Page 56 of Accepted Precedent
I down the cheap whiskey faster than he did and sputter a cough. “I don’t have it with me. Who brings a gun to a fucking gala?”
He pulls his piece from behind his back to show it off, then returns it. “I’d give you mine, but I have to deal with… something.”
“Right. Well, how am I supposed to kill a man without a gun? A hotel pen?” I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. “Where is the hitman you hired?”
“Dead.”
“Dead?” I gasp.
“Aye, dead. Which is why I need my gun. He had two hits tonight and was killed before he could get to the second.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “What other hit?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does! No one briefed me on this. You’re asking me to kill someone—the least you can do is tell me who else the man was supposed to off tonight.”
“Tim McKinnon.”
I suck in a breath. “Why would you kill Tim? We need him to win Delaware! That was the whole fucking point of killing his opponent.”
“We need his wife to win Delaware, not him.”
Something’s wrong—Mickey would’ve mentioned this to me. Why would Ileah of all people win Delaware? She hasn’t held any political office. Hell, just like my sister, she hasn’t worked in nearly a decade. Finn’s been in love with her for years. Could he have orchestrated this behind Mickey’s back?
Yes. He absolutely could’ve. When it comes to the Gallagher brothers, nothing is impossible, especially when it involves the women they love. I need to be careful.
“Well, if you want Ileah to win, we’ll need to ensure she runs unopposed,” I hedge.
“Mickey should have a gun in his room. You’ll need to move quickly; the elevators aren’t working, and he’s two flights up.”
“This is bullshit,” I grumble, slipping on my canvas flats.
Finn grips my shoulders and sighs, “If you do this, I’ll ensure you have anything you want.”
What I want, I can’t have, but I nod, and he releases me. As he rushes out, I grab my phone and follow, but where he turns left, I turn right to the stairwell. I have maybe ten minutes before the power comes back on, and take the stairs two at a time. Unfortunately, it’s a reminder I need to get back to the gym. I’m panting as I make it up to his floor and check my messages to confirm his room number. I sprint down the hall and knock on his door.
“Mr. Gallagher,” I shout. “Sorry to wake you, but I need your assistance.”
The door flings open, but it’s not Mick. “Evie, hi, um… is Mick here?”
“No,” she yawns, shaking her head as she opens the door wider. “He’s with Andrew in our room.
At the mention of Andrew, my heart squeezes. Mickey and I are in love with the same man, but only one of us gets to indulge ourselves. Maybe one day, I’ll find out what it’s like to experience it for myself.
“What’s going on?” She flips the light switch on and hums, “The power seems to be out.”
Mickey hides so much from Andrew and Evelyn; I’m unsure what I can share and what I can’t. I settle on, “Finn asked me to come here to get Mick’s gun.”
“Oh, um, it’s probably in the safe.”
I use the flashlight on my phone to help her unlock it. She hands it to me, and the cool metal feels heavy—mostly because of what I have to do with it. I reach for the silencer and attach it. “Thanks. Get some sleep, okay?”
I turn to leave, but she stops me. “Wait? Why do you need Mickey’s gun? Is he in trouble?”
“No. I just need to take care of… something.” If the vague reply works for Finn, it might work for me.
“Take care of what? Why do you need a gun? What the hell, Kristin! Are you in trouble? What’s going on?”
