Page 121 of Forbidden Bond

As she’d thought, telling Strat was tantamount to telling her. Something was different about these two men, so important in her life. Lach would never have spoken to Strat this way when he was with Imogen.

Not that Strat was ashamed or offended. “You’ve got lessons to learn about women, boy. Even your own sister.”

Weirdly… she liked their banter.

“How did Niall calling mix up your view of Conn?”

“Pissed me off that your boyfriend didn’t care enough to contact me himself.”

“He was injured,” she said. “Dad shot him.”

Her brother grew more solemn. “I wouldn’t believe what Niall said, any of it, not until it was confirmed by you or Dad.”

“You told me you hadn’t seen Conn.”

“I hadn’t. I thought the McDades were playing me. How could Ire love you so much and delegate your wellbeing to a goon?”

“Niall’s no goon,” she said, her gaze bouncing to Strat. “Anything you didn’t tell me?”

He held up a hand. “I said I hadn’t seen Conn either…” He sipped his drink and kept his mouth behind the glass. “Mighta talked to Niall. And, you boy, don’t forget to tell your sister I told you the only reason Ire wouldn’t reach out direct was if he was incapable.”

Lach’s head bobbed. “He did tell me that.”

“More than once. If he wasn’t bleeding and drugged up, Ire would’ve led the charge to track her down.”

“Strat’s actually smarter and more astute than we give him credit for.” She sighed. “Except tonight he was dumb enough to get himself shot, that wasn’t so smart.”

“Was when you play it forward,” Strat said. “Only way I don’t get shot is if I handed you over to the Byrnes.”

“Hmm, yeah, shot would be nothing to what Conn would do to you if you surrendered me to our enemy.”

So maybe he was smart, but the teasing was too much fun.

“And Niall was damn clear he didn’t want you to know about the communication, or that we should mention it anywhere near Dad.”

“Ire wasn’t out the woods in a hurry,” Strat said. “Found that out afterwards. Word is he shouldn’t even be on his feet now. But it’s not like anyone can tie him down.”

Pushing back her shoulders, she played that through her head. “Someone can.”

“No one in this room wants to know that.”

Their disgust and her smile united them.

And then it happened, another crash, not like the one in Stag, this was way closer.

Lachlan stepped aside to turn and there was Conn, just inside the room, concentrating completely on her.

THIRTY-EIGHT

READING HIM THERE, eyes hooded with the fury he was named for, she stepped past her brother.

“I wasn’t missing. I wasn’t hurt. We were followed from the club and had to divert.” Still, he said nothing. Anyone else, namely her brother and Strat, might be pissed she told the truth. What she gleaned, that they may not have absorbed from her lover’s energy, he already knew. Conn knew, lying wouldn’t get them anywhere. “Strat got shot protecting me.”

“Aye,” Conn said, not in question, he already knew that too. On the spot, he turned to her friend who leaped up from the couch. “You’re in charge of her security.”

Strat’s head tipped a little forward. “I’m… I’m what?”

“Head of security, take whatever guys you need. Train them. Give her the best. Every second, you know where she is. Manage the schedules, the discipline. You’ve proved you’d give your life for hers.”

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