Page 111 of Forbidden Need

Yeah, he wanted an explanation.

“The guys were trying to get through to someone. They said the boss, I thought they meant you. They didn’t.”

“Niall’s in the middle of something.”

“We figured that.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I don’t think there’s any—”

“Why did they need Niall?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She stopped to pivot. “Why do we need Niall?” Returning to the group, their reluctance was obvious. “Niall answers to this guy. If Niall can authorize it, I guarantee my guy can.” She thrust the phone to Daly. “Talk to him.”

Refusing wasn’t an option, so he took the phone to his ear. “Sneddon lied. Me and the guys don’t like it. We want to keep track—yeah.” Another pause and a deepening frown. “Aye.”

He handed the phone back with an arm out to herd her toward the Bentley. Hock opened the door and in she got.

“Conn?” she asked, unsure if he was still on the line.

“Your brother showed up?”

“How do you know that?” she asked, agog. “I was right there, Daly didn’t say anything about—”

“You told him the truth.”

She sighed. “I started to, sort of. I’m sorry, I know we should’ve talked about it first. There’s only so many times I can hear our father is ‘on a noble, selfless mission’ before I want to take glass shards to my wrists.”

“Not funny.”

Yeah, not really. “I’ve never seen him like that, just… It’s Armageddon in his world. I don’t know if I did the right thing. Doing that to him when he—”

“You didn’t do it. Your father did.”

“We were in the middle of the street,” she said and groaned. “I could’ve been more… tactful.”

“You had to hit him with it, hard. He’d never have heard it otherwise.”

“I’m not sure he did.”

“Give him time to process. He’ll have questions.” Ones she probably wouldn’t be able to answer. “Want me to talk to him?”

“God, no. He thinks pretty much everything wrong with the world is your fault right now.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, I told you that.”

“I know.” Her head fell against the backrest. “Now I have to call Strat. Not sure I’m ready for him to ghost me. Though he’s entitled. Strat always answers when—”

“He won’t this time.”

“He won’t?”

“We have his phone.”

“Great, he’ll love that. Not like I’ve never showed up at his place without calling first.”

“He’s not there.”

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