Undercover Attraction

by Katee Robert

  He’d fully intended to throw their physical relationship in Finch’s face, but Aiden couldn’t do it. He’d had every intention of seducing her to hurt her father, but that motivation had changed the first time she touched him. He wanted her for the sake of her, not because he wanted revenge.

  But he still wanted revenge.

  “Did you know we attended a poker game with Alethea and Mae Eldridge tonight?”

  This time, the silence stretched on for almost a full minute. “You’re going to get her killed.”

  Over my dead body. But he didn’t have to let Finch know how invested he was in Charlie’s safety. If the man wasn’t worried about his daughter, he wasn’t going to be motivated to do what Aiden wanted. “She’s assured me she can handle herself.”

  “You know as well as I do that she’s in over her head. My girl is capable, but she’s a small fish in an ocean of sharks. Send her home, Aiden.”

  “I don’t think I will.” He knew damn well that he’d have to let her go at some point. But not yet. “I strongly urge you to be on that dock on the twelfth. Have a good rest of your night, Agent Finch.” He hung up and systematically dismantled the phone. He doubted that Finch’s phone was tapped, so there should be no recording of that conversation, but he still wasn’t going to leave that burner phone for a second use. Finch knew how to get a hold of him if he was so inclined.

  The office door opened, and a sleepy-looking Cillian strode in. He was dressed much the same way Aiden was—a pair of pants that had obviously been hastily thrown on and nothing else. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing that can’t wait until morning.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was morning, albeit early enough that everyone should be asleep.

  “Wrong.” Cillian dropped into his customary chair across from Aiden. “I’ve been patient while you danced around this, and while you plotted and schemed and left me in the dark. Now you’re going to tell me everything, and you’re going to do it now.”

  He’d had every intention of looping Cillian in at some point, but he raised his eyebrows at the underlying threat in his brother’s words. “Or?”

  “Or nothing, you asshole. You’re my brother, and while I might not fully support every move you make, I can still appreciate the direction you’re taking this family.” He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his tone was more subdued. “But if you’re doing something that’s going to bring Romanov down on us, I’m getting Olivia and Hadley out of town until the smoke clears. So you will tell me. You owe me that much.”

  Aiden could argue that Cillian wasn’t in charge so he was on a need-to-know basis, but that was something their father would do. Seamus O’Malley believed that he owed no one anything and that everyone else was responsible for jumping through hoops to keep him happy.

  Once, he’d thought that emulating his father was the best way to go about things.

  These days, he knew better.

  The strength of the O’Malleys—of Boston as a whole—was in their family connections. Aiden was good, but he wasn’t the end-all, be-all. Pretending he was a god and everyone else was under his control was a good way to end up like Seamus had—with his entire family ready to chew off their own arms to get away from him.

  Charlie was right. It was time to start to mend the relationships he had with his siblings—and to ensure his with Cillian didn’t get broken in the first place.

  Aiden stood and grabbed the bourbon bottle that his father had already helped himself to. He set two tumblers on the desk and poured a healthy dose into both. Then he sat down and told his brother everything.

  * * *

  Charlie woke up alone in what was becoming a nasty pattern. She wasn’t used to sleeping so soundly that someone could get up and move around the room without her realizing it. Even with everything going on around them, she’d been sleeping better in the last week than she had in the two years previous. It didn’t make a lick of sense, except maybe to chalk it up to being sexed into submission.

  She stretched and smiled at how sore she was.

  Last night had felt like a turning point. She didn’t know what they were turning toward, but in that hotel room, they hadn’t felt like a criminal and a former cop. They were just a man and a woman who had narrowly escaped harm and needed to feel alive.

  She touched the ring on her finger. It no longer felt so foreign. Now, she was almost used to it … which was something she didn’t want to think about too hard. Better to keep busy and moving than to give in to the temptation to lie here and replay their time together.

  That was the problem, though—keeping busy. She never thought she’d miss her crappy job working the poker table at Jacques’s, but between running the poker games and spending time at the gym, the hours had passed quickly. She didn’t have that here.

  It didn’t feel right spending Aiden’s money in general, let alone because she was bored. And while the O’Malley household had its own personal gym, it always seemed to be populated by the steely-eyed men who provided the muscle to the family. Charlie had faced down equally cranky dudes who didn’t want to share their space when she was going through police academy, but she didn’t think Aiden would appreciate being tattled to about his new fiancée throwing down with his men.

  So what the hell was she going to do until the next thing Aiden needed her for?

  Charlie showered and got dressed, then pulled on a pair of her favorite jeans and a shirt that she’d owned before Aiden came into her life. The way things were going, she was in danger of forgetting who she was—what she was. She might not be a cop anymore—or ever again—but that didn’t alter where she’d come from.

  Fancy clothes and money couldn’t change that.

  Going with Keira to the gym had been good for both of them. She pulled her hair to the side and braided it loosely. Keira didn’t know yet that Aiden had given her training a thumbs-up, but it would do them both a world of good to get out of the house—especially since Seamus O’Malley was back. Charlie knew she’d have to face him down eventually, but she wasn’t looking forward to it.

  She found Keira exactly where she expected to—holed up in her room, though at least the customary cloud of smoke wasn’t present. Keira looked her up and down from mascara-smudged eyes. “You look way too spunky this morning. I’m going back to bed.”

  “No, you aren’t.” Charlie dropped into the same chair she’d taken the last time she was in the room. “I’m bored.”

  “That sounds like a personal problem.”

  She poked the pile of laundry with her toe. “I think you’re bored, too. You had fun yesterday.”

  Keira yawned. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is that we should get out of here for the day again. There’s got to be something we could do.” She hadn’t spent much time in Boston, despite living relatively close, but the touristy thing didn’t appeal—and she doubted that would be enough to tempt Keira out of the room. “Don’t you have something you need to do that you haven’t been doing because of all this?” Charlie waved her hand.

  “It’s too early to party. My coke dealer never answers his phone before three.” Keira saw the look on her face and burst out laughing. “Fuck, Charlie, I’m kidding. That bastard stopped calling me back months ago. I’m pretty sure Aiden threatened his life if he didn’t eighty-six me.”

  She chose not to comment on that. “Well?”

  “Oh, fine.” Keira dug her phone out from beneath a pile of pillows and thumbed through it. “You’re not going to like this.” Before Charlie could ask what she meant, she had the phone to her ear. “Carrigan? … Yeah, I know, it’s been way too long. What are you doing for lunch? … Perfect.” Her hazel eyes lit on Charlie. “Oh, and I’m bringing our brother’s gold-digging fiancée with me … No, don’t be a bitch. I like her.”

  Charlie pressed her lips together, wondering if she’d just made a mistake. It was one thing to run around the city with Keira, pretending they were just friends who hap
pened to like the same things—like punching a bag until their arms felt like limp noodles. Going to lunch with Carrigan was something else altogether. That woman was formidable, and it was readily apparent that she had no problem getting her hands dirty. She hadn’t done anything to confirm that, but Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling.

  Then again, I told Aiden it was time to start reaching out to his family. Maybe it’s time I learned what that really entails.

  Liam didn’t look happy when they told him where they were going, but he assigned them a security detail, saying he would call ahead to the Hallorans and ensure that things were covered on their end as well.

  It wasn’t until they were in the backseat of yet another town car that Keira slouched in her seat and expelled a long breath. “God. It’s always a gamble if they’re going to let me out of the house. With my father back, I thought someone might throw a bitchfit—especially since we’re going to see Carrigan, and she’s supposed to be dead to the family.”

  It took a few seconds for the pieces to click into place. Carrigan was with James Halloran. It didn’t seem to bother Aiden all that much. After all, he’d invited her to the dinner he’d put together, but if their father didn’t agree with his stance … that would complicate things.

  “Dead to the family?”

  “Ridiculous, isn’t it? I mean, we all have mixed feelings about the whole Halloran thing, but James isn’t that bad, and he obviously worships the ground Carrigan walks on.” Something like longing flickered over Keira’s face. “Could be worse.”

  “Could definitely be worse.” She sent a quick text to Aiden, wincing when she realized she should have done it before she left. Going to see Carrigan.

  Her phone vibrated almost instantly. I know.

  Of course he knew. Liam would have told him before they drove out of the building. Problem?

  No. Be careful.

  She started to set her phone aside, but it buzzed again. Have dinner with me tonight. Just us, no plotting.

  I’d love that. A smile pulled at the edges of Charlie’s mouth despite her best intentions.

  “Oh God. You two are disgusting.”

  She looked up in time to see Keira roll her eyes. “Really? Because I’m pretty sure you were giving Dmitri Romanov all sorts of come-fuck-me looks. And now you’re wearing his rock on your finger.” The memory killed any feel-good she’d gotten from Aiden’s plans for the night. “He’s dangerous, Keira. I don’t think you understand how much.”

  Keira gave her a look that had no place on a twenty-one-year-old’s face. “Everyone in our world is dangerous. If you haven’t figured that out yet, you should get out while you still can. My brother might like to pretend that he’s holier-than-thou, but he’s just as ruthless as Dmitri. And I’d be really surprised if he didn’t have as much blood on his hands—if not more.”

  “You don’t …” Surely she wasn’t hearing this right. “You sound like you have feelings for him.” She very carefully didn’t think about the claims Keira had aimed at Aiden.

  All emotion disappeared from the woman’s face. “Don’t be silly, Charlie. Only an idiot would fall for Dmitri Romanov.”

  * * *

  Keira regretted setting up the lunch with Carrigan and Charlie the second they sat down at the table. It was early enough that the restaurant wasn’t very busy, which was a blessing in disguise, because her sister turned to Charlie and immediately said, “Keira is right. You must be a gold-digging whore to get into bed with this family.”

  Charlie took a sip of her water. “Let’s get this out of the way. I’m marrying your brother. You can throw a bitchfit, but the wedding is going to happen. You might as well come to terms with it now, or you won’t be invited.”

  Keira knew she should probably step in, but Charlie seemed more than capable of holding her own. She was an interesting woman, and despite herself, Keira kind of hoped that Aiden didn’t fuck it up.

  Her phone vibrated in the pocket of the jacket she’d tossed over her tank top before they left the house. She slipped it out and blinked. When had she thrown Dmitri’s burner phone into this jacket? “Excuse me.”

  Neither her sister nor Charlie paid much attention as she rose from the table and walked to the back of the restaurant, where the bathrooms were. She answered as soon as she turned the corner. “Are you sneaking into my room again and moving this damn phone around?”

  He didn’t miss a beat. “If I were in your room, it wouldn’t be because I sneaked in there, but because you let me in. And I certainly wouldn’t be prioritizing moving a phone around.”

  He seemed to do that a lot—appear to answer a question without actually answering it. She tapped her toe against the trim on the bottom of the wall. “Well, knock that shit off. It’s creepy.”

  “It’s probable that you drank too much and misplaced the phone.”

  She glared, tapping harder. He had a point. When she’d gotten drunk last night, she seemed to remember wanting the phone on her in case he decided to call again. Stupid. “What do you want? I’m busy.”

  “Out to lunch with your treacherous sister.”

  He would think that. Carrigan breaking her word to him was the catalyst that had turned Dmitri Romanov into the bogeyman that the O’Malleys feared. Keira froze, feeling sick to her stomach. Of course. This had all started with Carrigan. Of course Dmitri wanted Carrigan. He always had. “Don’t call me again.”

  “Keira.” He spoke sharply enough that she knew she’d surprised him.

  If she was smart, she’d hang up and throw the damn phone in the nearest trash can, but she’d already proven that she was too stupid to live when it came to Dmitri Romanov. “If you want Carrigan, that’s your problem. I’m not interested in being sloppy seconds, or a younger, meaner version of the woman you really want.” It hurt far more than it had the right to for her to say those words.

  And, goddamn him, he laughed. “Is that what you think?”

  “You’re answering a question with a question. Again. I hate that.”

  “You didn’t ask a question. But let’s pretend for a moment that you did. Do I want Carrigan? No. I never did. She would have been a suitable wife, but I had no strong feelings for her one way or another.”

  “Then why force my family to its knees?”

  She could almost hear the smile in his voice. “You know why.”

  She licked her lips. “Yeah, I know why.”

  Because Carrigan breaking her word and running off with James Halloran had weakened him. If he couldn’t hold on to a woman who’d agreed to be his wife, then he might not be able to hold his people in place. Having Olivia flee Romanov hands, defying their father’s dying wishes, and ending up in O’Malley hands had only further weakened him.

  “Are you wearing my ring, Keira?”

  Her gaze dropped to the massive rock on her finger. Even knowing she should have taken it off, she couldn’t make herself do it. She loved it, just like he seemed to have known she would. “Yes.”

  “I never gave a ring to your sister. I never touched her as I’ve already touched you.” He took a breath, but it didn’t do anything to decrease the intensity in his voice. “You have driven me to distraction from the moment we met. I would move mountains to ensure that you end up as my wife, in my bed. You would do well to remember that.”

  He could be lying …

  She shivered, not sure if he was threatening her or making a promise that she might look forward to, just a little. Or both. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I want there to be no misunderstanding between us. I don’t want your sister—either of your sisters. I want you.”

  I want you.

  She leaned against the wall, her knees suddenly feeling a little out of whack. “Why are you calling, Dmitri?”

  “You’re in danger.”

  “What?” She shot off the wall, spinning around. The hallway was just as empty as it’d been the last time she looked. “Next time, Romanov, lead with that.”


  He called so I’d leave the table and get out of the line of fire. She ran back the way she’d come. “If you—”

  “I’m not responsible.”

  No, but he’d known there was a threat and he’d removed her from the situation, rather than warning Carrigan and Charlie. “Damn it, Dmitri, if something happens to my sister or Charlie, I will hunt you down and cut your fucking balls off. Take that into account next time you try this bullshit.” She hung up and sprinted back toward the dining room.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Get down!”

  At Keira’s yell, Charlie’s instincts kicked to the forefront, and her body took over before her mind could catch up. She grabbed Carrigan and hauled her to the ground. They hit with a bone-jarring thud. She expected the other woman to screech and shove her off, but Carrigan pressed herself even closer to the floor and kept her head down. She’s done this before.

  Charlie lifted her head to look around, finding Keira crouching under a table near the back of the room. She was paler than usual, but her eyes were bright and her expression determined. They stared at each other, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit ridiculous. “Keira, what’s—”

  The rest of her sentence died in the boom of gunshots and the cascade of glass showering the seats they’d just been sitting in. Something hit the top of the table hard enough to knock it over, but she was already moving, shoving Carrigan in front of her and army-crawling across the floor to a more secure spot. Where are Liam’s men?

  More shots rang out, and then the screech of tires. Charlie counted to ten, then twenty. At thirty, Carrigan twisted to face her, shaking glass out of her long, dark hair. “Well, shit, gold digger. I guess we have to be friends now, since you just saved my life.”

  She hadn’t, though. If Keira hadn’t yelled, she wouldn’t have known there was danger until it was too late. Charlie pushed herself up to a crouching position, wincing at the cuts covering her forearms and knees. Most of them were small—though it was hard to tell with all the blood—but there was probably still some glass embedded. This is going to suck.