Page 83 of Reckless Seduction
“I’m not exactly free to come and go,” I remind him. “I have to be sure no one is following me.”
Nodding, he still doesn’t look up from his phone.
“Do you have it?” He turns his attention to me, one brow raised expectantly. Something is off about him. Kiernan has always been somewhat standoffish, especially compared to his brother, but this is different. My stomach churns with unease, but I ignore it. This is Kiernan. I can trust him… right?
I pluck the drive from my bra and hold it out for him. He snatches it from my hand and shoves it in his jacket pocket.
“You did so well,mo fraochÚn beag.” He smiles down at me, but it is tight, his lips pursed, eyes hard.
“Look, there’s something you need to—” The door to the room bursts open, interrupting the secret I am about to spill. Turning, my eyes widen as my father strides through the door, a look of fury painted across his face. He is flanked by his guards on either side.
“I’m sorry about this, Bailey,” Kiernan whispers in my ear. “I really am.”
What is going on?
THIRTY-THREE
The utter lookof betrayal on Bailey’s face drives a knife deep into my chest. It lodges deeper than I was expecting, and suddenly, all I want to do is take it all back. My father and Seamus wanted to alter the plan, but we couldn’t. We need the information on the senator, and taking Bailey with us after we obtain it would lead to suspicion.
This way, Crowe believes we are on his side.
But now… now I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms and tell her exactly how I feel. He will no doubt discipline her, but she is his daughter. He will see her as misled and try to point her back in the right direction. But it won’t matter, because once everything is out about him, we will come back for her. When it is all over, she will be ours.
Bailey is going to hate me for this, but I will make her see it is for her own good.
“Kavanaugh,” the senator greets me coldly.
“Senator.” Bailey’s hand grips my wrist tightly, her gaze wide-eyed and frantic as she looks up at me.
“It seems you have a few things of mine.” His gaze turns to Bailey, who shrinks into my side as if I will save her. But I am not her savior.
“Here.” I reach into the inner pocket of my jacket and toss him a drive that is nearly identical to the one Bailey has given me. The only difference is that the information on it has nothing to do with what Bailey managed to steal from the laptop. There is still incriminating evidence on it, but nothing compared to what Bailey dug up.
“On it is everything she has managed to dig up on you over the last year or so,” I tell him casually.
“And how is it that my daughter came to you?” he wonders.
I smirk. “She thought we had a vested interest in seeing you in prison,” I lie. “Bailey approached us last week, stating that she had information that would lead to a conviction no dirty judge would be able to look past.”
“No, they—” Bailey starts, but I keep going.
“You can even check her car’s GPS logs,” I add. “She was with us up until the time she returned to your doorstep. We wanted to make sure she was serious about turning over the information before contacting you about it.”
“And what do you have to gain, Kavanaugh?” Crowe spits. “This is some sudden camaraderie you are showing when all your family has ever expressed is distaste.”
My eyes darken. We are about to see how good my acting skills truly are.
“My brother and I are set to take over my father’s empire in less than a year,” I tell him. That is the truth. My father is set to retire soon, and Seamus and I will take his place. “For years, we have turned down deals that could have projected our family into better and more lucrative means, but every time, we are forced to turn them down due to our father’s… moral compass.”
“And you think I can help you with that?” he asks. “I am a senator and?—”
“Yes, we are all well aware of your title,” I scoff. “We are also aware of the underground flesh trade you have going with the late Elias Ward, and we want in.”
“Your father will have objections to this.”
“My father will no longer be a problem soon,” I assure him, ignoring Bailey’s mild gasp from next to me. “As soon as he hands over the reins, he is taking a nice long trip to Ireland. He won’t be a problem.”
The senator nods his head once, seemingly appeased.
