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Andrei tightened his jaw. “Boss my schedule is full. I have duties I need to perform daily. She’s not working at the bar anymore. We can keep her here, and—”
“I gave you an order,” I told Andrei, and he stopped talking, nodding in submission. “She’s most comfortable with you. She also can’t stay locked up in the house. She’s following my demands, and if I punish her for doing what’s expected, she’ll lash out again, and that could be a risk to her safety. We’ll keep her trips out of the house minimal, but I want you to be on her at all times. She trusts you, and I would rather she be with someone she respects and trusts.”
I couldn’t help but shoot a glare at Damien, but he didn’t react. He’d made it clear that he didn’t support us helping Ciara, but he wasn’t in charge, and he wouldn’t tell me what to do.
“I can delegate my tasks to some of our other men then,” Andrei said. “Who do we trust around her?”
“Nobody,” I said. “We can only trust ourselves with her until this is figured out. Millions of dollars could sway anyone from their loyalties, and I’d rather not test that when it comes to her safety.”
“A million dollars might convince me to kill you,” Damien said to Andrei, elbowing him lightly.
In his usual cool demeanor, Andrei looked over Damien. “I think I’d do it for ten grand,” he admitted, and Damien tipped back his head in a laugh.
“I’d kill both of you fuckers for free,” I scolded, rolling my eyes. “Are we forgetting the serious nature of this conversation?”
“Nobody has forgotten,” Andrei assured. “Nothing is going to happen to your old lady.”
“Unless Nadia thinks you two are getting serious,” Damien teased again.
I pursed my lips. “You may hate her, but she’s still your sibling and still on the same team as you. She wants Ciara safe just as much as both of you.”
“She wants whatever you want, boss,” Damien said, rolling his eyes. “As long as she holds out hope that you’ll sleep with her one day.”
Andrei elbowed Damien, and the thought sent chills through me. “Your sister has never been anything but professional and valuable to our team. If you forget that, there will be consequences.”
“I’m just saying that with Ciara around, Nadia may not be as receptive to you and your wishes. She wants you, boss. If you keep Ciara here, you risk losing Nadia.”
I knew my team, and I knew how much bullshit he spewed.Damienwas the one who didn’t want Nadia here, and he didn’t seem to want Ciara involved in our business, either. If I listened to him, he’d be taking out two birds with one stone, and my frustration multiplied as I considered that. I’d warned him of the repercussions if he continued moving on this path—if he continued trying to get rid of Ciara. If there was one thing I wouldn’t tolerate, it was that.
I leaned into the desk, conscious of the weapon in the drawer to my left. It would take seconds to pull it out if it became necessary.
“How many warnings have I given you?” I asked.
He stopped talking, his mouth snapping shut and brows raising.
I didn’t expect him to answer the question. “How many warnings do I typically give people before blowing their brains across the room and calling a cleanup crew to handle the disposal of their body?”
“Zero,” he remarked with a cold tone. “You give zero warnings.”
“That’s correct,” I told him.
“Boss, I’m concerned that she’s going to bring a lot more danger to the table than you’re expecting. It’s not Ciara who I have a problem with. But she hasn’t proven herself yet, and we’re backburnering a lot of important business to keep her protected. It’s—”
I opened my drawer and set my gun on the table between us. “One more word,” I challenged. “Is this threat worth your life?”
His mouth snapped closed again, and he shook his head. Damien had been a loyal friend for a long time, but he knew better than to question me. Nobody ranked highly enough to question me to this extent.
“Ciara stays, and Nadia does, too. You seem to have an issue with every woman I bring into the ranks, and that will not stand. Nadia is loyal, and Ciara ismine.One more indiscretion is all it will take to end you, Damien. I’ve given you numerous chances, and I’m done making threats. If Ciara does something you see as concerning, then you have the authority to bring it to me. If she continues coexisting with you, and you continue treating her poorly, we will have problems.”
He looked like a scorned child as he stood before me, and I wanted to shout at him for acting like a fool. I didn’t want to lose him to his greed, but I wouldn’t lose Ciara to it, either.
My number one priority was her and my son, and nothing Damien said would change that.
Chapter Fourteen
Ciara Gilroy
I remembered the sleepless nights of my child’s infancy more than I recalled anything else in motherhood, but somehow, remembering and re-experiencing the situation felt entirely different. I didn’t know the time of the night when I’d been awoken by the door to our room swinging open, but it jarred me awake just enough to see Sean coming forward, a grimace on his face as he stopped at my side of the bed and shook my arm. “Mom,” he groaned.
