Page 92

Then, without missing a step, he changes course.“Come back to Belfast with me.”

The shift is so abrupt it takes a moment to register.

“Why would I do that?”I ask.“I just got to Dublin.”

His tone is measured, but his eyes give him away.“I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here.Not with everything going on between your boss and your brother.”

“I’m sure my boss doesn’t know I’m related to Ruairi, or why else would he have hired me?”I say, trying to sound confident even as doubt creeps in.“He wouldn’t take the risk, especially if things are as tense between them as you say they are.”

Cian’s brow lifts slightly, his voice low.“You really don’t know, do you?”

“No,” I admit, eyes narrowing as I study him, “but I’m sure you can tell me why Ruairi’s going after him?”

He hesitates, swirling the liquid in his glass before finally responding.“I’m not sure how much I should say.”

“Really?That’s interesting, considering you brought me to a Syndicate meeting, but now you’re hesitating to answer a simple question?”I sit back.

Cian’s lips press into a thin line.He still doesn’t answer.

I sigh, shaking my head.“I thought you were different.But I see that you’re content treating me the same way Ruairi does,” I say, letting just the right amount of frustration seep into my voice.“Like I’m too naive to understand.Like I should sit back and let the men handle things.”

I pick up my napkin and toss it onto the table.“I should’ve figured.I mean, youdowork for my brother.Why would you be honest with me?Why would you see me as anything other than a weak woman who needs protecting?”

The chair screeches across the floor as I stand.“I don’t need another man like that in my life.”

Before I can turn, Cian’s hand closes around my wrist, his grip forceful as he pulls me back down into my seat.

“You don’t know anything about me,” he says, his voice quieter now, almost coaxing.“But I’d like to change that.”

I watch him carefully.“And how do you plan to do that?”

His hand drifts under the table, fingers skimming up my leg, his touch bold.

I don’t react.Not outwardly.

He leans in close, the heat of his breath ghosting over my jaw, deliberate and intimate.“Ruairi didn’t try to set us up, Aoife.Hechoseme for you.Gave his blessing like it was already done.”His voice is velvet-wrapped steel, smooth but unmistakably possessive.“So let me show you why.Let me show you what it means to belong to a man who knows exactly how to handle you.”

I smile slightly, meeting his gaze.“Dating me is one thing.Spending the night with me?That’s something else entirely.”

His fingers trail higher.The urge to push him away burns under my skin.But I stay still, letting him think he’s in control while I draw him further into my web.

“We need to be smart,” I murmur.“Think our moves through.Keep Ruairi’s blessing.”

Finally, he exhales, pulling back with a reluctant nod.“I want you to understand what’s really happening, Aoife,” he says, studying me like he’s weighing his options.“Ruairi wasn’t ready to take over.”

I don’t react, but my pulse quickens.

“He’s making decisions that aren’t in the best interest of the Syndicate.”He pauses, letting the words hang between us as if he’s waiting for me to challenge him.

I don’t.Instead, I give him exactly what he wants, my curiosity.“And what would you do differently?”

“Your brother’s weakness is his temper.He reacts instead of thinking things through and responding.He’s making reckless mistakes.”His lips curl as he sits back.“I’d make sure we’re running things right.No reckless feuds.No emotional decisions.”

Cian lets out a soft, humorless laugh, his eyes never leaving mine.“No.”

He leans forward slightly, voice dropping.“Because I’m not just here to take something from Ruairi.”

A pause.Calculated.