Page 110 of Forbidden Need

“McDade put this in your head.”

Pity twisted within her. “It’s true.”

“No, he can’t—he wouldn’t—”

“He has, Lach. I’m sorry.”

Though she wasn’t really sure why she should be apologizing.

Lach’s lips stayed almost static. “I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true,” she said again.

“I don’t believe it!”

On that exclamation, he got into the car, slammed the door and sped off so fast he spun his wheels.

“So…” she said to herself. “That went well.”

Daly was still behind her, maybe ten feet away. “You okay?”

“Strat’s,” she said. “Take me to Strat’s.”

Her grandfather was dead. She’d banished her father. And her brother would probably never speak to her again. Strat would be the most likely to forgive her… if he let her through the door.

They walked back to the car and van together, though the other guys loitered on the sidewalk.

“Sort it?”

“Sort what?” she asked.

Hock shook his head and raised a phone to his ear. “Can’t get the boss on the phone.”

Unexpectedly, he handed her a card. Sneddon’s security card. Not so lost after all.

Snuff typed into a phone. She slipped the card into her purse and retrieved her cell to dial her guy.

“Why do we need him on the phone?”

Daly pressed disconnect on her line before she raised the device an inch. “Not that boss.”

“We have more than one boss? Who else do we answer to?”

“You? Probably no one. When the rest of us need the boss, we’re calling Niall,” Hock said but shook his head. “Just ringing.”

“He had business today.”

“Yeah,” Snuff said.

In her hand, her phone rang. Conn. No surprise.

She answered, wandering away from the group. “False alarm.”

“You ring once and hang up, I send an army, Macushla,” he said, clearly not impressed. “Where are the guys?”

“We’re fine. We’re safe. Just a miscommunication.”

“Macushla.”

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