32. Cormac
Chapter Thirty-Two
CORMAC
By Saturday morning, the entire Sullivan empire is on lockdown.
I spent half the night going over the intel Ronan’s guys brought in, everything from encrypted messages traced back to Lorcan’s people to movement around our warehouses.
We’re not taking any chances, so we’re locking everything down.
Kieran and Ronan handle the security rotations while Brennan works on tracking down the unknown man from the call with Lorcan.
While we wait, I update the security protocols at Sullivan Investments myself, as I don’t trust anyone else to do it. Not when my son’s safety is on the line.
When I finish, I track Fiona down in the living room, where she and Scout are out on the floor with an array of pens and coloring books.
I clear my throat, and she looks up, her expression instantly worried.
“Is everything okay?”
I jerk my chin toward the kitchen, and she gets to her feet to come and join me.
This isn’t a conversation I want to have in front of Scout, not when I’m about to come clean about the threat that is hanging over all of our heads.
“Cormac, what’s going on?”
“Things are… tense. We’re having to tighten up security around the penthouse and all my brothers’ estates, as well as the business.”
“Did something happen?”
“Not yet. But we have reason to believe Lorcan is planning something. I don’t know what it is, but I’m not taking chances.”
Fiona stiffens at the name as she looks anxiously over at Scout.
I watch her closely as the flush that almost permanently stains her cheeks instantly vanishes.
I reach out to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her flush against me. “I’m taking care of it. I don’t want you to worry, but I want you to stay vigilant.”
Fiona still doesn’t take her eyes off of Scout.
I can tell from the crease between her eyebrows what she’s thinking, and while I hate to see her so anxious, I deeply appreciate her concern over my son.
I knew in my gut that I was making the right call bringing Fiona into Scout’s life. And this moment right now proves it.
She places a steadying hand on my chest. “What does that mean for us?”
“It means you don’t leave this house. Both of you stay inside unless I tell you otherwise.”
Fiona swallows as she flicks her eyes back to me. “Okay.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know. Scout’s safety is my priority too.” There’s not a hint of hesitation in her voice.
The tightness in my chest eases just a fraction.
The fact that Fiona doesn’t argue or try to reassure me with empty words makes me know that she means it. That she accepts the reality of the danger and will face it head on.
That’s rare to find, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found someone like Fiona.
“Obviously, I would appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to Scout.”
“Of course.”
“Daddy!” Scout calls from his spot on the floor. “Can I FaceTime Ray later? I want to show him my drawing.”
I press a quick kiss to Fiona’s forehead before dropping my arms from around her waist.
“Brace yourself,” I whisper.
She frowns. “Why?”
I head over to where Scout is lying on the floor and crouch down to get on his level.
“Actually, bud, I need to take your tablet.”
“But I ate all my vegetables,” Scout whines.
I can feel her watching me closely, but right now I need to give my full attention to my son.
“Because it needs fixing.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. So, I need to take it to work with me for a bit, but I promise you can have it back soon.”
Scout looks like he’s about to cry. “But then I can’t call Ray. I don’t want Ray to think I don’t miss him.”
I swear this kid knows just how to tug on my heartstrings.
I ruffle Scout’s hair. “Trust me, Ray knows. You can call him on my phone later when I’m home from work. That gives you a few hours to draw him even more pictures.”
“Maybe I can do one of an astronaut dinosaur!”
“I know Ray would love that.”
I leave Scout to get back to his coloring and go to give Fiona a last kiss goodbye.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Scout’s tablet isn’t broken. So, why are you really taking it? Because now I have nothing to bribe him with.”
I swallow a laugh as I reach out to cup her cheek. “I don’t want to risk it getting hacked.”
Fiona’s eyes widen in panic. “Oh god, I didn’t even think?—”
“Fiona, it’s okay. It’s just a precaution. But I appreciate you taking this so seriously.”
“If something’s coming, I’d rather be ready than caught off guard.”
Scout hums loudly to himself as he draws, completely oblivious to the threat that waits for him outside the safety of these four walls.
God, I hope he stays that way.
“I need to go to Sullivan Investments, but I’ll be back tonight. Don’t open the door for anyone.”
Fiona pushes herself up on her tiptoes and brushes her lips against mine. “I’ll keep him safe.”
“I know you will.” I take her face in my hands and kiss her deeply, hoping it’s enough to let her know how much she means to me.
Sullivan Investments is already buzzing with activity by the time I arrive. Security teams move through the building in coordinated lines, and I spot Kieran in the center of it all, barking orders at someone while holding the phone to his ear.
As I approach, he glances my way and quickly jerks his head in the direction of the boardroom. I stalk past him, subtly eyeing each employee as I pass, wondering which one of them has stabbed us in the back.
Stacks of personnel files for every employee are waiting for me at the head of the table.
I exhale as I take a seat and pull one of them toward me.
It’s going to be a long day of interviews, but if anyone will be able to get information out of our employees, it’s Kieran. I’m just here to make sure he doesn’t kill anyone.
“You’re late,” Kieran says by way of greeting as he shuts the door to the boardroom behind him.
“I was securing my house.” I scan through the file in front of me.
Kieran takes a seat beside me and slides a stack of folders toward him.
“Let’s get this started.”
We spend hours interviewing people from all areas of the business. Managers, analysts, IT, even the janitorial staff.
Every single person with badge access enters the room and sits down across from us while we interrogate them.
I don’t recognize half of them, which only adds to my unease.
Their loyalty was first to my father and then to Ronan. Kieran and I might have stepped in over the past year, but we’ve not exactly put in the effort to maintain their trust.
Interviewing the employees is mind-numbing work. By the time we hit mid-afternoon, my head is pounding from scrutinizing their answers and overanalyzing every twitch and blink in case it gives them away.
Kieran rubs at his temples. “One more group to go.”
I groan. “Is this even making a difference? I feel we’re no closer to finding the culprit than when we started.”
“It serves as a good reminder to our employees what happens if they ever cross us.”
“We should add that to the mission statement.”
“Come on, let’s get this over with.”
After a couple more hours, the sun is starting to set, and our last employee walks out the door looking like he might piss his pants. He nearly trips over the threshold in his rush to get out of the room and away from Kieran.
I arch a brow. “Did you really have to go so hard?”
He shuts the folder with unnecessary force. “Yes. Because I don’t want to go back to Ronan without an answer.”
I drag a hand down my face and look at the mountain of folders spread across the table in front of me.
“Have we considered that maybe the call with Lorcan could have been planted?”
“What do you mean?”
I gesture at the folders. “I mean… We’ve interrogated nearly a hundred people today, and all we have to show for it is a shortlist of possibilities that don’t actually fucking look like possibilities.”
“So?”
“So, maybe the call was meant to throw us off and make us waste time by chasing false leads while he moves somewhere else.”
Kieran leans back in his chair as he considers my words.
“You think he staged it.”
“I think he’s not stupid enough to let one of his inside men get caught on an unsecured line.”
“Brennan checked the trace. It was legit.”
“Legit enough,” I counter. “But Lorcan knows we monitor everything. He knows Brennan’s going to pull the metadata and follow the trail. But…what if the trail was meant to be found?”
Kieran’s jaw flexes. “You think this whole thing was bait.”
I shrug. “Maybe. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Though the weight resting on my shoulders disagrees.
“He wants us paranoid enough to turn on each other.”
“Exactly. I think Lorcan wants us fractured and distracted.”
“Or…” Kieran’s eyes flick to mine, and I straighten.
“Or what?”
“We didn’t interview everyone, Cormac.”
“We literally just did.”
“No, we didn’t.”
I freeze as it suddenly dawns on me what Kieran is implying. “You can’t be serious.”
“We’re interviewing everyone with access. Everyone who could be a weak point.”
“Fiona is not a weak point.”
Kieran leans back in his chair, lacing his fingers over his stomach. “I didn’t say she is. All I’m saying is we need to cover every base?—”
I slam the folder shut as my temper rises. “You think she’s the spy.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s all over your face.”
“Cormac—”
“Don’t.”
Kieran exhales slowly as he leans forward to rest his elbows on the table. “Listen to me. I know you trust her, but trust doesn’t mean someone isn’t compromised. Anyone can be leveraged. Anyone can be paid off. Anyone can be scared. You know that better than anyone.”
My jaw clenches.
He’s not wrong, but he is wrong about Fiona.
“She’s not involved in this. She isn’t capable of that kind of betrayal.”
Kieran’s brows lift. “Capable? Cormac, you’ve known her for what…a month?”
“I know her well enough.”
“You don’t know anything. You know the version she gives you. The version she wants you to believe?—”
I shove back from the table hard enough that the chair screeches against the floor. “Back off.”
Kieran holds my stare for a long, tense beat before finally lifting his hands in surrender. “Fine. Forget I said anything.”
“Gladly.”
The conversation is over, but my pulse is still hammering and my temper frayed, and yet I can’t seem to shake off Kieran’s words.
What do I really know about Fiona?
I’m halfway home when my phone rings with a call from Aiden Clark, the private investigator I put onto Fiona’s brother-in-law. Of course, he gets back to me now because this day hasn’t given me enough shit to deal with.
“What?” I bark down the phone.
“Nice to hear your voice too.”
“I’m busy.”
“Trust me, you’re going to want to hear this. I found some information you might be interested in about the brother-in-law.”
A muscle in my jaw ticks as I grip the steering wheel tighter. “I’m dealing with something else right now.”
He just ignores me. “And I’ve found something else. Something about the sister.”
My stomach drops. “What about her sister?”
“Thought you said you were busy?”
“Tell me again why I decided to hire you?”
“Do you want the information or not?”
“I’ll meet you tonight. When?”
“Eleven. I’m downtown anyway. There’s that place on Holloway Road. We can talk there.” He hangs up.
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches as Kieran’s voice immediately hijacks my thoughts.
You don’t know anything.
Something cold and unwelcome coils in my gut, because while today has led to nothing but dead ends in terms of finding Lorcan, it has made one thing painfully clear.
I’m dangerously invested in a woman I barely know.