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“Not a lot of jewelry in this selection, but you don’t wear much,” was his only comment. I didn’t miss Rome picking out a dress shirt that matched my dress, nor how Liam picked out something similar as well. Not worrying about privacy, I stripped and got dressed in short order. Afterward, I styled my hair into a simple chignon before adding the bangles to my wrists.
I also got to enjoy them changing. I’d never seen them in nearly matching outfits before. Yet, it didn’t matter. Even with similar haircuts and Liam’s lack of facial bruising, I could still tell them apart. Thankfully, they didn’t complain when I asked for a picture of them like that.
“Planning to annoy King by making him guess which one of you is which?”
Liam actually laughed, but Rome held out his hand to me as he said, “I wouldn’t mind if it annoyed him.”
Me neither, for my part. I couldn’t strap a gun on with this outfit, but it did fit in a purse I could carry. Liam had his guns, and Rome wore one. They both had jackets on to cover the holsters.
Twenty minutes after arriving, we were ready to head out and meet the King. I walked between them as Carson guided us into the private dining room—private being a bit of a subjective term, considering the scattered tables throughout the room.
Julius King rose as we approached. Amusement creased his face as he set his napkin aside. “One of these days, Bishop, you’re going to learn to listen.”
“Not today,” Liam said, pulling out a chair for me. “We’ve had a few issues…”
“So I heard,” King said as he flicked a gaze over me and then Rome before focusing on me again. “Mr. Cleary, I’ve heard a great deal about you over the years.”
Rome said nothing, and King actually looked amused.
Shaking his head, King refocused on Liam. “Have a seat, all of you. Then tell me about your father and what you need.”
Stillness rippled over Liam, holding him rigid.
“Yes, I heard. While I think you should have told me, I’ll grant you an exception since you were grieving.”
“And you want to know because…?”
“Someone attacks you, they are attacking me.” King’s expression turned cold and unfriendly. “I don’t let people who attack me go.”
CHAPTER34
ROME
The king was not that regal or impressive. His suit was expensive, but his hands were rough. His nose had been broken before. Maybe more than once. The facial features weren’t totally symmetrical. Not unusual because people didn’t always have proportional features.
The meal featured several rich foods, none of which appealed to me. Manners dictated that I, at least, attempted to take bites. Rearranging the food to give the impression that I was eating, I tracked Julius King’s movements, attitudes, glances, and the subtle shifts in his demeanor. As calm as he appeared, it was an act.
He’d revealedsomeof his mood when he established that an attack on Liam was an attack on him. But I didn’t like the way King looked at Starling. I couldn’t interpret it. Not possession. Not coveting. Just—not right. Too familiar, maybe. It irked.
As it was, my other half’s manner grew more combative. “If you were going to help, maybe you should have done something sooner.”
“Maybe you should have informed me of what was happening rather than leaving it for me to discover on my own. One would think you don’t trust me, Bishop.”
“I don’t,” Liam stated in a glacial tone. “First rule of business, trust must be earned.”
Instead of offense, the man in question looked thoughtful as he leaned back. “And I have not earned your trust?”
“No.” My mirror didn’t sugarcoat or sanitize his opinion. “You kept your identity and name secret for almost a decade since recruiting me. In that time, you’ve had me do how many jobs? No explanations, just instructions. You put me through my paces, yet what exactly have you done to prove to me that you are trustworthy?”
Starling tracked the conversation between them as I did. She was across from King, with Liam and I taking the seats across from each other and nearer to him. Liam had even angled his chair so he could be out of it and attacking King before he knew what hit him.
For all that my other half could play the part of wealthy heir—pain, sharp and sad, spasmed in my chest. Liam flicked a look at me, and for a moment, it was all there in his eyes. The loss. The pain. The fury. He wasn’t theheirany longer. Jonathon O’Connell, a man Liam had as much chosen to be his father as the man had chosen Liam for a son, was dead.
Mary O’Connell was hurting and lost. Her heart broken as much as Liam’s, perhaps more. The couple had only ever wanted to love Liam. They wanted to love me too, but I hadn’t needed them the way he had. Still…
It was all there in my mirror’s eyes. His pain would always be mine. Just as mine was his. Understanding crystalized in his gaze, and he nodded once. Then we both looked at King again.
“I controlled the game,” was all King said, his tone and demeanor far milder than I would have expected. “I controlled it, and I invited you to play. You proved yourself capable. In some ways, you were already adept, but in others—” He shrugged. “You weren’t ready for the task ahead of you. Now you are.”
