scene— really , I didn’t—the idea intrigued me. At the same time....

“I don’t want to be like Daire and lead Michele on. It’s not fair to him. I’m not going to use him like that.”

Conall narrowed his eyes. “What happened to Fionn Killough?”

I snorted out a laugh. “What, because I’m selfish?”

“No. Fuck no. I don’t think you’re selfish. You’re the opposite, actually. You’re protective of the people you love.” He sighed. “Listen, Michele’s an adult. You don’t have to hurt him. There’s no promises of eternal love or weddings. It’s just dating and sex.”

“I haven’t even talked to the guy yet.”

“So go.” He jumped to his feet and grabbed my wrist, dragging me to stand. He patted me on the shoulders like a father encouraging his son. “Go and message him. Flirt. Plan dates. Fuck him. Anything you need to do to get Daire out of your system. Make that bastard regret ever leading you on.”

I didn’t think Daire had any cruel intentions, but it was interesting to witness the fierceness in Conall’s eyes, a protectiveness that I hadn’t seen in anyone but Sloan.

“Don’t... don’t tell Uncle Sloan, okay? I don’t want him to make a mountain out of a mole hill.”

Conall’s ferocity evaporated and his expression softened. He squeezed my shoulders. “Believe it or not, unless it has to do with the Company or Sloan’s health, I do keep things to myself. This has nothing to do with him.”

My throat tightened again, and I nodded, not sure what else to say. I didn’t need to find words, though, because Conall gently pushed me toward the door with understanding written all over his face. I didn’t have it in me to say thank you, either, but the wink he gave me said he knew.

Once I was outside the bedroom, I sucked up my vulnerability and glared at the soldiers as I stalked past them again. I had a reputation to uphold, and I wasn’t going to give them an ounce of weakness.

When I got to my bedroom, which was on the opposite side of the second floor, I locked the door and threw my phone on the bed. I stared at it for a long, daunting moment, considering my options. Daire wasn’t going to act on something serious, that much was clear, and the sizzling chemistry between us wouldn’t be anything more than an urge I had to continue to ignore. I didn’t know why Daire was fighting the need, but I was also tired of pushing and getting nowhere with it.

If Michele wanted to flirt with me, then I was going to do the same back.

Inhaling deeply, I walked over to the bed and grabbed my phone. I typed a message.

Fionn

Hey. This is Fionn Killough. Hope you don’t mind that I got your number. How are things?

I groaned. The message was so immature. I deleted the text and started again.

Fionn

Hey. This is Fionn Killough. Want to fuck?

I laughed at the absurdity and deleted it again. This was ridiculous. I had no idea what to say to another man that didn’t involve mob business. Finally, I typed out a new message and hit Send so I couldn’t rethink it.

Fionn

Hey. This is Fionn Killough. Hope you don’t mind that I got your number.

Groaning, I threw the phone on the bed again and went to the bathroom connected to my room and took a quick shower. All the possible scenarios played out in my head, but I ignored the embarrassment that had me cringing. What was done was done, and now I had to roll with it.

Once I got out of the shower and dried off, I went to the bedroom and dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a plain blue T-shirt, ignoring the temptation to grab my phone and look. When I was ready to lie down, I walked over to the bed and snatched up my phone again. I drew back the blankets and slid in, my heart racing a million miles per hour as I settled onto the comfy mattress.

Finally , I looked at the screen. The sight of a message from Michele stopped my heart completely. Panic roiled in my stomach as I opened the reply.

Michele

Fionn who? I don’t know Fionn.

I sucked in a breath, shame making me wince, but then I saw there was a second message.

Michele

Hah. Just joking. Hello, Fionn Killough ;) What’s a sexy guy like you doing texting me tonight?

I laughed and I typed back. The words came more naturally as some of my anxiety bled away.

Fionn

Wait. Maybe I’m texting the wrong guy. Are you Sergio? The blond from Vertigo?

Michele

Michele

Nope. I’m the sexy Italian you tease every time you walk into a room. You never noticed me, but why would you? You’re beautiful. Everyone wants you.

I blushed and ran a palm over my face. Michele seemed the type to compliment a lot, and I wasn’t sure how to take it. I wasn’t used to someone being so... flattering. It was as though he enjoyed making me flush, even when he couldn’t see me. Not like Daire, who praised me but in a more reserved way. He was careful in the way he spoke, as though he didn’t want to give me the wrong idea, yet still got in close enough that we always seemed to be touching in public.

I gritted my teeth and settled into bed. Fuck Daire. If he wanted to ignore me, then fine. At least Michele wasn’t ashamed of his desire, and I was going to enjoy every second of our flirtation.

December came and went, and then the new year arrived with a flurry of snow. In January, Sloan gave us permission to approach the Italians. He told us to use caution with Elio because he’d been touchy lately, and he didn’t know the reaction we’d be greeted with.

Mancini met us at the Folliero home in the Upper East Side. The house was a tall brownstone with a small courtyard at the front. Soldiers guarded the door and the rest of the property. As soon as Daire and I stopped the car, we were on alert, watching carefully as we exited.

Mancini was already there, leaning against the brick fence with an amused smile curling his mouth and arms crossed. Handsome was an understatement when describing him. He was naturally attractive with short dark hair, deep brown eyes, and high cheekbones. Tall with broad shoulders, he looked more like a soldier than a hit man, which made sense because from what Sloan had told me, he’d been a CIA agent before making unsanctioned murder into a career. Today was a cold January morning, so he was dressed in a thick gray wool jacket that reached his knees and black gloves.

I’d slid on a thick coat as well, but it didn’t stop the chilly wind from making me shiver, and neither did the layer of clothes I wore under my suit.

Mancini straightened but kept his arms crossed. His mouth curled up at one side. “Ready to go through hell’s gates?”

“We’re allies, not enemies.” I kept my tone even and professional. If I was excited to see Michele, I was trying not to show it. We’d been texting nearly every night since the first, and while Daire hadn’t disappeared from my thoughts, Michele was a hot distraction.

Daire hadn’t tried to contact me for sex, and I hadn’t offered myself up to him like I had in the past. We’d acted professional .

“If you say so.” Mancini smirked and gave me a knowing look. I suspected Ardan had told him that Conall called asking for Michele’s phone number, and knowing Ardan, he would have found out all the details later. Which meant Mancini probably knew I’d been contacting Michele, too.

Refusing to blush, I squared my shoulders and walked through the tall brick fence and the open wrought iron gate. The guards straightened, eyeing me carefully as I strode past them, but they didn’t stop me. When I got to the front door, it opened before I could knock, and Michele greeted me on the other side with a wide grin.

Wearing a green sweater and simple black pants, his handsomeness knew no bounds. His dark hair was shorter than I remembered from the club, but the new cut fit him.

“I hope you didn’t dress this well to charm me,” I teased.

Michele threw his head back and laughed. “I did. Do you like it? The sweater’s new. You teased me about the brown one I wore on our video call last week.” He pinched the green wool between his fingers and tugged it, staring down.

“The color looks good on you.” I felt Daire’s eyes on me, and a brief glance told me that he was glaring. A knot of guilt twisted in my stomach for enjoying the expression so much and using Michele to achieve it. I returned my attention to Michele. “It matches your eyes.”

Mancini snorted in amusement. “When you two are done flirting, I’ve got things to do. Seduce each other over the phone, and let’s get this over with.”

Michele narrowed his eyes over my shoulder. “Ah, the traitor’s back.”

Mancini rolled his eyes. “And here I was thinking you look good in that sweater, too. Rude.”

I sighed. I’d warned Sloan that bringing Mancini wasn’t a good idea. After he’d killed Elio Folliero’s uncle—unbeknownst to the Italians it was to protect someone—he’d been marked as a traitor. The Italians didn’t like him, and from what I’d discovered, the feeling was mutual. Mancini had only joined the Killough Company because of his relationship with Ardan.

Daire’s suspicious silence had me glancing at him again, but his face stayed neutral. Behind his eyes, something ugly raged, though.

Michele waved us into the brownstone. “Come with me. We’ll go to Elio’s office. He’s waiting.”

As much as I wanted to reach out and touch Daire, I didn’t. Instead, I followed Michele inside. We went down a hallway to the left and toward Elio’s office, which was the third door on the right. There wasn’t anything amazing about this space, with the usual furniture for this kind of space, including a dark wooden desk, office chair—which Elio currently occupied—and a couple violet seats in front. On the other side of the room was a sitting area, with several purple armchairs and a coffee table between them. The carpet was a light plum, while behind Elio’s desk was a wall of filled bookshelves.

The Italian don had a favorite color.

I took one of the seats in front of the desk, while Daire took the other. Mancini stood behind us, quiet as a shadow. Michele left the room, closing the door, but not before he sent me a wink. Beside Elio was Matteo, Michele’s older brother and Elio’s right-hand man, and he appeared as stoic as Daire. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion on his face. If anything, he winced every so often in pain, which made sense considering he’d been shot a few months ago.

“Young Fionn Killough.” Elio threaded his fingers together, resting his elbows on the desk. He wasn’t much older than me, and if I had to guess, he was around Conall’s age. Taking over as boss for his father so young, he’d achieved feats I only dreamed of. I would never want anything to happen to Sloan, but my goal was to lead like Elio. While it’d been a rocky start for him, his men respected him.

“Elio.” I offered him a reserved smile. “It’s been a while.”

“It has.” His blue-eyed gaze narrowed on me. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Sloan informed me that his apprentice would be paying me a visit, but he never mentioned why.”

Regardless of his position and power, he appeared no older than he had the last time I’d seen him. He had the same youthful handsome face and short dark hair, styled precisely as he’d always done it—short and slicked back off his forehead. Wearing a blue pinstriped suit that fit him perfectly, he sat tall in his chair. He almost dared me to mess with his mafia.

Sloan had given us instructions to tread carefully. We’d been told to ask about Elio’s businesses and poke him to see if he’d let any information slip, but my judgment said that he wasn’t that stupid and Sloan knew it, too. This was a test. I wasn’t going to fail.

“I’m going to be blunt with you.” I laid my arms beside myself on the chair and settled into the comfortable cushions. “Because as allies, you deserve that.”

Elio tilted his head, a small smile curling one corner of his lips. “I appreciate it.”

“We’ve learned that you’ve been given a book. It came from Detective Diaz, and it contains knowledge about her informants, including the rat who whispered in her ear about the Killough Company. We want it.”

He frowned at me and shook his head. “I’m not quite sure what book you’re referring to. Would you care to elaborate?”

I hesitated. His confusion seemed genuine, and I had the inclination to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sloan would call what I was doing weakness, but I had no reason to distrust Elio. “We came across an Italian detective, now retired , who told us he gave the book to your men for money. Like I said, we want it, and to be completely honest with you, the fact that you haven’t shared it with us is quite disheartening from the perspective of our business relationship.”

He made a disgruntled sound and threaded his fingers together, resting his elbows on his desk. “I could say the same for you. This Reyes situation is putting a strain on our business in New York. Also, this feud between Sloan and Thiago, not us, is less than great. As your allies, we’re suffering the consequences.”

“I understand. I’ll pass on your frustration to my uncle—I promise. I can assure you that the Reyes issue will be dealt with ASAP.” I raised my chin. “Now, the book?”

Elio squinted at me and sighed. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but we don’t have this book that you claim passed into our hands.” He raised a finger when I opened my mouth to speak. “However, if this detective says he gave it to one of my men, I will investigate, because if he did, that means someone is hiding very valuable information from me, and I don’t treat that kind of betrayal lightly.”

I tilted my head in respect. “We appreciate it, Elio, and we value your friendship.”

He snorted. “I like you more than Sloan.”

“Don’t tell him that.” I smiled politely. “But I’ve learned a lot from Sloan. You and I are both new to this game, and we had good teachers. Your father and my uncle have been through hell and back to give us not only a future but a business to run. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Something akin to respect slid across his face and he nodded. “I agree. It hasn’t been an easy journey.” He stood and held out his hand. “Now, if that’s all, I have work to do.”

I rose and took the proposed peace offering from Elio by shaking his palm. We gave each other a final smile before Matteo strode over to the door, opening it for myself, Daire, and Mancini.

Daire led the charge to get out of the house, but as soon as we reached the front door and were ready to exit, Michele called my name.

I grinned as Daire spun around and glared over his shoulder. “We don’t have time for this. We’re busy men.”

“Speak for yourself.” Mancini smirked and leaned against the threshold, arms crossed and foot kicked up. “This is about to get good.”

Daire shot him a glare as I turned to meet Michele.

“I had to catch you before you went.” Michele lit up the room with a wide smile, but as handsome as he was, I was more interested in watching Daire from the corner of my eye. Guilt gnawed on my insides because I couldn’t stop myself. Michele deserved my attention more than Daire.

“Really?” I licked my lips and tried to focus on Michele because while I wasn’t as interested as I should be, he was still a pretty nice guy. Hot, too. It wasn’t a mental strain to stare at him.

“Yeah.” He stopped right in front of me and leaned down slightly, and the room seemed to fill with tension.

Daire moved closer and so did Mancini and a few of Elio’s men, as though they expected Daire to hit Michele. They might not have jumped to the wrong conclusion, either.

I held my breath.

“Go out with me tonight. Have you heard of Vincenzo’s Italian Esperienza Culinaria?”

“Do you mean Vincenzo’s down near the Hudson?”

He winced, and I thought I might have said something insulting. “Eh, yes. That’s what the locals call it, though, I personally prefer the full name. It gives the restaurant the true reputation it deserves.”

“What does it mean?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Vincenzo’s Italian Culinary Experience.”

“It sounds delicious.” I smiled.

“You’re a busy man,” Daire snapped, earning a surprised glance from me.

I frowned. “I’m not needed tonight. Sloan’s got paperwork to do, and he already gave me the night off.” I flicked my gaze back to Michele. “I’m available. I can meet you there.”

“I could pick you up.” He winked. “I’ve got quite the collection of cars. I’ll even give you a choice on which one we’ll drive into the city.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “That’s an unnecessary drive, and I doubt my uncle would want you on his grounds without his permission.”

“Well, how am I supposed to seduce you, then?” Michele’s grin was salacious, and my cheeks went hot.

“You can do that at the restaurant.” I didn’t look at Daire, afraid of his reaction to everything that was happening.

Mancini, on the other hand, seemed thoroughly entertained by the situation. He chuckled and let out a low wolf whistle, but I ignored him. I hated that my uncle made us bring him along. We didn’t need him at all.

“Tonight at six?” Michele’s eyes sparkled with wickedness that I should’ve been interested in seeing, but I couldn’t help but peek at Daire from the corner of my eye.

Daire had his arms crossed and his jaw clenched, but he didn’t look at me. His unhappiness made my stomach squirm with guilt.

Raising my chin, I focused on Michele with a smile. “I’ll be there.”

Daire didn’t look at me for the entire drive home.

I felt like I’d done something horrible, like cheat on him. But Daire had made it clear—we couldn’t be in a relationship. You can’t cheat on someone who won’t date you. Yet, the remorse gnawed at my insides, a beast wanting to escape a cage, which only made me angry because he chose this. Not me. Now he had to live with the consequences.

When we got back to the Killough mansion, I slipped out of the sleek black car and stalked up the steps to the front door, where Mr. Hopper was waiting with it open.

Mr. Hopper gave me a short bow, but I ignored him as I stormed into the foyer and up the stairs. I heard someone behind me, but I didn’t bother to look back until I was spun around by the arm.

I raised my fist, ready to strike, but dropped it immediately when I came face-to-face with Conall. If I’d hit my uncle’s partner, I would be dead on the spot, nephew or not.

He grinned. “What happened? Daire’s furious, and you look like someone pissed in your cornflakes. I want to know everything .”

I shook my head and held up my palms. I stepped back and moved toward my room. Conall’s footsteps signaled he was right behind me, but I ignored him until I walked through the door into my bedroom. If we were going to have this conversation, it wasn’t going to be in the hallway where every guard could hear us.

I shut the door behind him and crossed my arms. “Michele asked me on a date tonight, finally, and I accepted.”

“Is that why Daire’s stomping around like a kid who lost his favorite toy?” Conall looked too damned smug for his own good. He bounced on the tips of his toes.

I groaned. “He wasn’t happy, but I’m tired of waiting around for him.”

“Good. You should be.” He walked over to the desk near the window and fell into the comfortable black office chair. I hated the furniture in my room because I always believed bedrooms were for sleeping only, but Sloan had insisted it would be useful in the future. I could never say no to my uncle. Conall spun on the chair to face me. “Do you want to know one thing I learned working in a whore house?”

“How to deep throat?” The corner of my mouth twitched. This new relationship with Conall was strange, and even though we’d become more like friends over the last month, I was waiting for the entire thing to explode in my face. If Sloan noticed the difference between us, he hadn’t said a word, but there was more smiling in my direction.

“I’m naturally talented in that department.” He chuckled. “Men are stupid. And yeah, that does include us.” He shrugged. “We’re built to enjoy sex and made to believe by society we can’t love like women can. Fuck that shit. We can have as much fun as we want with fucking, but also be in love with that person, too. You wanna know how I keep Sloan’s attention?”

I didn’t think he’d have to try hard. He might’ve been right about men being stupid because I suspected Conall couldn’t see how much Sloan loved him. I decided to humor him anyway. “How?”

“I make him fight for it. I don’t just give in to him. Men like Sloan and Daire, they want a challenge. That’s why Sloan chose me that day at the Virtue. I wasn’t on offer, and he wanted someone to fight him. He was bored, and I was a game.” He smirked. “I’m not saying Daire’s the exact same, but that man has pushed you around for too long. You’ve chased him and waited for him. He’s never seen you with another person. You’ve never threatened him with another potential lover because you were a puppy dog, panting for his attention.”

“I wasn’t his puppy,” I snapped, although, I’d had the same thoughts.

He raised his eyebrows.

“I was his boy.”

He blinked. “What?”

“His boy. He was... is Daddy Daire. Well, when we fuck anyway.” The words sounded pathetic to my ears. I gritted my teeth. “But you’re right. I’m done.”

“Remember what you said to those men at the Amatory, Fionn?” Conall shot to his feet and strode toward him. “ You’re the future of this company. You’re not a nobody, you’re Fionn fucking Killough. Change things up. Now it’s Daire’s turn to grovel and chase you . You’re in charge of your life.”

A renewed vigor had me straightening, and I squared my shoulders. I smiled. “Conall, will you help me choose the clothes for my date?”

He snickered. “Fuck yeah, I will.”