Chapter Thirty
S loan couldn’t breathe. She stood in the middle of Callie’s living room, watching her older brothers snipe at each other like rabid junkyard dogs.
Teague looked half a second from pummeling Aiden, and Aiden was right there with him.
The only saving grace was that they’d sent their men away and closed the doors, so it was just the three of them.
“You betrayed the family.”
Teague rocked onto the balls of his feet.
“I did what it took to protect our sister.” He was sporting a black eye that she suspected was courtesy of Jude, and it made him look like a completely different person.
Or maybe it was the wildness in his dark eyes.
“Something you haven’t even tried. Not with Carrigan, not with Keira, and sure as fuck not with Sloan. ”
Aiden took a slow step to the side like he was sizing Teague up for weakness. “And how’s that protection working out? She’s here, looking like shit, and it was Carrigan who brought her back. You had your chance. You fucked it up. She’s leaving.”
“The fuck she is.” Teague’s fists clenched and unclenched. “She’s staying right here. You have no idea what’s going on.”
“Wrong. I know a whole hell of a lot more than you bargained on.” Aiden crossed his arms over his chest. “Or were you just going to slink away and hope no one noticed you were informing to the fucking feds?”
“ Stop it! ” Sloan screamed, her hands going to the sides of her head as if she could contain the massive headache sprouting there.
“I am not staying in Boston. I came back of my own free will. I was not retrieved like some naughty child. Stop acting like I’m not standing right here .
” She wasn’t even going to touch Aiden’s comment about Teague informing on the family.
That wasn’t why she was here, and it wasn’t her problem. She didn’t want it to be her problem.
Though that explains why Aiden is here so quickly—he’s been watching Teague .
They looked at her like she’d grown a second head. Teague took a cautious step toward her. “You don’t know what you’re saying. I know you think—”
“Don’t you dare.” She backed up, wanting to scream again in frustration. “I am an adult, though I’ve allowed you to treat me like an invalid up until this point. That ends now. When I leave Boston this time, I’m leaving for good. You will stop looking for me. Just…let me go.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes. “You choose this?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying all along.”
Teague spoke over her. “She was targeted by Jude motherfucking MacNamara. He preyed on her and now she thinks she’s in a relationship with him.”
Aiden shook his head, looking disgusted. “When you fuck something up, you really fuck it up, don’t you, Teague? You’re so damn sure you know better than everyone else that you stomp all over what they want.”
Sloan was losing them. “Will you just listen to me?”
“It’s okay. We aren’t judging you for any of this.” Teague took another step closer, approaching like she was a wild animal. “You couldn’t have known.”
“You are not listening to me. You don’t know him.
” She realized her mistake as soon as Teague looked at her like he wanted to sedate her and lock her up until she came into her right mind—like she was certifiable.
Oh God, I was so wrong to come back here .
“I am turning around and walking out of this house. You are going to let me.”
Teague shook his head. “We can’t do that, Sloan.”
“The fuck we can’t. You’re not listening to her. Again.” Aiden’s fists were clenched, and he looked half a second from punching Teague in the face.
“The fuck I can . I don’t answer to you anymore, and you’re standing on Sheridan territory. If you aren’t willing to do what’s right for our sister, then I am.”
Her throat tried to close, but she forced the words out despite that.
“You can’t be serious. You’re threatening Aiden .
What is wrong with you?” Jude had been right, and she’d been a fool for thinking the best of her brother—for thinking she could reason with Teague.
He’d always see her as the sweet little sister who needed to be protected, who couldn’t think for herself.
If Cillian were here…
But it wouldn’t matter. Teague was half of the head of the Sheridan family, and though Aiden now appeared to run the O’Malleys, they weren’t on O’Malley territory. Teague outranked Aiden. He outranked her .
She lifted her chin. “This is your last chance. I’m leaving.” She turned for the door, but Teague stepped in front of her.
“Don’t make me call my men. This doesn’t have to come to violence.”
Behind her, a phone rang. She turned as Aiden took it out of his pocket and answered, his gaze never leaving her. “I’m with her right now. We’re having a…difference of opinion with my brother.”
“Is that fucking MacNamara?” Teague raised his voice. “Tell him to run. If he sets foot on my territory, I’m going to hunt him down like the mad dog he is.”
No .
Sloan marched across the room and shoved Teague. “Teague Patrick O’Malley, I swear to God, if you don’t stop acting like a Neanderthal, I’m going to call your wife. She will listen to me.”
He took a step back and glared at her. “Callie and I are of the same mind when it comes to this.”
“Liar.” She knew Callie, and so she knew better. The woman could be fierce, but she didn’t let Teague steamroll her—and Sloan doubted she’d take too kindly to him doing the same to his sister.
Except there’s Jude to consider .
Aiden cursed. “You should have told me that to begin with.”
Sloan turned, starting to respond, but the words died on her lips. Aiden wasn’t talking to her. He was talking to Jude. From the determined set of his face, he had just discovered that Dmitri Romanov intended to murder Callie and her father. “Aiden—”
He held up a hand and put the phone on speaker. “I have men in the area. You know where he’ll strike from?”
“There’s a small apartment across the street from the restaurant. That’s where I’d hit from.” Jude paused. “But it’s entirely likely that he’ll have a backup location—several.”
“We’ll set up a perimeter. You take the apartment.”
Sloan glared. “You just gave him the most dangerous task.”
Aiden glared right back. “He seems to think that you two are going to ride off into the sunset together. You choose him? Fine. So be it. But he’s got to prove himself.”
“You are so ruthless .” She sank as much disgust into the word as possible. Aiden was knowingly putting Jude in a situation where he might be hurt—or worse—and he didn’t have the grace to so much as pretend he was sorry.
“Sunshine.”
Her throat burned at the nickname, and she wanted nothing more than to snatch the phone out of her brother’s hand. There wasn’t time. “Jude.”
“Are you hurt?”
He was going to do it. It didn’t matter that her brother might have an ulterior motive for allying with him—temporarily or not. He would go into that apartment and do what needed to be done.
And there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it. “I’m fine.”
“I’m keeping my promise, sunshine. I’m tying up this last loose end, and then I’m coming for you, whether your brothers give their blessing or no. You know what will happen if they get in my way.”
She knew.
Aiden cleared his throat. “I gave my word, MacNamara.”
“We’ll see if you keep it.” Jude hung up.
“What the fuck was that?” Teague looked at Sloan and then Aiden. “Explain. Now.”
When Aiden didn’t immediately jump in, Sloan wrapped her arms around herself. “Dmitri Romanov is going to try to kill Callie and Colm—and he’s going to make it look like Jude did it.”
Teague was already moving, throwing open the door into the hall. “Micah. Call the men on Callie. Secure the entrances to the restaurant. Double the team in the restaurant.”
Callie .
Just because Jude thought he could handle the situation alone didn’t mean he could.
If her family’s dealings with Dmitri Romanov had taught her anything, it was that the man had a nasty habit of doing the unexpected.
If he was as smart as everyone said, he had to know Jude was having second thoughts about finishing the Sheridans.
If he thought Jude would break his word…
If he knew that Aiden was working with Jude…
Oh God . What if it was a trap designed to take out multiple enemies in one fell swoop? She looked at her brothers. They didn’t care about Jude…but they would move heaven and earth to keep family safe. “We have to go to them.”
Teague shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere. Our men can handle it.”
“Like they handled things at the house on Orcas Island? You don’t understand. Jude’s better than all of you combined. This is what he’s been training his entire life for.”
The confusion cleared from Teague’s face, leaving only fear in its wake. “He’s going after Callie?”
“Colm.” He already hated Jude. Telling him who he was gunning for wasn’t going to change that. But maybe it would ensure they took her with them.
Teague already had his phone out. “ Triple the men on her. I don’t care if it’s rush hour. I’m on my way.” He pointed to Micah without looking up from his phone. “Put my sister in one of the guest rooms. Do not let her leave.”
“Aiden, you said you gave Jude your word!”
Her oldest brother shook his head as he typed a number into his phone. “Teague’s right on this one. You’ll be safest here until this is over. If your man is still alive at the end of it, we’ll talk.”
She barely got a cry of protest out when Micah did Teague’s bidding, hauling her up the stairs none too gently. Aiden’s last words all but confirmed her suspicions. He might not want Jude dead the same way Teague did, but he wouldn’t necessarily step in to save him if something happened.
I have to be there. I have to fight for Jude.
No one else is going to.
***