Page 33 of Bound Lies

“What? Am I not allowed to bring my brother coffee?”

Ronan glances up at me then and frowns. When he doesn’t say anything, I let out a long exhale.

“All right, fine. I’m here to talk about Riley.”

Ronan sighs, shutting down his laptop and leaning back in his chair. “I figured as much. What has she done?”

“Nothing.”

“Okay. Then, what’s the problem?”

“She wants a contract.”

“So, call Jackson.”

“That’s not the issue.” I take a seat across from him and set the two coffee cups down. “I already got the three of us an appointment this afternoon to sit down and hash out the details of our arrangement.”

“I’m failing to see this issue.”

“The fact that she wants one at all is suspicious.”

“Why? Ciara and I had a contract.”

“Will you just quit making rational arguments for a second and listen to me?”

Ronan leans forward and takes one of the coffees, waving a hand to let me continue.

“She just showed up in the middle of the night, dropped a few breadcrumbs about Sean, and now we’re bending over backwards to keep her safe.”

Ronan exhales and sets his coffee down on the glass desk.

“You’re still stuck on this?”

“I’m not stuck on anything. I’m saying maybe we shouldn’t rush to trust someone who’s been raised by one of our biggest rivals. You think Declan didn’t teach her anything? You think she hasn’t learned how to manipulate people?”

“You think I’m being manipulated?”

“I think Riley is smart and desperate, which makes her dangerous. You’d do well to remember that.”

Ronan fixes me with a steady look. “You need to let this grudge go, Kieran.”

“It’s not a grudge.”

“No? Then, what is it?”

I glare at Ronan.

I knew that this conversation would be pointless, and yet a part of me still hoped that he would listen to me not as the head of this family but as my brother. Though, I should have known better. Because there’s not much difference between the two these days.

Maybe there never was.

“I really don’t have time to convince you to do the right thing for this family. Look, I don’t need you to like Riley. Hell, you don’t even have to be nice to her. But you will honor the deal we made because if she gives us real evidence on Sean, this whole thing becomes worth it. So, trust her, or don’t trust her; I really don’t care. Just play your part.”

Ronan opens up his computer in a silent dismissal.

I get to my feet and leave his office feeling like a disgraced school kid who got sent to the principal's office.

The moment I step back outside on the sidewalk, I pull out my phone and make a call.