34. Cormac
Chapter Thirty-Four
CORMAC
The sun hasn’t even fully cleared the horizon, but I’m already up and working on securing the house.
My teeth grind as I scan every dent and jagged edge of the gates where Adrian’s men rammed through. Even though I might have kept him at bay for the time being, that doesn’t mean I can relax. Not when there’s still so much noise echoing in my head.
Adrian might be taken care of, but Lorcan is still out there, biding his time before he decides to play his next hand. And I know he won’t make the same mistake twice.
I’m kneeling beside a panel of electronics, checking the alarm systems, when Ronan steps up beside me, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket, and his eyes narrowed as he assesses the damage.
“You sure you know what you’re doing?”
I know he’s talking about Adrian from his tone. “About letting him live?”
I run my fingers over the busted metal.
“You could have ended him right there.”
“Scout sees everything,” I remind him. “And I didn’t think he could handle seeing me take out his grandfather.”
“We had seen worse at his age.”
My temper flares as I get to my feet. “I don’t give a fuck. Just because our father thought we could handle it doesn’t mean it’s right. Besides, Fiona’s suggestion makes sense.”
“What suggestion?”
“That Scout might want a relationship with his grandfather one day, but it has to be on his terms. I might not be able to erase Adrian, but I can control the fallout.”
“Since when does this family prioritize blood? Look at what Lorcan has done to us, for Christ’s sake.”
“I’m trying to do what’s best for Scout.”
Ronan frowns as his eyes scan the half-rebuilt gates. “And letting him walk through the front door is supposed to protect your kid?”
“It’s temporary. Adrian’s out of the way, for now at least.”
“And you really think he’s going to honor that?”
“I know it’s a gamble. But it’s one worth taking. There’s a chance we can get him on our side, or at least keep him from doing further damage.”
I glance at Ronan and find something like respect in his eyes as he watches me with the kind of quiet understanding that only a brother who’s seen the absolute worst side of me can offer.
The sudden crunch of tires on gravel draws our attention, and I look over to see Kieran's car grind to a stop before the half-fixed gates.
“Here we go,” I mutter, bracing myself.
“Seriously? These aren’t fixed yet?” Kieran slams the car door shut and storms toward us, his eyes blazing with rage. “It’s been almost twenty-four hours! Why don’t we just let anyone walk in at this point, because clearly that’s what we do around here.”
“Kieran,” I warn.
“Don’t even get me started with you,” he spits.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Brennan climbs out of the car, pocketing his phone as he sidles up behind Kieran. “You know, I’m pretty sure it’s five o’clock somewhere. Give in and get yourself a drink—”
Kieran whirls on him. “Seriously, Brennan. I’m seconds away from punching anyone, and if you don’t want it to be you, I suggest you get out of my face.”
Brennan instantly backs up.
“Kieran, calm down,” I state.
“Calm down? You’re kidding, right? All this mess is because of you.”
“You know what? I’m sick of you treating me like your personal punching bag every time something goes wrong.”
“Stop giving me reasons to.”
Ronan steps forward. “Enough. Everyone is safe, and the situation has been handled.”
“Handled? The gates are still fucked, my house was violated again, but it’s okay because Cormac is handling it? I swear, you’re lucky my wife and kid weren’t at home, otherwise you would be dead right now.”
Brennan shakes his head. “This is becoming a little too Shakespearean for my taste.”
The glare Kieran gives him could cut steel.
I step closer until our noses are almost touching. “I didn’t ask for this. But I did what had to be done, for Scout’s sake.”
“Scout’s sake? Are you sure it’s not because someone whispered advice in your ear and you thought playing nice was the smarter move?”
“It’s about my son. End of discussion.”
“You better be sure, Cormac, because if anything like this happens again, and I mean anything, I won’t just fix the gates. I’ll make sure to fix the problem myself.”
“Nothing will happen. I’ve got it under control.”
The tension hangs between us until Kieran finally takes a slow, measured breath and takes a step back. It’s just enough to signal that the storm brewing inside him is contained, at least for now, but I decide to take Kieran’s bad mood as my cue to get back to tracking down Lorcan.
Brennan falls into step beside me as I head back toward the house, his hands shoved into his pockets and his posture loose. “I can punch him if you like?”
I huff a laugh. “Trust me, if anyone is punching Kieran, it’s me.”
As we head inside the house, we find Riley walking out of the living room, carrying Aubrey.
Brennan rolls his eyes at her. “Kieran needs a hug. Or a strong drink. Or possibly both.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not getting involved. You lot can figure it out among yourselves.”
“Where’s Fiona?” I ask.
“She’s in the kitchen, why?”
“I’ll be down in a minute,” I say to Brennan before darting up the stairs to the office, shrugging out of my jacket as I go.
My fingers itch with the need to do something useful, something that moves us forward instead of circling the same argument from different angles. And I think I might have an idea that could do just that.
The list of names that Brennan has been compiling is spread out on the desk from where I abandoned it last night. It’s covered in annotations, with some names underlined and others crossed out. Lorcan’s name might not appear, but his fingerprints are sure as hell all over it.
I pick up the papers, scanning them again, even though I already know most of the names by heart.
This is the part of the job I’m good at, finding patterns and pressure points. People always leave traces, no matter how careful they think they are.
Tucking the files under my arm, I head back downstairs.
Brennan rushes to catch up with me as I stalk into the kitchen. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
I ignore him.
I find Fiona standing at the island, cradling a mug of tea between her hands. She looks up when she hears me, and I instantly see her go on alert.
“Cormac?”
“Can you look at these?” I toss the papers down onto the island. I try my best to keep my tone casual, but I know she can see right through me.
“Why?”
“Just on the off chance you might recognize something.”
I don’t expect her to find anything I haven’t already found, but it’s worth a shot. Besides, letting her in on this side of things in a way I haven’t before is my way of offering her trust.
I know she’s still in her head over whether or not I’ve truly moved past everything that has come between us, and this is how I can show her I have.
She sets down her mug. “Uh… Sure, I guess.”
She reaches for the papers and lays them out in front of her. As she scans the names, I sneak a look at Brennan, who looks a little dumbfounded, but for once, he keeps his mouth shut.
I lean against the island and watch Fiona’s brow furrow as she continues to scan the list, cataloging every flicker of recognition, every subtle shift in her posture—
“Hmm…” she murmurs.
Then she stills.
My spine straightens. “What is it?”
Fiona purses her lips as her eyes scan one name in particular.
“Fiona.”
“I know this one,” she taps one name with her nail. “Freddy.”
I frown. “Freddy?”
“Who’s Freddy?” Brennan asks.
“He’s my kind of ex-boyfriend,” she admits without looking at me.
I find myself gripping the edge of the countertop so hard my knuckles ache.
“You sure it’s not just a coincidence?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“How many coincidences happen among the circles you run in?”
“I thought you said Freddy was dead.”
“No, I told you, he is serving time. Though honestly, he might be better off dead,” Fiona says quietly.
“Wait, I think I remember you mentioning something about someone being locked up, yes.”
“Yes. And very much not walking free any time soon…” She shrugs. “I never talked about him and only mentioned him in passing because he’s not relevant. Or at least, he wasn’t.”
My jaw tightens.
Of all the names on the list, of all the ghosts Lorcan could drag back into our orbit, this one is the one to bite.
Brennan laughs. “Who knew my brother was the jealous type? This just got interesting.”
“Trust me, there’s nothing to be jealous about,” Fiona says coolly. “The guy was a cheat and is the reason my sister is dead.”
A laugh almost escapes me as Brennan’s face instantly drops.
“In that case, I think Cormac is the better option,” he mutters, stalking over to the fridge to get a bottle of water. “So, are we going to visit this guy or what?”
“Fuck, no,” I say.
“Brennan has a point. I think you should,” Fiona starts.
“That’s a first.” Brennan claps me on the shoulder. “Everyone’s on team Brennan these days.”
I scowl at him. “Can you please be serious for one second?”
“How about once this conversation is over, you give my brother here a good ride? It seems he needs it—”
I lunge for Brennan, but he’s fast and manages to duck away from me before my fist connects with his jaw.
He chuckles. “You make it too easy.”
Fiona shoots Brennan a look that could rival Ronan. “Freddy could prove to be useful. Plus, he has connections, and I’m talking about real ones. The kind that don’t show up on paper.”
“I don’t like it.”
“He owes me, Cormac. More than he owes Lorcan.”
“Connections,” I repeat. “Through your ex.”
“Through a man who screwed up and knows it,” she corrects. “There’s a difference.”
I pin her with a look. “You’re serious.”
“Deadly.”
The word lands between us, heavy with implication.
She’s not na?ve about what she’s suggesting. She knows exactly how this looks, and yet, she’s not backing down.
Her expression softens. “And you don’t have to worry. He won’t try anything. Freddy hates owing people.”
I scrub a hand down my face, exhaling slowly.
My pulse is still elevated, the residue of the morning clinging to my nerves.
This isn’t just about jealousy, though I can’t deny it’s there. It’s also about a deep and gnawing need to keep Fiona away from anything that could hurt her, which in my book includes Freddy.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
Fiona doesn’t interrupt. She knows me well enough to let me get there on my own.
“But…” I meet her eyes again. “If you’re insistent on going, you’re not doing it alone.”
She lifts an eyebrow as the corner of her mouth twitches with amusement.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Brennan throws his arms up like he just won some sort of prize. “Road trip!”
I scoff. “You’re not coming.”
“Like hell I am not. I want to witness you beating the crap out of this guy in the middle of visiting hours. Fiona, you’re in charge of popcorn.”
Fiona rolls her eyes as Brennan leaves, giving us a rare moment alone.
I walk around the island and pull her against me, feeling my muscles relax when her arms wrap around my waist.
“You don’t need to do this,” I whisper into her hair.
This isn’t just about the security aspect of Fiona walking into a prison filled with men even more dangerous than Adrian Smirnov and Lorcan combined. It’s about everything else.
About the fact that after all we’ve been through, after the way the walls of this house have already been tested, I don’t trust the world with her. Not even for a second.
“Yes, I do,” she says firmly.
Despite my reservations, I can’t deny how much I admire her.
Fiona doesn’t flinch at the idea of facing the man responsible for her sister’s death.
The fact that I even questioned her loyalty feels maddening now, almost shameful, considering what she’s about to do for my family.
The least I can do is make sure she doesn’t face him alone.