Page 75 of Ciaran
“Which means my plan might just work,” Draven adds.
Luke frowns. “Plan?”
Draven leans back in his chair, crosses an ankle over his other knee, and laces his fingers behind his head. “How do you feel about taking part in an unauthorized sting operation, Luke?”
Luke’s face breaks into a grin, a hint of excitement in his eyes. “Gentlemen, I’m all for asking for forgiveness rather than permission. Where do I sign?”
The following day, the three of us are in a bar waiting to meet a friend of Luke’s. According to Luke, his buddy has all the right attributes to help with the planned sting operation, although he hasn’t expanded on exactly what that means.
When Luke’s friend arrives, I get it. He’s the perfect build for a football player: broad in the shoulder, tapered waist, clearly someone who works out regularly. And he’s been blessed with good genes because, despite being twenty-four, he could easily pass for nineteen.
Luke introduces us, then flags down the waitress. “Another round of drinks, please, sweetheart.”
“Coming right up.”
As the three guys begin chatting, my mind drifts. What is Mia doing right this second? Is she scared, lonely, tired, depressed? Is she thinking of me? Every day that passes worsens the ache in my heart. My arms feel empty because she isn’t wrapped inside them, and my stomach is in a constant flux as a result of the anxiety clawing at me.
My thoughts turn to Tanner, and instead of my stomach clenching, it’s my fists. Just give me ten minutes alone with that fucker. Is that too much to ask?
“Ciaran!”
I snap out of my daydream at Draven’s holler. “What?”
“We’ve been talking to you for like thirty seconds. Back in the fucking room, yeah?”
I refocus my attention on the matter at hand, tucking thoughts of Mia away in a quiet corner for later when I'm alone.
“Sorry, go ahead.”
They catch me up with the plan. It seems solid enough, although we can’t possibly foresee every eventuality. I’m betting on Tanner’s over-inflated ego, his cocky attitude, and his financial greed to see us through.
“We need to be thorough,” I state. “Tanner isn’t stupid.”
“That’s questionable,” Draven almost growls. “Relax, will you. It’s all good.”
I make a frustrated noise. “No, it’s not all fucking good. Millie’s still living with that bastard.”
Draven glares. “Chill the fuck out, dickhead, otherwise I’m sending you back to New York, and Luke and I will handle it without you.”
I swallow my anger and store it up for when I can let loose on the real source of my pain and frustration. “Good luck with that plan. Okay, let’s go over this one more time. I want to make sure nothing goes wrong. Millie’s safety and our future is at stake, not to mention my brothers’ livelihood.”
“Before we do, I just want to make it clear that this will never stand up in court,” Luke says. “It’s entrapment at best. At worst, we could all be in for a hell of a slap on the wrist.”
Draven gestures dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. The court thing doesn’t matter because we don’t want that either. We just need to make Tanner think we’re gonna push it that far. Like all bullies, he’s a coward. By the time we’re finished, he’ll shit his pants and won’t be able to give up the copies of Ciaran and me in that video quick enough. In my experience, a little leverage goes a long way.”
Luke twists his lips into a grin. “Amen to that, brother.”
Chapter 29
Ciaran
“Cool your fucking jets, feel me?” Draven stabs a finger at me to reiterate his point. “If he sees either of us, it’s over.”
I grind my teeth together and force myself to stop fidgeting. “For the tenth time, I got it.”
“I’m relying on you to keep him in line,” Luke says to Draven, who snickers at the irritated expression on my face.
I mutter under my breath about not being a fucking child—a comment Draven ignores.