Page 91 of Reckless Promises

“Wait.” Cillian’s face pinches as he pulls back and looks at me. “Did you say he was gone last July?”

“My dad?”

He nods.

“Yes, he was in Paris.”

“But he still works while he’s travelling, doesn’t he?”

“When it’s business, probably.” I tilt my head, trying to read him. “But that was a private trip and he’s paranoid, so usually he’d go off-the-grid for those.”

“But…” Cillian trails off as he shakes his head with whatever he’s thinking.

“What?”

“It’s just that doesn’t make sense.” He pulls back, fixing his shirt and wiping his hands down his face.

“Cillian, talk to me.” I plant my hands on the center of his chest. “What’s going on?”

“That night my father died it was because Gabriel turned on him. He asked my dad to help with a last-minute shipment because too many of his men already had other obligations. But then he changed the time, and he didn’t show. Shit went down, and my father ended up in the crosshairs.”

I already know all that, so I’m not sure why he’s replaying it. “I’m aware.”

“Your dad messaged mine on July seventeenth about the shipment date. I saw the message myself, that’s how I knew who was to blame when the date was changed at the last minute.”

“Okay…”

“July seventeenth,” he repeats, and it takes me a moment to process what he’s saying.

“That’s not possible.”

“Either that or your dad wasn’t as off-the-grid as he claimed.”

I shake my head. “He was. The only way to reach him when he’s on personal trips is through his security. Because like I said… he’s paranoid.”

Cillian rakes his fingers through his hair. “Fuck.”

“Cillian, what—”

He drops his hands to his sides. “I don’t think it could have been your father who turned on mine.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know.” His eyebrows pinch. “Who ran things when your dad was out of town?”

“In July?” I think back to that time, the unnerving tension in the house. Because leaving my room might mean I’d run into—“Sascha.”

Is he the one who actually turned on Ronan?

Cillian steps back. “I need to meet with Shane.”

“What does this mean?”

“I don’t know yet.” He shakes his head. “For all I know it’s a cover. But I have to figure out what’s going on.”

I nod, and he takes my hands.

“Don’t worry about it. Enjoy lunch with Fallon, and we’ll talk later.” Cillian squeezes my palms.

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