Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
He had a feeling this man’s presence in her life had something to do with that. “My sister chose you.”
A hesitation. “You tapped Teague’s phone.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Jude snorted. “I would have whupped his ass for going behind my back and stealing my sister.”
He should have. But then, Aiden’s life would be a lot simpler if that was all Teague had done. “Answer the question.”
“You didn’t ask a question. But yeah, your sister chose me. I’m not letting her go without a fight, and I’m willing to bring that to your front door if you fall in with your idiot brother.”
He wasn’t who Aiden would have chosen for Sloan. But he’d done his homework. Hit man or not, Jude MacNamara had an honorable streak. “They say you never kill someone who doesn’t have it coming.”
“You seem to know a whole hell of a lot for someone I’ve never had a fucking conversation with.” The background noise seemed to indicate he was in a city, which only supported Aiden’s suspicion that Jude had followed Sloan back to Boston. They’re planning something.
The question remained what.
Before he could ask again, Jude spoke. “If your sister told you that she chooses me—that she wants to leave the life she had with your family behind—and that she’s happy with me, would you believe her?”
His first instinct was to react the exact same way Teague had—instant denial. But Aiden took a step back and tried to think beyond his instinctive desire to protect Sloan. She’d come back to Boston on her own. She was outside this man’s influence, and even if he didn’t see eye to eye with Carrigan and James, Aiden had no doubt they were more than capable of protecting Sloan if the situation called for it. “If she tells me face-to-face that she chooses you, I’ll believe her.” He’d read the truth on her face, one way or another.
“Then you better leave pretty fucking fast. She’ll be at the Sheridan house within thirty minutes. If you let her walk, then we’ll talk.”
Aiden hung up and stood. “Get four men. We’re going to the Sheridans’, and we’re going now.”
It was time to get his house in order.
* * *
The Sheridans had a decent perimeter set up and regular patrols who mostly managed not to look like patrols, but Jude had been casing the territory for years. He knew how to get in and get out without being seen. The house whose window he watched from had been earned with the blood of his first hit. He hadn’t visited it more than a handful of times over the years, not wanting to risk drawing attention to himself.
A car pulled up to the front of the Sheridan house, expelling a nervous-looking Sloan. Oh, she looked calm on the outside, but he could recognize the set of her spine and the way she clenched her hands. She was scared shitless, but hell if she’d let them see. Pride warred with fear, one wanting to kiss her, and the other wanting to charge down the street and scoop her up, taking her anywhere but here.
She trusted him to do the job and not get killed.
She’d asked him to trust her to get in and out of Sheridan hands without issue.
He was going to respect that.
But he was also going to follow through on his threat if he thought for a second that one of those bastards she called brothers so much as touched her.
Aiden, at least, sounded like he was willing to hear her out, and wasn’t that a strange turn of events? Jude hadn’t expected a call from the oldest O’Malley brother. He knew the man was perceptive from his reputation, but apparently he’d underestimated him. Maybe he’s perceptive enough to be an ally instead of an enemy.
There was only one way to tell for sure.
A grand total of ninety seconds later, two cars slammed to a stop in front of the house, immediately expelling Aiden and five of his men. He paused and looked up and down the street, which only went to show he had good instincts. Jude wouldn’t let himself be seen, but it said something that Aiden sensed his presence at all.
His phone rang as the O’Malley group walked into the Sheridan house, and he answered without taking his gaze from the door they’d disappeared through. “What?”
“You’ve traveled to Boston earlier than we discussed.”
He silently cursed. “Aw, Romanov, did you miss me? It’s only been a week. You should have said something. I would have come back sooner.” No reason to let him know that the plan changed.
“Charming.” A careful pause. “I truly hope you’re not planning on double-crossing me, Jude.”
“And let Colm walk? Not likely.” He clenched his jaw, determined not to say more. In order for this to work, Romanov couldn’t know his intentions, which meant playing along.