Page 17 of Savage Little Secret

“I’m not a hundred percent certain about the last attack, but I believe that the Irish weren’t behind the attack at the Wynn,” I state as my head turns his way. “Not their style.”

I still blame them for Mikhail’s death, though. Not that I think a foot soldier like Brendan would know anything about that.

I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t calm me in the slightest. I came here for a reason, and the men decided to choose right now to confront me. I need to act, not to stand around and answer their questions.

“What’s the other reason you asked us to capture him?” Isaak breaks the silence.

“And who are you keeping in your penthouse? It’s Cara, isn’t it?” Emil questions as he lifts an eyebrow.

They’re already starting to piece things together, so I might as well get this over with.

“I set a trap. Only Cara knew. The Irish showed,” I say, immediately hearing angry murmurs all around me. “I questioned our prisoner and he gave me the truth. Cara was a plant. And she’s O’Malley’s daughter.”

The shop erupts.

I uncurl my fingers, not even realizing that my hands were balled up in fists. Now they’re clammy and shaky.

Just like the rest of my body.

It feels like I’m coming down with a fever, but I know it’s just the anger and the slew of other emotions ricocheting throughout my brain right now. I don’t even know how to feel, but I don’t really have the option of taking the time to figure it out.

Everything has gone to shit, and I have to try to pick up the mess.

“What are you going to do with her?” Ivan asks me, lifting his voice above the others.

“She’s a liability.”

“She’s a traitor.”

“We have to send a message.”

My heart pounds as my eyes shift around, taking in the fury of my men as they process the news. I’m sure some are shocked. Others, like Emil, are probably not.

Most of our men don’t trust others, and I’m usually on board with that because the people who can hurt you the most are the ones who are closest to you.

But I fucked up.

I let Cara get in my head, and, worst of all, I let her dig her way into my heart.

“We need to kill her. She knows too much about us,” Denis adds. “If she escapes, who knows what else she’ll tell the Irish fuckers? We’re already exposed enough as it is!”

“I told you all that something was up with her. I told you that she was suspicious,” Emil grits out as he turns around to look at everyone. “She can’t go unpunished for this.”

“Everyone, shut up!” I bark, making all the overlapping voices quiet down to a tense silence. “She doesn’t die today.”

As shouts of disagreement thunder in my ears, I close my eyes for a second and squeeze them tight, fighting the ache in my head. I’ve already threatened Cara with death, and maybe she deserves that for all the fucked-up shit that she’s done, but I don’t think I can actually kill her.

Not with my own hands.

The thought of doing that, of never seeing her again, makes me sick to my stomach. Which makes me feel ashamed.

I shouldn’t feel conflicted about dealing out punishment to an enemy, especially one who has done as much damage as she has.

Because of her intel, the Irish might be cooking up something big. They’ve already taken out our former Pakhan. Now, they may have an attack planned that’ll decimate the rest of the Bratva, all made possible thanks to Cara’s help. I have no idea of the level of harm she’s done right under my nose. Not to mention ruining the alliance with Artur for refusing to marry Annika, setting off another goddamn war.

“What is it with her? Is she really worth a war just because she spreads her legs for you?” Emil snaps at me.

My vision goes red. I shove him into a shelf full of old vases and pottery.