He taps my cheek again—three times—before lifting my knuckles to kiss them demurely. Killian steps behind me, and if not for his hand on my hip, I would’ve fallen into a pile of tears, emotions be damned.
All I wanted was to be seen—to beloved. Killian gave me that, and now Nico has too.
Blinking rapidly, I clear my throat, avoiding the remaining men who surround us. Some are my trusted clansmen, and others are Lex’s men, vetted by Briar.
Once this is over, I’ll have to clean house. But that’s atomorrowproblem.
Handing me my Eagle, I exhale as the last car’s door opens. Through the darkness, I squint, waiting for the person to cut through the lights. I need to get this moving before the element of surprise is taken from us.
The crunch of footsteps in the iced-over snow claws at my ears. I know those steps—the heavy heels, the clunk of boots. I helped him learn those steps.
“Briar?”
My baby brother stops before me, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. A dark sweatshirt covers his body, the hood up, covering his head, but I see his eyes. Like the rest of the O’Brien siblings, his emerald green eyes cut through the darkness and land squarely on me.
“Hey, sis.”
Grabbing him by the collar, I swing him around, throwing him into the back of my G-class. His huff of pain doesn’t break the haze of fuckingterrorcoursing through me.
He’s supposed to be in hiding. What the hell–
“You’re not supposed to be here,” I snarl. “We had a fucking deal, kid. You stay hidden, and I keep you covered. What the fuck?—”
“And what?” He tugs his shirt down, rubbing his neck. He towers over me, but we both know I’l beat his ass if he dares to make a move. “Let the Board—those dipshits—kill you?” He lowers his face into mine, daring me to smack him. “I won’t let you die because you’re too stubborn to ask for help.”
“Ihavehelp.” My eyes cut to Killian. “And I have this covered. You being here paints a target on your back. If someone here talks–”
My blood runs cold. There are too many variables. If someone talks, my brother is dead.
The little bastard shrugs. Would it be wrong to stab him—just in the shoulder? It’d certainly make me feel better.
It doesn’t help that he’s a spitting image of Ferguson in his youth. I may resemble Ferguson–in rage, calculating mind, ruthlessness–but Briar could be his twin.
“Brother like sister, then,” he quips. Fucking Christ, I’m going to murder him. “Besides, you could use me.”
Holding up a little screen, my eyes snag on the images moving. In a grainy black-and-white video, I can clearly see the inside of the cabin, filmed for our viewing pleasure.
“You hacked their cameras?”
He gives me a bored look as if to say, “Duh.”
I forgot he and Sloane share the same attitude. Doesn’t make me want to kill him any less.
“See? You need me.”
“We don’t have time, Princess,” Killian barges in. “The Board is expecting Doyle to respond any minute now. We need to go on the attack.”
“Fine.” Giving my brother one final glare, I point to the car. “You stay here. Give us updates via communication.”
He has the balls to pout.
Lex passes out earpieces as the men ready their weapons. Slipping my knives into my jeans, I toss my leather jacket into the car. I take an extra gun from the trunk and slip extra ammunition into my pockets. Killian does the same, checking the barrels of all our guns, as if it’s a compulsion. It probably is—this is his way of caring for me.
He can’t keep me from fighting, but he can make sure I’m covered.
Nico nods at me, holding a gun. I give Lex a hard look, but he shrugs. Neither of us can make the old capo sit this out, and although my heart cracks at seeing him hurt again, he needs this. He wants revenge.
Fuck, I can appreciate that. I want the same.
