Page 81 of Craving Sin

“You know? Did Conan tell you?”

“No. I figured it out on my own, and I’m glad she had the balls to do what the rest of us didn’t.”

Tiernan nods as Rory comes back. We smoke a joint together—everyone but Ollie—as they grill me again about this whole boyfriend thing. It’s ridiculous, and I feel like a child…but also, it’s perfect.

“Speaking of Abbott,” I say. “Turns out that hit wasn’t for me. It was for him.”

“He’s connected?” Cillian asks.

“No. I have a feeling it has something to do with his father…he’s the governor.”

“Jesus, Rian. Because that doesn’t put us under a spotlight.” Tiernan runs a hand through his hair.

“I know. It’s not good. I have him at home now, and—”

“Wait. Did you really bring your man home to go all protector on him the way Cillian did with Ollie?” Rory asks.

“I think it’s sweet,” Ollie argues.

“I did,” I answer. “We’re alike, he and I.” I make eye contact with Cillian, who gives me a nod. “Anyway…we’re looking into it. I’m taking them out—whoever the fuck it is. I don’t care how high up I have to go.”

“You think his dad wants him dead?” Dean asks.

“I don’t know why he would, but I’m not ruling anything out.”

“I’ll see what I can dig up,” he answers. Dean is a bit of a genius online, so it will be nice to have him on board with this.

“Thank you. I’ll send you all the information I know,” I answer.

“Let us know if you need us,” Cillian says. “We’ll be there…for whatever you need. You helped with Shai.” He glances over at his best friend’s boyfriend, the two of them sharing a meaningful look.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help with Ollie.” Because when he’d been in trouble, my son hadn’t felt comfortable to come to me. He hadn’t wanted to come to me, and that will always be another regret of mine.

“You’re here now,” Ollie says, nuzzling in close to Cillian.

“Yes, I am. And…I’d like it if the two of you could come visit one weekend soon.”

“Yeah,” Cillian says. “We can do that.”

I can’t wait to get home and share the news with Abbott. For the first time in too long, I have hope that everything will be okay.

All I have to do is take out anyone who is a threat to Abbott first.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Abbott

I’ve done my best to avoid Conan as much as I can, which honestly, isn’t too hard because he doesn’t seem interested in paying me any attention. He sits in the living room with a laptop and cell phone, while I do my best to keep busy.

I make breakfast and coffee, eating in the kitchen. Rian took my phone, much like how they took my old one, but he gave me another new one when we’d gone upstairs before he left. Apparently, they just have the things hanging around the house or something. I appreciate at least having that, even if he did ask me not to contact anyone I know for now and not let anyone know where I am—as if I have anyone to contact other than colleagues anyway. At least I can do some searching…

And I start with the O’Sheas…and then Rian O’Shea.

Big mistake.

They definitely do their part playing upstanding businessmen in the city—real estate, clubs, and things like that—but there are stories too, accusations of things they’ve done. The death of his father, another brother a long time ago, and then Sloan—Tiernan’s father. There’s been so much violence and death.

Every time he walks out of the house, I’ll worry about him. If we somehow find a way for this to work—which I have to think Rian wants if he’s telling Cillian—then for the rest of my life, every single day, I’ll be afraid of someone taking him away from me…of him being killed or tortured. Of him getting arrested.