Page 7 of Bound Lies

I plate up my food. “Ronan’s always got to be the first at everything.”

The fucker puffs up his chest. “Damn right!”

Brennan shakes his head. “Is Cormac on his way?”

“Cormac’s coming?” The words come out harsher than I intended, but I don’t care.

I’ve stopped trying to hide my distaste when it comes to Cormac.

“He is our brother, too, Kieran.”

“Like I give a fuck. What I don’t understand is how you two don’t have a problem with him. He disappeared for years, and then suddenly shows up the second our father is in the ground? A little too convenient if you ask me.”

Brennan shrugs. “Yeah, but I mean, it’s not like he’s going to take over as head of the family.”

“He could have if everyone else was out of the way.” I shoot Ronan a look, but he blatantly ignores me.

“So could you. And all it would take would be for Ronan to fall. Hm, this shit is good.” Brennan scarfs down another mouthful.

“Quit stealing my breakfast.” I snatch my plate away.

Ronan scoffs. “If you’re done playing chef, we need to get to work.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for His Highness to grace us with his presence?”

Ronan shakes his head. “No need. He’s just pulling into the garage now.”

“Remind me to change the code,” I say under my breath, and Brennan chuckles.

The coffee in my mug is cold, but I keep sipping it anyway.

I lounge back in my armchair, surveying Ronan as he stands with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the whiteboard behind my couch.

It's full of names and places and lines that connect what feels like everything and nothing at the same time.

"It still doesn’t make sense," Brennan mutters from where he perches on the arm of the other armchair. "Finn won’t talk to any of us. Not even after what Cormac did to his hand."

Ronan looks at Cormac. “What the hell did you do to his hand?”

Cormac just leans against the bar with a bored look on his face.

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from grinning like a Cheshire cat.

One thing I love more than giving Cormac a hard time is Ronan giving Cormac a hard time.

But Cormac doesn’t even blink at the murderous glare Ronan is giving him. "I didn’t break anything."

Brennan’s chin almost drops to the floor. "You dislocated two of his fingers.”

"So? I reset them again. I think he’ll survive.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. The headache is already building behind my eyes—not the kind I normally get from too much booze or too little sleep. It’s the kind that comes with dealing with my brothers’ shit for way too long. "Focus. Sean O'Keefe is the only one who makes sense for Finn to be linked to."

Ronan holds up a finger. "He’s the only one who almost makes sense. We don’t have anything solid on him, just speculation and the fact that he used to work with Liam Kelly."

Brennan frowns. "Liam Kelly… The one who kidnapped Mila?”

“The very one.” Ronan’s expression darkens.