Page 5 of Crimson Tears

“I doubt that.” I shake my head. There's no way he could know why I started coloring my hair bright red.

“You shouldn’t,” he murmurs, looking away.

My brows pinch. He used to be able to read me like a book, but there is no way he knows about that night with my sister.

Ignoring him, I press the call button to Evie’s direct line. The phone rings through the speakers, making Cillian sit up a little straighter.

“Tell me you’ve found him.” Evie’s sharp voice echoes around the car, so I turn down the volume.

“Sure did. We’re listening to Cillian's phone right now. He planted a bug on our target, but so far the Prime Minister has been quiet.”

“Cil,” Evie’s voice lowers and part of me smiles, thinking about her reprimanding him. Evie is a strong, independent woman who takes no shite from anyone, including her three husbands.

Cillian laughs, leaning over towards me to talk closer to the speaker.

“Hey there, E. Missed me so much you had to send this one after me. Eh?” The Irish lilt returning to his voice slightly.

Silence greets us, and I actually bite my cheek to hold back a laugh because this boy is about to get his ass handed to him.

Then, Evie chuckles.

“You fucking asshole,” she says. I look over at Cillian, who’s smiling from ear to ear.

“I never claimed to be anything less, love.”

“You know I would have called bullshit in two seconds flat if you had.”

They joke back and forth, bantering like brother and sister as my brows furrow.

What could Cillian have done to prove himself to her that made their relationship this easy?Hell, I took a beating from Evie to prove myself to her. I worked for her for months before we got comfortable enough to banter.

“How’s that obsidian blade treating you, darling?”

Thank goodness I just put the car in park because my whole body turns to Cillian at that moment, shock evident on my face. He gifted her that blade? Evie holds very few things close, but that blade was the tool she used to seal her revenge.

“Eh, it’s okay. Does the job I guess.”

Cillian puts a hand over his chest, looking offended. “Excuse me?” He inches closer to the speaker, his body pressing against mine as that scent of sweet grass and fresh air wafts over me.

Why did I choose such a tiny ass car for this mission?

Evie snorts, and I fight the urge to get out of the car and head to her just so I can slap her.

Why do I feel this way? Why does Cillian’s charm mean anything to me?

“We’re at the airstrip,” I inform her, cutting Cillian off a little more abruptly than necessary.

He doesn’t seem to mind, just slides back into his seat comfortably.

“Great. Get back here and we’ll debrief tomorrow. Send the info to me about the bug so we can record and listen through the night while you two are in the air. Ness, see if Boris doesn’t mind Cillian staying with you guys until we can meet up. I don’t want Cillian at a hotel, and our guest suite isn’t ready yet.”

“You got it,” I say with a nod, even as bile rises in my throat. Evie has no idea about mine and Cillian’s past, so she doesn’t have a clue how much she is really asking of me right now.

“Be good, Cil,” Evie says.

“Never,” he says with a cheeky grin before shooting a wink my way.

He ends the call before I get the chance to say goodbye. I move to slap him, but he’s already getting out of the car.

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