36. Cormac
Chapter Thirty-Six
CORMAC
The city lights blur past the windshield as I speed away from the penthouse.
Ronan follows close behind, covering my blind spots.
Every second we spend on the road is another second I put Scout at risk. For all I know, Smirnov could have a dozen more cars ready to ambush us at any second.
The thought has me pushing the accelerator to the floor.
I catch Fiona bracing her hand on the dashboard as I swerve in and out of traffic, but she stays silent.
“Daddy? Are we there yet?” Scout mumbles, half asleep, from the backseat.
“Almost.” I glance in my side mirror to make sure Ronan is still behind me.
“But I want to see the stars.”
I look in the mirror to see him gazing up at the night sky through the sunroof.
I exhale through my nose, trying to calm the tension coiling in my chest.
Every instinct tells me to stay focused, to keep my eyes on the road and my hands steady.
He doesn’t realize the danger we’ve just escaped, and I want it to stay that way.
“Try to go back to sleep, okay?”
“Are my cousins coming to the sleepover too?”
Fiona’s eyes are on me, but when I go to reply, my words get stuck in my throat.
The world is closing in from every side. All I can see in my mind is Scout trapped inside the wrecked car, covered in blood and bullet wounds, as Adrian Smirnov laughs.
“Fiona,” I choke.
Without missing a beat, she turns in her seat and grins at Scout. “They sure are. But remember, they’re babies, so they’re a lot smaller than you, so you’re in charge of keeping an eye on them. Can you do that?”
“I can make sure they don’t eat too much candy or fall off the couch!”
“That’s a great start.”
I keep my eyes forward, trying to focus on the road.
Every word he says, every little laugh or giggle, is another reminder of what’s at stake. If anything goes wrong tonight, Scout, Fiona, Ciara, Riley, the kids… They all become vulnerable.
“But you’ll have to be quiet when we get there because everyone will probably be asleep,” Fiona adds.
“I’ll be like a ninja!”
I exhale a shaky laugh, even as the weight on my chest feels crushing.
This is our life, little glimpses of normal layered on top of danger. The only problem is, one misstep, one wrong move, and it all collapses.
I try to keep my voice calm. “Scout, you need to stay close to Fiona and me tonight. You’ll help out, yes, but you don’t make the rules. We do. Understand?”
I glance in the mirror to see Scout nod, though his shoulders slump a little in disappointment.
He doesn’t understand the world he’s been pulled into, and it’s up to me to make sure he survives it.
By the time we reach Kieran’s estate, Scout is practically bouncing in his seat, every trace of sleep burned off by adrenaline and excitement.
The gates slide shut behind us with a low, mechanical groan, but I don’t relax for a second, not even with Kieran’s military-grade security.
“Do not move until I say,” I tell Fiona and Scout once I kill the engine.
I step out of the car and quickly scan the drive, tracking the tree line and the perimeter lights. This place is fortified, but tonight, it doesn’t feel like enough.
Ronan pulls in beside me and gets out, Leo and Jace flanking him automatically as they pull out their guns.
“Anything?” I ask.
Ronan’s hand slips back into his jacket as he tucks his gun away. “All clear. Brennan called. The scene’s been wiped clean.”
“Good.”
“Come on, let’s get everyone inside. Brennan’s en route so we can discuss our next move.”
I walk around the car, still scanning the surroundings before opening Fiona’s door, making sure to block her from view with my body.
“Are you doing okay?” I ask her.
She looks up at me with wide eyes.
She’s deathly pale, accentuating the dark purple rings beneath her eyes, but she nods.
I tilt my head toward my oldest brother. “Ronan’s going to take you inside the house. I’ll follow behind with Scout.”
“Okay…” she whispers.
I glance over my shoulder to find Ronan watching me closely.
With one jerk of my chin, he moves to take my place so I can get Scout.
When my son is safely in my arms, the four of us move quickly and silently up the front steps and into the house where Riley and Ciara are already waiting for us in the foyer, both looking pale and terrified.
“You’re here. We’ve been so worried.” Ciara exhales as she throws her arms around Fiona, who looks a little taken aback.
Scout looks around. “Where are my cousins?”
Riley smiles. “They’re sleeping right now.”
“Can we go and wake them up?”
Ciara shakes her head. “Trust me, Scout. You do not want to deal with an overtired Addison and Nico.”
“Why?”
“Because they turn into Uncle Ronan.”
Scout glances over his shoulder at Ronan, who is wearing his usual scowl, and quickly clings to me.
“We should let them sleep.”
I swallow a laugh. I swear this kid never fails to bring a smile to my face, even when I’m in the middle of a living nightmare.
Just then, Kieran appears from down the hall.
He’s changed out of his sweatpants into a black shirt and pants, though his slightly curled hair is messier than usual. “How far away is Brennan?”
Ronan looks at his watch. “Should be here any minute, but we shouldn’t wait.”
Riley approaches me. “Hey, Scout. How would you like to help me make some hot chocolate?”
Scout’s eyes light up. “With marshmallows and whipped cream?”
I don’t want to let Scout go, but the sooner I meet with my brothers to discuss our next move, the sooner this nightmare will be over.
So, I set him down, and he quickly takes Riley’s outstretched hand.
“I’ve even made some chocolate chip cookies too.”
“They’re my favorite.”
“You’re in luck, Scout,” Ciara chimes in. “Aunty Riley makes the best chocolate chip cookies.”
Despite the girls’ cheerful tones, I can see how exhausted they both look.
Ciara fights a yawn as Riley subtly tries to rub at her eyes. She’s not even two weeks postpartum, and she’s absorbing the fallout of my mess without complaint.
Kieran nudges me. “Stop.”
I turn to look at him. “Stop what?”
“Thinking of ways to deal with this on your own.”
Before I can respond, Ronan cuts in, already moving as he stalks past me. “Cormac, let’s go.”
I hesitate as Scout disappears from my sight with Riley and Ciara, my body screaming at me to follow.
“He’s safe,” Fiona murmurs beside me, her voice steady, though I know she’s anything but.
“I’ll be back soon,” I promise, though I don’t know who I’m really saying it for.
I turn and follow my brothers down the hall and into Kieran’s office.
The door closes behind us with a soft click, shutting out the sound of Scout’s laughter.
Kieran doesn’t waste time with pleasantries. He takes a seat behind the desk and slides a folder toward me.
“We were able to ID one of the men in the car. Vasil Smirnov.”
I freeze. “As in…son of Adrian Smirnov?”
“Correct.”
Ronan looks into the wall, seemingly lost in thought. “This isn’t a coincidence.”
“None of this is a coincidence,” Kieran clarifies.
I collapse into a chair, letting the shock of this news slowly turn into rage. I rub my hands up and down my thighs. “It’s exactly what I thought. Lorcan has been working with Adrian this entire time.”
“It is proof of that, yes. But we might have a bigger problem now.”
“No shit. I just killed his son.”
Ronan frowns at me. “Adrian isn’t the kind of man who’ll just let this go. He’ll want revenge, and he’ll use Lorcan’s situation to do it.”
I ball my hands into fists, pressing down on the anger, on the paranoia that’s been gnawing at me since the ambush.
“Cormac, you need to consider the possibility that Adrian might know about Scout?—”
“No. I’ve been too careful. Adrian can’t know about Scout. It’s not possible.”
I don’t miss the look Ronan and Kieran share.
I clench my fists. “I’m not burying my head in the sand.”
“We know you’re not. But you’re also a father whose child is at risk. You’re not thinking straight. Which is why we’re here to help cover your ass. We need to stay vigilant.”
“Ronan’s right,” Kieran agrees. “And believe me, I hate admitting that.”
I nod, though my mind refuses to slow.
Vigilant isn’t enough. Every moment I’m not watching him…
I can’t risk it. I need to keep him close. No exceptions.
“What do we have on Adrian’s reach? What do we think he’s capable of in the next few hours?”
Kieran huffs. “Not much. At least not until Brennan gets here and goes through the phones and laptop you found. But we need to prepare for all potential retaliation. Adrian likely already knows his son is dead, which means…”
I nod. “He knows it was me.”
Everything about tonight has proven how quickly a single misstep can turn deadly, so I let the knowledge that Adrian Smirnov is on my tail sharpen my paranoia.
By the time my brothers and I surface from Kieran’s office, it’s almost three in the morning, but sleep is a distant memory.
I find everyone in the living room, looking like they’re running on fumes.
Ciara is juggling one of the twins on the couch, who is fighting sleep, and Riley rocks her newborn daughter with heavy-lidded eyes.
I stay near the doorway, my hands clenched, watching.
Everyone’s trying to hold it together, masking exhaustion for Scout’s sake, but it’s a fragile front.
Scout drags his stuffed dinosaur over to Ciara and forces it into her hand. “This helps me sleep. Maybe Nico wants it?”
Ciara looks on the verge of tears. “That’s so kind, Scout.”
Scout glances over at me and grins. “I’m looking after my cousins like you told me to, Daddy.”
I try my best to keep my voice steady, though tension claws at my chest. “You are doing great, buddy. Just stay close and keep your eyes on them, and listen to Fiona?—”
Her name gets stuck in my throat as I’m hit with a wave of panic.
Fiona’s not here.
I straighten, and my eyes fly in every direction.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Riley says calmly.
I don’t bother thanking her. I sprint across the foyer into the kitchen, almost knocking Fiona completely off her feet.
“Whoa!” she cries as she struggles to maintain her balance.
I quickly wrap an arm around her waist to steady her.
“What’s the rush?”
“You weren’t in the living room. You’re not to go anywhere on your own,” I grunt, trying to ignore the pain in my chest from the sudden surge of adrenaline.
She forces her way out of my hold. “Can I at least go to the pantry? I promised to get Scout some more cocoa.”
When I follow behind her, barely keeping more than a few feet between us, she pauses and glances over her shoulder at me. “What are you doing?”
“I told you, I’m not leaving your side.”
Her hand stills on the pantry door, and I see the flicker of concern in her eyes.
“Cormac…”
“No. Not tonight. Everyone’s already overtired and stressed. And right now, I need both of you safe.”
She exhales slowly, shaking her head, as if she knows arguing is pointless. “Fine. But just for the record, you’re being ridiculous.”
“Call it experience.”
I reach for a mug, pretending to help, but mostly I’m just standing there, between her and the potential threat outside the kitchen. Every sound, every footstep in the hallway, makes me tighten my grip on the counter.
Scout bounds into the kitchen a moment later, nearly colliding with me.
“I can help! I’ll stir the chocolate!”
I gladly hold Scout in my arms as he leans over the stove to stir the hot chocolate.
Occasionally, I catch Fiona’s eye, but neither of us speaks.
She’s trying to act normal, trying to keep the kids and Scout happy, but I know she’s calculating the potential risks that might be waiting outside these walls too, from the way she keeps glancing at my bloodied hands.
She hands Scout his mug. “Here. Careful, it’s hot.”
“I’ll be careful,” Scout promises, his eyes bright.
As Scout sips on his cocoa, I glance around the kitchen, taking in the dim light, the quiet hum of the house, and the faint smell of chocolate.
Everyone is overtired and on edge, which means it’s even more important for me to stay focused, for Scout’s sake.