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Nothing changes except the temper pressing against the back of my teeth.
“She’s still Tallon scum,” he says.
“Yes,” I say. “So, stop sounding like you’d crawl over broken glass for a taste of it.”
The amusement leaves his face by degrees.
“You used to call them worse,” he says.
“I still do.”
I keep my fists loose because Lorcan is family in every way that matters, and busting his nose over Sera would bring drama that I don’t want to have to dig deeper into.
“It’s a sensitive subject since Keira betrayed us. Drop it.”
Lorcan’s mouth twitches. “What if Keira marries Saint and becomes a Tallon. Would that make Sera your sister-in-law?”
I hold his stare. “Do you want to pick your teeth off the concrete?”
A second passes before he laughs again, but the rumble carries less ease than before. “The tide has changed, cousin.”
“The tide hasn’t changed.”
“Then why am I the only one saying the Tallons are scum?”
I drag a hand down my face.
“I’m marrying Eilish Kinnane so we can ruin them once and for all,” I say. “Doesn’t mean I need to talk about the Tallons every fucking day.”
Lorcan’s smile fades. “I get it. You’re marrying Eilish for more power.”
“For leverage,” I correct. “Power is what you have. Leverage is what makes other men use theirs badly.”
He studies me.
“Right now, the Tallons think they’ve got the better of us with Keira in their pocket. We’ll let them keep freight moving, watch the dock, and see if they welcome the Crowes. You don’t cut out a family like the Tallons while they’re still holding the port. If we move too soon, we open it up and invite every hungry bastard in Cork to test the gaps.”
“So, we wait.”
“We stay patient. We let the Crowes show us how they operate. Then we remove the threat and deal with the Tallons when the port can survive it.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I check the message and read it out loud.
“Unknown crew member identified near Berth Twelve. Possible Crowe association. Tallon security doing a sweep.”
I slide the phone into my pocket. “Patience pays.”
Lorcan’s posture changes at once. “And if the guy is working for the Crowes?”
“Then we’ll get one of our men in the same room as him.”
“And if the Tallons block us?”
“They won’t.”
Lorcan gives me a thin smile and walks toward the office, already barking orders into his phone.
I stay in the rain and watch the gate open for another truck, giving myself time to bury every thought of Sera behind locks, walls, and discipline.
