Page 433 of Lodestar

Eoghan just shrugged, unapologetic to the last.

“If you didn’t call about soccer, what did you call about?” Declan rumbled, his expression still stony.

“More secrets.”

Brennan grunted. “What a welcome.”

Aidan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I thought we’d laid everything out in the open.”

“I mean, most things, sure,” I concurred, not even bothering to look at Eoghan who’d been hiding his role as an agent in a super-secret NATO organization, then there was the fact Declan had a thing for pilfering the goods from art heists, and never mind that Finn had been approached by the United freakin’ Brotherhood to become a member…

“What is it, Kid?” Brennan rasped, straightening his shoulders as if preparing for the blow.

“I kind of hacked NASA when I was a teenager?—”

Declan groaned. “We know. Da was beyond proud?—”

“Let me finish. The first time, I got in and out. But the second time, I got caught.”

“Thesecondtime?” Aidan demanded, jerking to his feet. “What the fuck did you go in a second time for? In and out!” He clicked his fingers. “In and goddamn out, Conor. Did having Padraig as a godfather teach you nothing?!”

“It taught me plenty,” I snapped. “But I wanted to gain access to a satellite.”

“Did you?” Eoghan inquired, his tone as calm as ever. Even when he dealt blows, he sounded calm—it was starting to get annoying.

“I did, but it’s now defunct.” That still pissed me off.

“What were the repercussions?” my youngest brother asked.

“The NSA swooped in and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

As one, my brothers sucked in a breath. Shocking them like that would have been impressive at another time, but this was bad. I knew it—they did too.

“What kind of offer?” Finn rasped.

“They wanted me to work for them. Test their software and ensure their hardware was impenetrable. Eventually,” I admitted after clearing my throat, “I got to be important. No one else on their staff could do what I could.”

“It gave you power?” Aidan murmured, his eyes still wide but respect creeping into them now.

“It did. I used it to leverage our family’s safety.”

This time, they didn’t suck in a breath; they just gaped at me.

For a full minute.

Okay, nowIwas impressed with how impressedtheywere.

When they carried on staring, I sheepishly rubbed my nape. “It’s why we’ve been so untouchable.”

“Not Da…?” Declan whispered.

“No.”

“Jesus fuck, that’s how important you are to the NSA?” Eoghan rumbled, the sound of his hand slapping the desk loud amid the echoing silence from my other brothers.

“Used to be. That usefulness wore out recently.”

“And that’s why you’re telling us? You’re warning us?” Aidan asked carefully.

---