Page 69 of The Secrets We Share

“Wait? How does he know? She literally just found out.”

“Sweetness, you think I wouldn’t know the moment your cycle was late?”

“Jesus Christ! I can’t with you two.” I laugh, shaking my head.

THIRTY-ONE

HARKIN

Play Dirty - Kevin McAlister, [SEBELL]

The air in the pub buzzes with barely held-back animosity between the two men sitting across from each other. Keira watches the two braced in a stand-off while I watch her relax into a position of amusement at the scene unfolding.

I clear my throat. “Well, as riveting as this little staring contest is, can we get down to business, or do you two need a dual to settle things before we can move forward.”

Domenico’s mouth pops open to spout something at me, surely about my smart mouth, but Patrick steps in, taking the limelight. Keira’s cheek pops with a suppressed laugh when he gnashes his teeth together with a click.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you right now and walk away from this with my granddaughters in tow?” Patrick asks the man responsible for his daughter’s demise by association.

“What happened to Claire was a heinous act on my uncle’s part. It’s why I put a bullet in his skull the moment I found out.”

Patrick’s indignant scoff gains him a curious glance from my girl. Alina straightens across from us, tucking her phone away for the first time since we sat down upon everyone’s arrival.

“Don’t try to make it sound like it was some sort of vigilante justice and not a self-satisfying grab for power.”

“Two birds, one stone.” He shrugs.

“Alright, we get it. There’s bad blood between all of us, yet here we are. Can we get to the fucking point?” Keira breaks into the conversation, sharing our mutual opinion.

Alina’s sneer at her sister goes unnoticed by everyone but me. She must hate the attention Keira garners from both her father and grandfather. Alina will never be the one Domenico looks to for anything more than a bargaining chip. Keira’s skilled and has a backbone that she’s shown him repeatedly. While he may hate it, at least he respects her to some level. Alina’s a pretty face to be married off for alliances. Keira is the heir he’ll never possess.

“I need protected access to the port,” he finally announces.

“Why would I allow that? You have no sway with me.”

Domenico is the little fish in Patrick’s sea—a king amongst his own men, but a peasant to the man across from him.

“How about a cool ten million for a single night of work? All you have to do is allow my contact access to your slot at the docks.”

Patrick sits back in his chair, fingers steepled against his thick beard. The shift in his demeanor is telling. He’s on the line and waiting to be convinced.

“If this is a business meeting, I’m not sure what this has to do with us or why you think we’d care?” Keira confronts her father.

She’s made it clear she has zero interest in working for her father or getting involved in the family business. If it weren’t for my own family, we wouldn’t be here.

His menacing gaze turns in our direction. “You, my dear, have your part to play, as does he,” he finishes with a tilt of his head in my direction.

Interesting.Domenico’s inability to not make a game out of everything grinds my gears. “Spit it out, then,” I bite out.

His unimpressed gaze flicks to me before slowly peeling back to his daughter. “You two will plan a path from the docks to the drop-off location, ensuring we’re not delayed or intercepted, and in return, I’ll let your father go.”

“Breaking your word hardly seems like motivation to do anything for you,” Keira spits. “You said Mr. Greyson would be released back to us for attending this meeting with you. Now you’re shifting things. Why would we believe anything you say, including the payout you’re promising Patrick.” She motions to her grandfather.

“She has a point, Domenico. A man’s word is all he has in this world. I don’t work with liars.” Patrick pushes away from the table, looking between the twins.

“Reach out if you ever need me,” he offers and turns on his heels.

Domenico’s quick to his feet, the chair he was using clattering to the floor. “I am a man of my word; this was your father’s idea, Harkin. He’s very aware of how generous I’ve been with him.”

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