Page 7 of Sinful King

“Is that all he could afford?” I asked, reaching out to grab her hand. “What the fuck is this shit?”

She snatched her fingers from mine and I smelled the lie coming before she used it.

“The ring doesn’t matter. You know I hate diamonds.”

Liar.

“Siobhan, you have two diamond studs in each ear. I’m not buying the bullshit. What’s at play? Lay it out for me and do it before we land. I’m running out of patience.”

She leaned forward, elbows to knees with a smile I knew all too well spread across her face.

“We met at that Russian bar in Brooklyn, the one owned by the Ivanov’s. Anyway, he’s been looking for a fake wife to help him get the inheritance his father is holding hostage. I had a little liquor in my system and offered up my services. Plus, he’s cute and mysterious and you know how much I love mysteries. I’m only playing the part of his wife, while he gets his father’s company.”

Interesting.

“And?”

“And…” she sat back, crossed her legs, and tucked a piece of ginger hair—most outsiders thought was dye—behind her ear. “Aoife and I were waiting for the background check and it came in about thirty minutes ago. His name is Ziad Fortune and he’s the son of Raphael Fortune.”

“Raphael Fortune, the CEO of Good Fortune Security?”

“The one and only. He’s retiring and his oldest son is set to take his place.”

“But only after he’s married?”

Another nod but I wasn’t buying it.

“Going into business with the Fortune family might have my attention, but why are you doing it this way? Marrying a random man without telling Eoghan?”

She waved her hand as if her father’s word wasn’t law to her.

“My da knows everything because I still haven’t figured out how to keep him out of my business. He didn’t try and stop it, which tells me we’re on the same page. Do you know what we could accomplish with our hand in their government contracts? I saw an opportunity and took it.”

“You’re hiding something from me,” I said coolly, tired already from the mess her shenanigans would bring to my doorstep. “But, I trust you. Do your thing and if it becomes more than you anticipated, tell me. Not a second fucking late, iight?”

“Understood.”

The women in my life were going to be the death of me. And yet, after deplaning and seeing the twins off, I had my driver take me straight to Blair.

She lived in a renovated eight story building between Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. No one occupied the other units, instead she used them as office spaces for herself and team.

The top floor was converted into a penthouse apartment. Blair wanted the utmost privacy and I gave it to her without revealing my actions.

All I ever wanted was for her to be safe and happy. And I would do anything to make it happen, including giving her a push from the shadows.

“Mr. O’Sullivan, we’ve arrived. Should I wait for you?”

My driver pulled to a stop and I got out on my own.

“I’ll be sleeping here,” I told him as he unloaded the two suitcases I traveled with. “You can go home.”

“You got it…” he rolled the bags inside and I followed. “If you need me, my phone will be on. Liam and Lorcan will start tomorrow.”

Serge handed the suitcases off to the two guards in the elevator and left. Once he was out of sight, I ordered everyone to go home for the night, except two guards to man the security room, then went up alone.

Blair’s normal staff and security team were on the schedule for tomorrow and I wouldn’t stop them from doing the jobs she paid them to do.

The second the elevator doors opened into her darkened apartment, I pulled my shoes off quietly and rolled both suitcases to her room, finding the door open unlike usual.

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