“No arguing, Fionn. It’s decided. I will get in contact with Mancini and let him know. In the meantime, I want you to work with Daire and the generals.” He smirked. “Check in with each of them to see how they are doing and if they need any help. I don’t want any mistakes.”
I stood, keeping my back straight as I bowed slightly. “Yes, Uncle.”
Walking out of the office took every ounce of control my body possessed. I didn’t want Mancini there with us, but it wasn’t my place to argue. Sloan already had Daire babysitting me. Didhe still have such little faith in me after all these years? What would I have to do to finally earn his trust? Daire always said everything Sloan did was for a reason, but I wished Sloan would let me in on the secret sometimes.
As I reached the end of the hallway beside the split staircase in the foyer, I paused and stared at the front doors. The quiet house wasn’t unusual during the evening, but faint voices caught in what sounded like a heated discussion had me frowning. I followed the noise around to the other side of the stairs and down the opposite hallway, which led to the kitchen. Here, I was close enough to hear what the two men—guards who kept night watch—were saying.
“I’m fucking telling you, dude, if he ever becomes boss, he’ll be killed in a week. He’s piss weak.” The first laughed.
“Eh. He’d last longer than that. A week and a half maybe.” The second gurgled out his own laugh, but this one sounded like he had food shoved in his mouth.
My stomach dropped, rage and shame making my jaw twitch as I stepped in closer to hear what they were saying. Either they thought I would be asleep or they didn’t care who was listening because they weren’t keeping their voices down.
“I reckon it would be better if Reardon stepped up, then the boss’s nephew could be his whore.” The first asshole snorted. “With lips like those, he’s gotta be good at sucking cock. There are times I almost understand what Reardon is up to.”
Hell, I alreadywasDaire’s whore. I swallowed around the acid rising in my throat, stomach churning.
A door opened and closed inside the kitchen. “What the hell are you talking about?” echoed the very familiar voice of Conall’s bodyguard, Ronan.
“Little Fionn Killough.” The first one laughed again. “The Little Bitch. That’s what we like to call him. He never doesanything that the boss doesn’t tell him. A perfect follower, not a leader. I bet the only guy he’s been fucked by is Reardon.”
My heart gave a jerk. It was true.
“Shut up,” Ronan snapped, the irritation clear in his tone. “You have no right to talk about the boss’s nephew like that. Get back to work.”
“You’re not in charge. Just because you got the job of watching the boss’s pet’s ass doesn’t mean you can order us around, you dick.” This came from the second guy.
Fuck. I wanted to know who they were.
“Right. Well, let’s see what the boss’s pet thinks about what you’re doing and talking about. Tongues have been cut out for less than disrespecting Mr. Killough’s nephew.”
Footsteps reverberated, and I shuffled backward, prepared to have Ronan open the door in front of me, but there was movement in the kitchen.
“Get your hands off me,” Ronan barked.
“You’re a fucking snitch,” the second grunted out. “Whatever. We’re going back to work.”
I waited until a door slammed inside the kitchen, signaling either a couple of them, or all, had left out to the backyard, where they were supposed to be in the first place. But when the door near me swung open and Ronan appeared, we both froze.
Ronan’s blue eyes widened. “Sir.”
I stared at him and he stared back. A weird silence hung in the air between us. I thought about saying something about what I’d heard, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. If it’d been Sloan who’d listened to that conversation, he would’ve stalked in there and demanded respect—probably killed someone—but I wasn’t my uncle. Instead, what the guards said only confirmed my fears. They didn’t think I could do the job.
I was useless. A fucking failure. No guard would ever speak like that about Sloan. He’d put the fear of death in them, but Iwas weak enough that they thought it was okay. They thought they weresafe. My chest ached.
Ronan’s gaze softened and he clasped his hands in front of himself, bowing slightly. “You caught that gossip.”
“I did.” I took a deep breath. “Is that what they all think about me?”
Concern played across Ronan’s face, and he sighed, running a hand through his short blond hair. “No, but you have those who like to mouth off about their bosses. There are guys who do the same about Sloan and Conall.”
“Why haven’t you reported them?” I snapped, more worried that someone would plan to attack either my uncle or my uncle’s pet than me. Their hatred for me was understandable, but no one had the right to question Sloan’s leadership. I had my reasons for being irritated at Conall, but I would never let anyone else disrespect him.
Ronan hesitated.
“Tell me.” I gritted my teeth and added more force to my words.
“Because I have.”
