Page 93 of Intolerable Bishop

“Smart Princess, I like it.”

One stupid compliment shouldn’t have made me giddy inside, but it did, and I’d kick myself later for it.

JULY 28 – THURSDAY 11:40 PM

Theo

How the hell did I end up doing this? I never went with Myles when he collected for Lawrence. It was usually a soldier or Liam and Nash. I spent my mandatory hours in the office.

“What do you think he’s trying to prove,” I asked. Myles stopped eating the bag of chips he was devouring and looked at me.

“Who are ya talkin’ about?”

“Lawrence. Why am I out here with you? What is the point of this? This isn’t part of my normal duties. I mean, yes, I can fight and kill and have done both, but this seems…targeted.”

Myles lifted the bag of chips to his mouth and dumped the crumbs before speaking. “Ya want my honest opinion?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t.” I was supposed to be racing tonight, so my usual annoyance was enhanced to all new levels.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with ya. It’s to do with your da and the fact that Lawrence knows Ethan is not as get down and kiss the ring as he’d like.” Myles pointed to a man stepping out of a bar and stumbling toward his car. “That’s our mark.”

The meeting Blake and I had interrupted came to mind as Myles started the truck and pulled out to follow the guy who definitely shouldn’t be driving. He swerved into oncoming traffic and then back again.

“I need to tell you something,” I said, and Myles looked over for a moment.

“Well, if that didn’t sound fucking ominous, I don’t know what does? Ya didn’t get Ren pregnant, did ya? I’ll pull over and beat ya til ya can’t walk.”

Brow furrowing, I shook my head at him. “Not everything is about Ren…well, actually, this is, but no, not that. And what if she wanted to have kids with me? What would you do then?” Not that I wanted kids, but Myles started the conversation, so now I was curious.

The muscles in his jaw twitched as he glared and then turned his eyes back to the road. “If it’s what Snowflake wants, then I’ll go along with it, but not happily.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry.”

“Alright, then, what do ya have to say?”

We kept a dozen cars back but followed our target as he headed home. I already had the location pulled up on my GPS.

“Blake and I visited our mom to ask her a few questions.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “She’s known who Ren’s mom was all along.”

“What?” His head whipped in my direction. “And she just kept it to herself?”

“She said that Yulianna asked her to keep it secret. My mom built her house. I recognized a bunch of the features and went looking for her logo. She always puts it on a beam in the basement.”

“Shite…does Ren know?”

“No. I don’t want to tell Ren. Without her mom and now Nadia, my mom is the last female Ren feels comfortable around. You know, like a mom figure. But there is more.”

“Now, I’m not so sure I want to know. Yer gonna fuckin’ ask me to keep this all quiet, aren’t ya?” I didn’t say anything. “Fuck mate, this is dangerous.”

“I know, but I really don’t know what to do with all of this. Liam is my sounding board, but he and I aren’t exactly speaking much at the moment. I know that you’ll do what’s best for Ren.”

“I thought ya were doing fine? I mean…you’ve been seeing a lot of him recently again.”

“I said we aren’t talking…doesn’t mean we aren’t doing other things.”

“Ah…don’t be tellin’ me, I dinnie want to know.” Myles turned onto a side street, pulled over, and cut the engine as our mark got out of his car. The guy almost fell over before stumbling to his front door.

“Nadia wasn’t Ren’s aunt.” Myles’s mouth fell open. “Her real name was Frida, and she was Yulianna’s attendant. She ran with Yulianna. Ren’s real name is, for sure, Lilya, and I’m a hundred percent positive that Neil is not her father. Also, I think my mom is still hiding something, but she basically kicked Blake and me out of her office. Lawrence was there when we arrived, and she looked shaken. I don’t know what to do with this.”