Page 111 of Bound Lies

Ronan nods. “Kieran’s right. I understand it’s frustrating, but we need to put your safety first.”

Riley chews on her lower lip as she fiddles with the hem of her shirt, looking like she’s seconds away from bursting into tears.

I hate that I’m going back on our deal, but knowing that Sean is on our tail raises the stakes to a height I don’t dare fuck with.

“Sean isn’t going to back down,” I remind her.

“I know.”

Ronan leans forward. “I think we should pull Brennan from surveillance and have him start digging into O’Keefe. Hopefully, he can find something we can use against him.”

“I agree.”

“Doyle can cover him on surveillance until then, as well as Cormac.”

“Can we trust Cormac to pull his weight and actually do what he’s asked? Because if he continues to flake out, I’d rather put another guy with Brennan.”

Ronan leans back and folds his arms. “I’ll speak to him, make it clear that this is his priority.”

The fact that he even needs reminding makes my blood boil.

I wonder what will happen with Cormac after Sean is taken care of. Does he go back to doing whatever the hell he wants without any repercussions? Because that’s exactly what he has been doing for the past two years.

There’s one set of rules for me and a completely other set for Cormac, and I’m getting a little tired of picking up the slack.

I don’t bother voicing my thoughts to Ronan. The last thing I need right now is to get into another argument with him. I’ll just have to deal with Cormac’s lack of work ethic after I’ve taken care of Sean.

“You’ll be sticking close to Kieran,” Ronan tells Riley. “If Sean’s watching, we need this marriage to look airtight.”

Riley doesn’t flinch. She simply nods.

There’s a strength in her gaze that reminds me of the therapy reports I read.

Highly resilient.

Empathetic.

Mature.

She’s not just surviving right now. She’s learning and adapting to the threats, and it makes me proud to see her refuse to cower. She’s stronger than I’ve given her credit for.

“I expect you to play your part as well, Kieran,” Ronan warns.

I ball my hands into fists but keep my mouth shut, only because Ciara has reappeared, and I don’t want to lose my cool in front of her.

“Did I miss anything?” she asks.

Ronan is on his feet in an instant and helps her back over to the couch, settling the blanket around her legs and reaching for her water.

“Not at all,” he murmurs before kissing her forehead.

“Liar.”

I remove myself from the arm of the couch and take Ronan’s vacant seat so he can sit beside his wife.

“Come on, tell me all the drama. I need something to think about other than the fact I already need to pee again.”

Riley laughs, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. I can see the disappointment written all over her face, and from the looks of it, so can Ciara.