Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
He showered and dressed, and then headed downstairs to take care of any complications that had arisen overnight, before the rest of the household was up and about. Business had been quiet for the last year as they’d engaged in their cold war with Romanov. Aiden hadn’t wanted to pull the trigger on full-out war, and the Russian seemed just as hesitant for reasons unknown. In the meantime, the O’Malleys were pulling in as much from their legit businesses as they were from the darker side of things.
He reached the bottom of the stairs, and stopped short. Liam blocked his way. The man looked downright worried.
Cause for worry was a problem, but if there was immediate danger, they wouldn’t be standing there staring at each other. He waited, but Liam didn’t seem all that inclined to break the silence. Finally, Aiden sighed. “What’s going on?”
Liam cleared his throat. “You should go to your office. Immediately.”
That had been his intention, but now it seemed that was the last place he wanted to be. He gave himself a mental shake. Whatever was waiting for him there couldn’t be worse than he’d faced in the last few years. Still…“You’re very cryptic this morning.”
His man hesitated and then muttered, “Seamus is back.”
He froze. No. But there was nothing joking on Liam’s face. Which meant his father was, in fact, behind the office door, waiting for him. At six in the morning. “How long has he been here?”
“He got in last night.” Liam held up his hands and took a step back. “I was under command not to disturb you. He’s been in the office since he got here.”
“What time last night?”
“Around eleven.”
Which meant someone had called him about the party, and he’d left the house in Connecticut almost immediately to drive here. The only reason Seamus O’Malley would be back and snooping was because he expected to catch Aiden doing something he shouldn’t be doing.
Considering the plan he’d already put into motion, there was quite a bit for his father to find.
I don’t have to explain anything to him. He took himself out of the equation when he left and never came back.
The thought wasn’t comforting in the least. He shot a look at Liam. “Is my mother here?”
“Yes.”
Then shit was definitely going to be hitting the fan.
The only thing worse than dealing with his father was having his mother sniffing around Charlie. She’d more than proven she could hold her own, but it was one thing to face down his enemies and his siblings. His mother was a different animal altogether.
One thing at a time.
Aiden took a steadying breath that did nothing to steady him, and headed for the office. There was no point in delaying this coming confrontation—because it would be a confrontation. He’d worked too damn hard to get all the pieces in motion to have his father step in and fuck it up. No matter how much Seamus O’Malley liked power.
Aiden stepped through the door and closed it softly behind him. “Hello, Father.”
Seamus didn’t look up from the desk, where he had several stacks of paper scattered. “You sure as hell made a mess of things while I was away, didn’t you?”
“Actually—”
“Sit down and shut up. I’m speaking.”
Aiden instinctively moved for the chair before he caught himself. He straightened, working hard to keep his voice calm and controlled. “With all due respect, you don’t have the full story.”
“Don’t I? In the last year, you lost your sister Sloan, handing her off to none other than Jude MacNamara, one of the deadliest hit men out there, in addition to being a sworn enemy to our closest allies, the Sheridans. You also reached out to yet another enemy and offered your baby sister to him in marriage to keep your cowardly hide safe—feel free to step in if you think I’ve got it wrong—and you’ve hooked up with some gold digger and put my mother’s ring on her finger. It sure as hell sounds like you’re so busy thinking with your cock that you’re not doing what is required of you.” Seamus sat back. “So I’ve come to resume control.”
Absolutely not.
Aiden wrangled back his instinctive response—but only barely. “We’re in a delicate position currently—”
“Because of your actions.” His father’s dark eyes were steely. Unforgiving. “All your current problems are a direct result of steps you’ve taken.”
Aiden crossed his arms over his chest, and then abandoned the stance because it made him look defensive, and looks mattered when it came to going toe to toe with his father. He couldn’t let his temper off its leash, because any display of emotion would confirm the impression he didn’t want—that he was out of control. “We need to remove Dmitri Romanov from the equation.”
“Then maybe you should have paid Sloan’s new man to do exactly that.” Seamus steepled his fingers. “You want a chance to explain yourself? Now’s the time. Because I have half a mind to remove you from the situation.”