Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Damn, Sloan. Just…damn.” Carrigan shook her head. “I don’t know what you have planned, but I can only help so much. I’m already riding the line by showing up to help, though it was worth it.”
She didn’t deserve her sister. Once upon a time, she’d privately thought Carrigan was selfish, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Sloan was the selfish one. Her throat burned, and she swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I was such a terrible person and I’m sorry, and—”
“Stop.” Carrigan crossed to her seat and put her arm around her. “We’re all just ships in the middle of a hurricane, doing our best to survive. For me, that meant breaking with the majority of the family. For you, that meant something different at the time. It’s okay.”
“How can you say that? I should have returned your calls.”
“Maybe. I understood why you didn’t, even if it hurt.” Carrigan shrugged and gave her a squeeze. “But you called me when it counted. You trusted me enough to get you out of that situation without trying to haul you somewhere, insisting I knew what was best for you. That means something.”
“Still.” She pressed her lips together, though the burning in her throat had now reached her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.”
Just like that. Nothing more to it. She caught James watching them over Carrigan’s shoulder and fought back a shudder. There is more to it than that. It doesn’t matter that Carrigan’s forgiven me—James hasn’t forgiven me for hurting her.
She liked him a little bit because of that.
Needing to focus on anything but what she and Jude were about to do—to risk—Sloan said, “Tell me what you’ve been doing since we last talked.”
Carrigan’s eyes sparked. “It’s been a wild ride. James and I have set up a nonprofit foundation to help sex-trafficking victims find a new home. I won’t lie and say I don’t absolutely adore talking those rich assholes out of their money. It’s for a good cause, and they have more than enough dollars to go around.” She practically vibrated as she went on to explain how they were setting up stings, of sorts, tipping off the FBI when it suited them, and working their way toward the top supplier of human trafficking on the East Coast.
She’s so incredibly happy.
It sounded dangerous. If one meet went wrong, or one person found out that they were working with cops, even distantly, it would bring the fury of both Sheridans and O’Malleys down on them.
And that wasn’t even getting into the other enemies they had.
If Sloan had learned anything over her life, though, it was that every one of her siblings needed to find their own way—herself included. If she wanted the freedom to make her own choices, she’d be a terrible person to curtail Carrigan’s choices. Even if her sister would allow it.
By the time their plane descended into Boston, it almost felt like old times again. If Carrigan had stopped partying, her stories had only gotten wilder now that she was moving through the upper crust of Boston. The rich had more secrets than they had money to bury them, and Carrigan had always been effective at getting people to talk when she wanted to.
As the plane taxied to a stop, her sister’s smile fell away. “I’ll see you to O’Malley territory, but I can’t go farther without risking an incident.” She glanced at James. “I’d fight for you, Sloan. Never think I wouldn’t. But there’s more at play than just us now, and I have to think about the people who rely on me and James for protection—and the girls who don’t have anywhere to go and no money to get there. I’ll try to help in any way I can, but—”
Sloan covered her sister’s hand with her own. “I understand. I’d never ask you to go to war for me.” She hesitated. “But I’m not going to O’Malley territory. I’m going to the Sheridans.”
* * *
“Tell me again.” It took every bit of Aiden’s not-inconsiderable willpower not to yell the words. The week had gone to shit after he’d tracked down Charlotte Finch. Her not telling him to get lost permanently was the only thing that had gone right. He’d have to follow up with her before too long, but he could read people well enough to know that she’d stew on his offer until he forced her hand. The issue was getting the timing right to prevent her from digging in her heels through sheer instinct.
But that wasn’t the problem right now.
His problem was sitting right in front of him, head hanging, her hair a tangled mess from the fact Liam had pulled her out of bed. He looked over Keira’s shoulder and Liam gave a short shake of his head.
She wasn’t telling the full story.
Keira blinked bloodshot eyes at him. “We’ve gone through this—three times. I was minding my own goddamn business and he showed up. Next thing I know, his thug hauled me to his car and tossed me into the backseat. Then he drove me here. End of story.”