Page 4 of Lawless Rivals
Dane is stationed by the door, watching who goes in and out. One glance from me, a slight tilt of the chin, and he knows the plans are in full swing.
We’ve been doing this long enough that words aren’t needed. He disappears toward the side entrance, a shadow moving ahead of us.
Keira squeezes my hand as we push out into the blustery evening air and start down the steps.
“So, Ciarán,” she says, her voice light and a little shivery, “aside from pissing off exes, what do you do for a living?”
I smile sideways, slip off my tux jacket, and settle it over her shoulders.
“A bit of everything. Buying land. Breeding horses. Enforcing boundaries.” I meet her eyes. “You?”
“I studied architecture at uni, even though my father wanted me to be a barrister, or whatever.” She sighs. “I convinced him that having two children with law degrees was over the top.”
Keira laughs, the sound bright against the night as we cross onto gravel. Her high heels wobble, yet she steadies herself with grace and carries on.
“Did you study law with Fionn?”
“Nah, university wasn’t my thing,” I say as headlights flare.
A black SUV speeds along the driveway and skids to a halt before us.
For one stupid second, I look at her instead of keeping my head in the job.
Her smile fades as the SUV pulls in, and my pulse gives one hard kick.
She’s about to learn who I am.
“Wait.” Keira hesitates. “Is that—?”
Before she can piece it all together, Dane jogs out of the shadows behind her, fast and silent. The burlap drops over her head in one clean motion.
She jerks, cries out, but he’s already got her arms pinned.
“You’re a fucking legend, Saint,” Dane grins, hauling her toward the SUV. “Didn’t think ya had a hope in hell of getting her out here.”
I light up a cigarette while Keira thrashes, voice muffled under the fabric. “Are you kidding me? You’re Saint? Saint Tallon… You lying bastard!”
Before her screams climb higher, Rafe’s out of the driver’s seat, yanking open the rear door while Dane muscles her into the back and ropes her wrists together.
“I’ll hang here for a bit,” Dane says, slamming the door and killing the sound of her rant. “Make sure the plan unfolds properly.”
“Be careful,” I tell him. “We gotta play it cool for now.”
I clap his arm and slide into the front passenger seat. In the mirror, Keira’s neck twists under the sack, her breathing quick and furious.
Rafe guns the engine. Gravel spits in our wake, and the estate lights vanish behind us.
“Buckle up, princess,” I say, the words dry in my throat. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not one of the good guys. And now the countdown has started, you’re about to learn what kind of man I really am.”
Chapter 2
Keira
I let a Tallon kiss me because I was a fool not to see the predator circling.
Paris made me believe in romance.
Whereas Black Heath has always taught me the harsh truth.
