Page 110 of Claiming Pretty

The smell of rich tomato sauce and fresh basil filled the loft as I set a steaming pot of pasta down on the circular dining table set with plates, utensils, and glasses of water.

“Dinner’s ready,” I yelled, noting how ironic this little domestic scene appeared.

The brothers emerged from their rooms at the same time, their footsteps heavy on the wooden floor.

Ty’s sharp blue eyes immediately locked on Ciaran, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Ciaran, ever the fire to Ty’s ice, rolled his shoulders and set his jaw, shooting Ty a challenging glare. The air crackled between them.

“The first person to throw a punch goes to bed hungry,” I said firmly, breaking the tension before it could boil over.

For a moment, they just stood there, glaring at each other, until I raised an eyebrow.

“Understood?” I warned.

They both muttered under their breath as they moved toward the table.

Ciaran dropped into the chair on my left while Ty took the seat to my right, neither of them sparing the other a glance.

I busied myself ladling pasta onto their plates, refusing to let their simmering resentment ruin the dinner I’d worked to make. The clink of the serving spoon against ceramic echoed awkwardly in the silence.

“If we’re fighting each other,” I said, my voice steady but heavy with meaning, “the Sochai wins.”

Ciaran stabbed at his pasta, his shoulders tense. “Doesn’t mean I have to like him.”

Ty leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

I slammed my fork down onto the table, startling them both.

“Enough.” My voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument. “You don’t have to like each other, but you do have to work together. If you can’t manage that, then we’re all dead.”

The weight of my words settled over them like a storm cloud.

Ciaran scowled at me. “You have to choose.”

“Iwillchoose,” I said. “But not right now. Right now, we only have one goal…”

“Bringing down the Sochai,” Ty said with a nod.

Ciaran let out a grudging grunt, pushing his food around his plate. “Fine.”

I exhaled, letting a little of my frustration go. “Good. Now kiss and make up.”

Neither of them moved.

I crossed my arms. “Now, boys.”

Ty was the first to huff and he nodded, turning to Ciaran. “Ceasefire?”

Ciaran’s jaw tightened, but after a beat, he nodded back. “Ceasefire. For now.”

The tension between them didn’t vanish entirely, but it lessened, shifting into something more focused.

“So…” I said as I twirled pasta onto my fork even though my hunger had vanished. “What do we do next?”

Ciaran was the first to break the silence. “Ashcradle has to have a paper trail even if it’s not still standing. I left a program running on my computer to trace the money and hopefully uncover any hidden records.”

Ty frowned thoughtfully. “Smart. If the clinic was tied to the Sochai, the money will lead us somewhere.”

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