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Liam ignored him, sliding his hands over the seats and underneath, until his fingers caught on a lever. He lifted it, and a section of the seat opened to reveal a small wooden chest.
“What’s this, then?” Boyd asked the man, jamming the pistol harder into his head. “You were holding out on us?”
“That’s none of your concern,” John Brady said furiously. “Leave it be!”
Liam lifted the small but heavy chest and set it on the opposite seat. He opened the lid, and Boyd let out a whistle of pure satisfaction. A small fortune in gold coins gleamed from within.
Boyd grinned. “Why, Granddad. Is all this for us? You really shouldn’t have.”
“Filthy, thieving swine!” John Brady shook with rage, struggling in Boyd’s hold. “You’re not fit to wipe the dirt from my boots, let alone—”
A shot rang out in the woods, followed by another. The horses startled, and the carriage lurched forward.
Liam grabbed the small chest and leaped to the ground with Boyd on his heels. The old man’s angry curses could be heard as the carriage disappeared around the bend.
The Bricks came lumbering up a few moments later, snorting like winded bulls.
“What happened?” Liam looked from one to the other, dreading the answer.
“One of the footmen decided to play the hero. Pulled a knife and tried to threaten me with it.” The twin glanced at his brother, and their faces broke into craggy smiles. “Shot him in the arm, I did.”
“And I got the other one in the shoulder,” said his brother proudly.
Liam’s stomach grew queasy. “Are you mad? You could’vekilledthem.” Even with those injuries, the footmen were ruined. They’d never be able to keep their jobs, especially with a master like John Brady.
“Aye, that was the goal,” one of the twins said in annoyance. “I was aiming for his heart, but I missed.”
“We just need a bit more practice,” his brother explained. Neither of them seemed to understand the magnitude of what could’ve happened. Liam had always known the Bricks were savage and mercenary, but he never thought they’d go so far as to try to kill someone. It was one thing to steal from the rich, but murder was another thing entirely. In all his years as a thief, Liam had never even considered it. Some lines you just didn’t cross.
“Imbeciles, the both of you,” Liam said, gripping the chest of gold tightly so he wouldn’t be tempted to knock their heads together. They wouldn’t make it easy for him, but he’d give it a good try. “Thieving’s one thing, but murdering people in cold blood has never been my game.”
“Maybe you’ve gone soft, then,” one of the Bricks said smugly.
Liam closed the distance between them until he was right in his face. “It’s you who’s gone soft. In thehead. I’ll tell you right here and now, you’re only a part of this because Boyd’s always vouched for you, but this goes too far. We don’t kill people, do you hear me? Not now, not ever.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” The other brother moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with his twin. “Seems like sometimes it’s the best way to make a point.”
“Enough,” Liam said in disgust. “Both of you toss those pistols in the woods before the night is through.”
One of the brothers crossed his arms in challenge. “Not even if you paid us, O’Connor.”
“You insist on keeping them, then take your cut of the loot tonight and leave this village. You’ll have enough to take you anywhere else,” Liam said coldly. “Go, and never step foot in Kinsley again.”
One of the Bricks snorted in derision. “Who died and made you king?”
“Nobody,” his brother answered. “Liam here is just as dirty as the rest of us, even though he likes to put on airs.”
“I mean it,” Liam said icily. “I never want to see your faces again.” They were too dangerous with firearms, and too unpredictable. Even though he was running away with Cora, he couldn’t leave these murderous thieves in his wake to wreak havoc on the village. Liam and Boyd had always targeted the rich, but the Bricks had no code of honor. He hated thinking of what they might do in the future, and if he had a chance to stop it, he’d take it.
“You wound me,” one of the Bricks said, slapping a hand dramatically over his heart. “And here I thought we were friends.”
“You’re no friends of mine,” Liam said grimly. “Never have been.”
“Where are the footmen now?” Boyd changed the subject. He’d been strangely quiet through the whole confrontation.
“Ran off together,” one of the Bricks said.
“And the coachman?”
