Page 108 of Twisted Hearts

Cillian clears his throat. “Got a second? I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sure thing. About what?”

“Gavan.”

I swallow, my hand tensing around the phone as my mouth goes dry.

“I…”

“I can assume this is one of the reasons you’ve been avoiding coming back to the conversation about Brooks?”

“Amongst others,” I say quietly. “Look, Cil—”

“Eilish,” he sighs. “You’re an adult. You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

My brow furrows. “Well, I know this thing with the McKinnleys could mean a lot to the family, politically speaki—”

“I don’t give a shit about that. I mean, yeah, I’ve thought about it and what it could do for us. But you obviously despise Brooks—for reasons I’d actually be very keen to hear about sometime, if you’d like to share,” he adds. There’s a lethal edge to his voice.

Part of me has almost told Cillian a half dozen times before about what happened with Brooks. Or what’s happening, really. Because Cillian’s…well,Cillian…and I know what he is, and what he’s capable of. He’d go straight to Brooks’ house and literally skin him alive if I told him about what happened.

So yes, part of me has thought about that. Often. But the thing is, Brooks isn’t just some regular trust fund brat douchebag. His father is a freaking Senator, for God’s sake. And I also don’t know how extensive the evidence he has against me is. It’s bad enough that he has it at all. It’d be horrifying if he was killed andsomeone elsegot their hands on it.

“Nothing you need to go full Patrick Bateman about,” I joke. “He’s just a douchebag.”

Cillian sighs. “Well then, that’s all the conversation we need to have about it. Consider the subject closed.”

“Cillian—”

“It’s done, Eilish,” he growls quietly.

I smile. “Thank you.”

“Butthatbrings us back to Gavan…”

My mouth twists. “Who told you? Neve?”

He chuckles darkly. “She wouldn’t turn on you in a million years. I have…people.”

“What, like spies?”

“Yes.”

I swallow thickly. Cillian sighs.

“Again, you don’t have to explain yourself. You can make your own decisions, Eilish. And for what it’s worth, I respect Gavan.” He grunts. “I don’tlike himvery much, but I respect him. And ifyouclearly like him, and you’re happy, and he’s treating you well, and you’re with him because you arechoosingto be…”

“I am,” I say quietly, blushing.

“Then I promise I’ll keep my skinning knives tucked away in the cupboard.”

I grin. “Thank you.”

“Just make sure Gavan is aware that if any of those points above change, there’s no measure I won’t take and no line I won’t cross to make him reevaluate his definition of pain and suffering.”

That’s not a joke, and it’s not Cillian being all gung-ho macho.

That’s who he is.

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