59. Aoife
Aoife
Cian walks ahead of me, gesturing around the warehouse like he already owns the city. Like this place is just the first piece of his inevitable empire.
"We need to move soon," he says, turning back to me. "I don’t want to waste any more time. O’Sullivan has had his grip on Dublin for too long."
He’s power-hungry, so I don’t have to push. All I have to do is stand to the side and wait. Sure enough, he dives right in.
"Here’s what I’m thinking," he starts. "We hit him when he’s vulnerable. Catch him in transit. Somewhere outside his comfort zone. Maybe when he’s heading to one of his properties. We block the road, force him out, take him before his men even know what’s happening. Simple, clean, effective."
Simple. Clean. Effective. It takes everything in me not to let my amusement show.
Cian thinks he knows what he’s doing, but I can already see the flaws. He has no understanding of Eamon’s security and no grasp of the way his operation runs. He’s thinking like a thug, not a strategist.
But I don’t let it show.
Instead, I sigh, crossing my arms like I’m weighing the plan. "It won’t work," I finally say, shaking my head.
Cian’s brows knit together. "What do you mean? Of course, it’ll work."
I exhale, letting my voice take on a mix of confidence and experience. "I’ve been working at the hotel for months. I’ve watched how Mr. O’Sullivan moves. How his security operates. He’s never alone. If you try to box him in, it won’t be his blood on the pavement. It’ll be yours."
Cian’s frown deepens, but I see the shift in his eyes. He knows I’m right.
Stepping closer, I lower my voice. "But there’s another way."
That gets his attention.
"Go on," he says, intrigued.
I let a slow smirk curve my lips. "He’s interested in me, and I’ve played into it. If I tell him I’m delivering Ruairi to him, he’ll come running. No security. No backup. Just him. And when I get him alone…" I trail off, letting Cian fill in the blanks.
His grin spreads wide. "You’re fucking brilliant."
I give a slight shrug like it’s nothing. "I know."
Cian’s practically vibrating with excitement now. He presses for details. He wants to know exactly how I plan to pull this off.
But I can’t give him that. Not yet. Because that would mean revealing Ruairi’s location.
So, I lean against one of the rusted beams, exhaling like I’m thinking it all through. "I need a little more time."
"Time?"
“I need time to gain Eamon’s trust so I can convince him to come alone. If he has even a shadow of a doubt, he’ll bring his men. If that happens, we won’t stand a chance."
Cian exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. He wants to push. I can see it, but I’ve dangled the perfect scenario in front of him.
In the end, he can’t resist.
"Fine," he says after a moment. "But don’t take too long. The sooner we do this, the better."
I give him a slow, knowing smile. "Trust me. No one will see it coming."
He grins, stepping in closer, his hands settling at my waist. "You really do have a devious fucking mind, Aoife."
I let him kiss me, let him think he’s the one in control.
But the truth is, Cian’s already eating out of the palm of my hand.
And he has no idea.