Page 44 of Redemption

“You go anywhere near my family, and your men will be scraping your brains off the floor.” Jay struggles against Lorcan’s tight hold.

I’m not holding him back. My gaze is focused on Pierre-Jacques throat, on the pulse point at the base, at how easy it would be to snap his neck like a twig.

He grins. “My brain splattered anywhere sets off a reign of chaos and destruction. You think I brought someone so volatile to live with me without a strategy? Of course, the children could not come. Rosa, Luciana, Lucas… there is nowhere in the world they are safe from me and the tentacles of my organization. You do your job, and you go home. Everyone is happy. Unharmed. You try to fuck with me, and you pay the price.”

His claws are out, and at this point, they’re longer and sharper than mine. What does he value? Not his own life. Jade? Maybe. If not her, then I need to understand who or what we dangle in exchange for the people we love. Everyone has a weakness. Sometimes it’s a person, and sometimes it’s an object. Almost no one travels through life with zero connections. The best of us hide them well, and when we can’t hide them, we insulate the people we love so no one can touch them. I was in jail when I should have been insulating. Carys and Lucas are ripe for the picking. I have to be certain their lives don’t get plucked.

Pierre-Jacques signals for Noel and Daniel to follow him out of the room, leaving a struggling Jay, Lorcan, and me. When the door clicks shut, Lorcan releases Jay with a grunt.

“He threatened my family.” He shoves Lorcan in the chest.

Lorcan’s gaze connects with mine, and I’m grateful for the silent brother communication that still exists between us. We can’t talk here. If they bugged my bedroom, they sure as shit bugged this room in case we drop any information once they’re gone.

“We’ll walk you to your car.” I keep my voice even despite the fire raging in me.

Pierre-Jacques wants a reaction, to be assured he’s picked the right thing to hang over the cliff. Jay gave him one, but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of making a scene in here.

Jay huffs out a breath but follows us out of the mansion and into the circular gravel drive. At the car, Lorcan stares at both of us.

“I can come up with a plan that’ll get him what he wants within a week. Kim will help. We’ve got enough intel about the other branches scattered around Ireland we can guess at men and logistics. I’ll send the plan to your phone. Memorize it and delete it.”

“Why didn’t you speak up?” I mutter.

“I’m Lachlan Donovan. I’m not a strategist. Might be a tad strange for me to offer a much better plan than you on the spot.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Gotta earn trust. Walk before you can run.”

“I can get him McCaffrey’s men?” We’ve dismantled rival organizations before, but our timelines were never this tight.

“It’s not impossible. Daniel’s incoherent rambling didn’t help, though.” Lorcan gazes at the mansion. “We should think about moving your families. He’s got reach, but only if he knows where they are.”

Jay breathes out a sigh of relief at the suggestion, his hands braced on the hood of the car.

“You’re not going to like this,” Lorcan says. “But your best bet is to put them with a connected family we trust. Makes it harder for the PLA to swoop in without serious consequences.”

I swallow, my mind already ticking through the very short list. The Byrne Family would be at the top. With them on the PLA radar, they’re not a viable possibility. Volkovs can’t be trusted. The other option isn’t one I can approach, but maybe Carys can. Wherever they go, we have to be positive we’re not dropping them into more danger.

“Leave it with me,” I say.

“Jay can you go get Kim for me?” Lorcan tips his chin at the house.

He pushes off the car, and with bowed shoulders, goes back into the house.

“I reckon he’s not cut out for this.” Lorcan’s gaze follows Jay.

“He’s worked for Carys since he was young. Never had to worry about his family in the line of fire. Got him in his gut. He’ll be all right. He’s got a steady hand.” Jay’s got a lot of faults, but Carys considers him family, so I do too.

A hint of a smile tugs at the corner of Lorcan’s mouth.

“What?” I ask.

He searches my face for a beat. “Not clear whether I should be grateful for the changes in you or terrified. To get out of this alive, I reckon we’re gonna need quite a bit of the old you.”

I raise my eyebrows. “I’m like the Grinch. My heart grew three sizes.”

“You? Quoting Dr. Seuss? Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Blame the kid.”

He eyes me, the hint of a smile dropping off. “You still got it in you?”

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