Shielded Wrongs (Bellandi Crime Syndicate 4)

Tiernan was on his feet, his second-in-command getting twitchy fingers that shifted for his gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ryker warned, leveling the man with a glare. "Believe me, I'm just itching for you to give me a reason to paint the room with your blood, but I don't think Liam would appreciate the decor change."

"I wouldn't," the old man piped up. "Aoife is very fond of my blue-grey walls, and I like my girl to spend as much time in here with me as possible before she leaves the nest." His eyes went right for Yavin, a conspiratorial wink transforming his aging face.

Aoife stood from her place looking out the window, gliding on smooth footsteps until she stood next to her father. "Red clashes with my hair so terribly," she admitted with a shrug, turning her attention to her blue nail polish.

"What is this, Liam?" Tiernan asked, glancing at the man who he so cleverly pretended to respect while he made plans to stab him in the back.

Literally.

Yavin moved to stand behind the desk with Liam, taking his place next to Aoife. She didn't flinch away from him when he leaned in to kiss her cheek slowly, playing a dangerous game with Murphy. But Liam's guffaw of amusement was worth the risk as he clapped his hands together once in excitement. Aoife's cheeks flushed pink at the contact, her cerulean eyes looking up at Yavin as he drew away.

Her face hardened when she turned her attention back to Tiernan where he glowered at her, all the promise of a caged snake ready to strike her the moment she left her father's protection and became his. Aoife might have fought against the requirement that she marry a man of her father's choosing, but the undeniable reality was that she was far better off with Yavin than she'd have been with Tiernan.

"I do not appreciate you allowing him to touch my fiancé," Tiernan warned, his voice deepening as he glared at Yavin. Matteo stepped further into the room, flanked by Simon and me as we lined up to the side of the desk.

"Then I suppose it is fortunate for me that I am no longer your fiancé," Aoife said, holding h

er chin high as she glared at him. "Thank God for that."

Tiernan glowered, his brow furrowing with his confusion as he turned to Liam. "What's she talking about? Aoife has been contracted to me for years."

"That was before you conspired behind my back to see me dead and went against my alliance with Bellandi. There is to be no sex trafficking in the city, Tiernan. Surely it cannot be that difficult to obey what is essentially the only rule we have," Liam said, leaning forward in his chair to flip open the manila folder sitting there so that the photos we'd provided him with were plain for Tiernan to see.

"This is just another Bellandi game to turn us against one another. Bellandi has always desired my business."

"I'd rather see your pathetic loan shark enterprise burn to the ground than touch it with a ten-foot-pole," Matteo laughed. "I tend to believe I'm as dirty as they come, but even I wouldn't touch that unless I wanted to contract an STD from the money you've touched. Dirty is as dirty does, Tiernan, and you are dog shit stuck to my shoe."

"Fucking Italians and their dramatics," Tiernan rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Liam. "It isn't too late to go back to the way things were. We can discuss what you think you know like men as we always have."

"Aoife and Yavin are to be married on May 9th. Unlike your marriage contract where she refused, Aoife has signed, and the ink is dried. I've booked the Church, and the wedding will happen, Tiernan. You've disappointed me, and what's worse is you've betrayed your father's memory. He gave everything for this family, and you would throw it all away for what? Money from selling unwilling pussy?" He shook his head, sighing in defeat. "I'll allow you to live out of respect for your father, if you agree to leave Chicago and never look back. There will be no vengeance or retribution against the Bellandis or my daughter."

"You think I would leave the city that has been my home all my life because you demand it?" Tiernan laughed. "Your so-called family is no longer yours! They turn their backs on your antiquated generation without a second thought." He moved quickly, reaching into his pants to grab the gun tucked into his waistband.

In the corner of my eye, Yavin moved quickly, shifting Aoife behind him and blocking her with his body. Unfortunately for Tiernan, Yavin wasn't the only one who moved fast. He never managed to aim his gun before I'd pulled mine and leveled it on his head. His second-in-command grunted when Ryker's hatchet wrapped around the front of his throat in warning.

"I would suggest you put the gun away, Murphy," I ordered, my gun trained on his forehead. "I do not miss."

Matteo sighed, picking at his fingernails in disinterest like the psycho he was. Unconcerned with the threat the two men may pose.

"If Bellandi had his way, you'd already be dead. I've asked that you be allowed to leave my home safely as a final kindness to your father. Do not make me regret it," Liam commanded.

"This isn't over," Tiernan returned, turning and storming out of the office. It shocked me that the man was smart enough to retreat when needed, given his stupidity in opposing both O'Callahan and Bellandi. I didn't think he knew he also stood against Ibarra and countless others.

Ryker released Sean begrudgingly, letting him tuck his tail between his legs and follow his leader. He paused beside me, leveling me with a cruel grin. “Tell pretty girl I said hi,” he laughed, retreating from the room. Our promise to Liam that they could leave safely limited my options, but my hand tightened around my gun with the need to put a bullet in his brain.

"You could have been shot," Aoife whispered as Matteo nodded to Liam and led the way out into the hallway.

"Better me than you, love," Yavin said, running a thumb over her cheekbone before he turned away to follow the rest of the group out of the office.

She gaped after him, pink flushing her cheeks as her father's laughter followed us out. "I like him."

I'd gotten used to the noise of Indulgence. Though, I admittedly spent as much time in my office as I could manage with the door closed to reduce the sound pollution to mostly vibrations coming up through the floor.

Monday nights weren't known for being crazy, so knowing where Tiernan would be and that he'd be distracted, Matteo had conceded to Ivory's demands for a girls' night. Walking in the front doors of the club after our meet with Tiernan, I knew the club was stuffed full of security like it had never seen. Most of Calix's men and some of Rafe's mingled on the dance floor, working to blend in with the crowd and not attract attention. I didn't give a shit if the girls knew they were there, but we couldn't have our enemies seeing just how well-protected our women were. We made our way through the crowd, my eyes connecting with Calix's as he sat at the bar and surveyed the main floor.

"What kind of shit do you think they've tried tonight?" Lino asked me, shouting over the pulsing bass of the upbeat rhythm.

"I don't want to think about it. I saw what Sadie was wearing when I handed her off to Scar and Sandro."