Page 114 of Bound By Darkness

Side-eyeing her, I respond, "Oh yeah?That simple?"

"Ruairi’s underestimated me my entire life.Kept me out of the Syndicate.Treated me like an afterthought.I wanted to show him that I’m not someone he can control,” she explains.“I had the opportunity, so I took it.”

A slow grin spreads across my face."You’re fucking dangerous, Aoife."

"And you love it."

“I do,” I say, letting my hand drift over the gear shift, grazing my knuckles up her thigh.

She doesn’t flinch or pull away.She lifts a brow, challenging.

"I don’t know whether to be fucking impressed or pissed off," I admit.

"Why not both?"

I watch her for a second longer."You’re something else, Aoife Quigley.”

A beat of silence stretches between us before I speak, keeping my tone casual."Where is he?"

She hesitates.It’s quick.Barely noticeable.She’s not ready to give me that information.

"Aoife, you and I both know the only way this ends is with Ruairi gone.You already have him.All we need is to finish it."

She exhales slowly, looking out the window for a moment before speaking.

"There’s something else I haven’t told you,” she confesses.

I arch a brow, waiting.

She sighs, feigning uncertainty, like she’s weighing whether or not she should say it."Since the night at the restaurant, Mr.O’Sullivan’s been pursuing me."

The question leaves my mouth like a low threat.“Has he now?”

She nods."I’ve gone out with him a few times.Trying to get close.To learn whatever I can from him."

"You’re a mastermind, lass," I say, a grudging edge of admiration in my voice.

"I wanted to play with him a little first," she adds, a sly smile curling on her lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief."See how much he would let slip if he thought he was winning me over.Find out just how far he'd be willing to go to take out Ruairi."

"You’re fucking ruthless, you know that?"I murmur, unable to hide the low, dark laugh that rumbles from my chest.

"You wouldn’t want me any other way."

She’s right.I slow the car as we approach the docks, parking in the shadow of the warehouse."I just had a thought,” I say, slow and calculated."With you inside O’Sullivan’s Syndicate, we don’t have to stop with Ruairi."

"What are you saying?"she asks.

"Think about it,” I smirk.“When Ruairi’s out of the picture, we take his Syndicate.But why stop there?We could take both of them."

She meets my gaze."You want to take out Mr.O’Sullivan, too?"

"You and I together, Aoife."I reach out, trailing a finger along her jaw, watching her reaction."We could rule it all."

She doesn’t pull away.But she doesn’t agree either.

Leaning back, I rest my arm against the window."I’ve already put things in motion.With you having access to O’Sullivan, it makes my plans that much easier.Soon, we won’t have to worry about either of them."

"And what exactly have you put into motion?"

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