Page 39 of Iron Crown

I leaned over Cillian to cup his cheek. He leaned into my touch, even if he did not say the words back. It made my heart ache, but I had to say it anyway.

“I will be sending my wife, my daughter, and her children to a secure location in Scotland with fifty of my most trusted agents.” Jericho leaned back, steepling his fingers. “Dairo will be withthem, leading their security team, with Caledonia Security. I suggest you put your son among them.”

Eoghan’s nostrils flared, his eyes widening, as he looked at Jericho, then at me.

He looked at me with betrayal in his eyes. Then he simply said, “Aye. If you would be so kind, please send my wife and child with Dairo.”

“Eoghan,” I said quietly, shaking my head. “I’m staying with you.”

“No.” Jericho shook his head. “Your son goes.Shestays.”

“You don’t tell my wife what to do.” Eoghan’s eyes narrowed.

“Neither do you,” Jericho said back, before turning to me. “What do you want to do, Picasso?”

“I stay with my husband.” Then I lifted my gaze to the head of the organization that had rescued me from the depths of despair when I murdered Giorgio Morelli. “I trust him. You, I’m not sure.”

“You don’t need to, Picasso,” Jericho chuckled, his sister doing the same. Then he nodded to Andres. “Blink will be the liaison to the Irish. You will take your orders from him.”

Then, in a flourish, he took the vodka bottle, charged the glasses again until every drop was spent.

“ As soon as we clear the battlefield of our civilians, then we will declare open season in all Durantes.”

“AfterI have a word with Cosima.” Eoghan’s eyes were blank as he raised his glass, downing it in an instant, before he excused himself and left the table.

I got up too, only for Blink’s voice to stop me in my tracks. “Don’t, Picasso. You’ll make it worse by going to him right now.”

I looked over my shoulder at my former mentor, then my boss, then all the other people at the table. Even Dairo shrugged.

“Give him time,” said my—as Yuliya would call him—cousin-in-law, Dairo. “He may appear unaffected, but this whole conversation has been a shock, even to me. And I know half of what was revealed already.”

I stared at the door my husband had left through.

“He has just vomited his biggest secret while discovering a vast conspiracy. Not to mention discovering that his wife,” Dairo said quietly, his eyes meeting mine, his lips pulled taut, “is a spy.”

So much formebeing the one to tell him. I stared out to where Eoghan had gone and felt the pull to go after him.

“Let him finish his cigarette before you go after him, Kira,” Dairo said, coolly. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Chapter eleven

Dramatic Irish

Eoghan

Ispent the rest of that day walking the grounds, chain smoking my Dunhill cigarettes, trying to unravel the damned web I was caught in.

My wife was a spy; that much was clear. Her spy friends were taking me in, somewhat, even if Jericho and I still despised one another. They wanted to take my son somewhere safe—that was good.

That safe place was not near me—that was bad.

My wife would stay—which was good,andbad, because I wanted her safe.

The safest place for both of them was far, far away from me.

Fuck!

Afternoon turned into evening, and I knew my solitary wanderings would have to stop soon, if for no other reason than I had already missed dinner. Wasting any more time away from the two people I loved would do me no good.

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