Page 115 of The Apprentice

“They’re going to be trouble.”

“They already are.” He frowned down the hallway. “They have what they want. They can arrest me at any time, but I don’t know what they’re waiting for.”

“Prime annoyance value?”

He growled in frustration. “They’ve already put Reyes in handcuffs.”

Fuck. I took a deep breath. “What do you want me to do, sir?”

Finally, Sloan turned back to me and gripped my shoulder. “Protect Fionn. Whatever happens, he’s yours to defend with your life. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

23

FIONN

“I’mfine. I wasn’t even in the ICU for a long time.” I rolled my eyes.

Considering my injuries, I was very lucky. It hurt sometimes to breathe too deeply, but the doctors had me on some nice painkillers, and they’d sent me to a private room about four hours after I’d woken up. They were more than happy with my progress, and I wasn’t in any immediate danger.

Daire glared at me as he fluffed the pillow behind my back, which only made Sloan’s mouth twitch in amusement.

“I’m making you comfortable, boy, so sit back and saythank you,Daddylike a good boy.”

“Uncle,” Fionn whined, but Sloan held up his palms toward him.

“You’re the one dating him, not me, kid. You’re on your own.”

Daire chuckled as he shoved the pillow behind me, and only when he was satisfied did he sit back down in one of the armchairs beside the bed, right next to Sloan.

Sloan had been home at some point because he was back to wearing his suit. From what Daire had told me, Sloan hadbrought one for Daire, too, so they both looked like their usual selves. Sloan’s suit was navy, a favorite of his, while Daire had on black, and it took everything in me not to say something like “black again,Daddy?”

“The nurse said it’s a miracle I’m not in more pain,” I reminded them as I tugged at the neckline of my horrible hospital gown. Sloan could’ve brought me something better to wear, too, but apparently this stupid thing was a requirement. “And that I woke up so quickly. They expected I’d be in the ICU for longer.”

The sooner I got out of here, the better. Being in bed was the last place I wanted to be, but Sloan had insisted it was important for me to listen to the doctors.

“As soon as you’re a little better, we’ll transfer you to EK Memorial,” Sloan said.

I smiled. “The Eoin Killough Memorial Hospital. I liked that you named it after Dad.”

“Yes, well, he was my best friend.” Sloan frowned. “I wishhe’draised you. He would’ve done a better job than me.”

“You didn’t do too bad,” I teased as my grin widened. “It wouldn’t have been easy being a boss of a billion-dollar enterpriseandthe guardian of your nephew.”

Daire laughed while Sloan rolled his eyes.

“You were a good kid.” Sloan shrugged as the corner of his mouth flicked up. “Eoin would’ve been proud of you. Maybe it’s time I told you how he really died.”

Daire’s laughter choked off, and he groaned, falling back into the armchair.

Sloan shot a narrowed gaze at him. “You told him.” He didn’t sound surprised.

It was my turn to chuckle as I shook my head at him. It was easy to see that they’d been friends for a long time. Despite Sloan being the boss, there’d been an easy interaction betweenthem since I’d woken up that I hadn’t seen in a while, probably since I was a kid. They smiled at each other, and warmth spread through me as I watched them—two of the most important men in my life. This was what happiness felt like, and if it took me getting shot three times to make it happen, then I’d do it all over again. I didn’t tell them that, of course.

I winced when a sharp pain volleyed through me and held up my hand as both Daire and Sloan looked at me in concern. “Don’t overreact. I’mfine. Jesus. Uncle, don’t you have a pet to go home to?”

“I do, but you’re important to me, too.” Sloan sighed. “I didn’t show you that before, and it’s going to change. You’re my family, bo—” He winced, firing Daire a glare. “He was my boy before he was yours, and now I need to find something else to call him.”