Page 57 of Until Ireland

I didn’t appreciate his tone or what he was implying. Actually, it was pissing me off. “Excuse me?” I pointed to the phone. “I gotproof.”

Hunter ignored me and continued to yell. “Cobi had proof. You know he did. He had the car and all of Mack’s paperwork. All of it pointed back to Lux.” He threw my phone onto the countertop like it had a bad case of cooties. “All you did with this stunt was paint a red target on your back.”

“Pfft. Please, Hunter. No one saw me. I made sure of it.” I refused to allow Hunter’s sour ass mood bring me down.

He laughed. “Right, because you’re inconspicuous as fuck with all that red hair. You think they forgot what you looked like?”

“No one saw me, Hunter,” I stressed.

“Keep thinking that, Ire.” He paused. “Tell me Mack didn’t know or put you up to this shit.”

“What?” I shook my head. “No. Mack didn’t—”

“Right, because you did this on the down-low.” He pointed at me, his features twisting in anger. “That there should’ve told you it was the wrong thing to do.”

“Hunter—”

He held his hand up. “Just stop. Stop trying to justify your act of stupidity.” His eyes narrowed at me.

“You’re overreacting,” I protested. “Mack will be fine with it.”

Hunter snorted in disbelief. “Truth, baby sister, Mack’s going to have your ass when he finds out.” Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “Youdo plan on telling him, don’t you?”

“Of course. I’m not afraid of him,” I snapped in defiance, knowing I could hold my own.

He laughed. “Arguing with me, sister, is one thing. Fighting with an overprotective guy like Mack is like adding fuel to the fire. I’m telling you, Mack’s going to blow his top when he finds out.”

I crossed my arms under, refusing to acknowledge the niggle of fear in my belly at my brother’s words. Mack had always been so calm, cool, and collected around me, even when we argued. The only time he got overly bossy was in bed. My cheeks warmed when I thought about this morning and how rambunctious he was with me after we argued. Hunter had been talking out his ass. I understood Mack better than my brothers did. He wouldn’t react like a caveman at those pictures.

At least I hoped not.

“Well, guess what, buttercup, your opportunity just presented itself.” Hunter gestured to the window. A quick look showed Mack strolling toward the office.

I turned, glaring at my brother. “Asshole.”

He shrugged. “What’s the problem, Ire? You said he’d be okay with it. Can’t wait for you to see how wrong you are.”

Hunter pulled out the chair we used when we were at the counter and sat. His intentions were clear. He was staying.

Mack pulled open the door, stepped inside, and paused. No doubt he felt the tension in the room. He didn’t say a word, just walked toward me while his gaze flickered between Hunter and me. “Did you have a good day at work, cupcake?” He pulled me into his arms before kissing me.

Hunter snorted, breaking the moment.

Mack looked up. “Problem, Hunter?”

Her brother smirked. “No. Not yet, anyway.” Hunter’s eyes dropped to me. “Why don’t you tell Mack how hard you worked today, Ireland?”

Very unkind words popped into my head about my brother. Words like instigator, pain in the ass, and a slew of others I didn’t say because they were insulting to my mother.

Mack leaned back. “Really? What’d you do?”

Hunter picked up my phone, and not for the first time, I wished I’d changed my passcode so none of my brothers knew it. Hunter keyed in the number and brought up my pictures. “Might be easier if she just showed you.”

I stepped out of Mack’s embrace to snatch the phone away from him. “You’re being a jackass.” I’d mastered my mom voice since our mother died, and because I was the only woman in the family at the moment, I’d gotten good at using it.

Hunter laughed. “And surprisingly, I’m okay with that in this instance.”

Mack rudely snatched the phone from my fingertips and began to swipe through the photos. “What the fuck is this?”

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