I shake my head. “I can’t believe I’m in a real-life castle.”
He laughs. “It’s been in the family for a few generations.”
“Jesus. Just how rich are you?”
“I’m not gonna lie,” he says. “We’re pretty fucking wealthy. It’s a myth that our money came from mafia dealings, though. This castle is proof that we come from old money.”
“I’ll say.”
“You want a tour?”
“Definitely,” I reply, feeling worlds better already.
“Drink your tea first,” he says, motioning to the cup by my bedside.
The bed I’m on is massive. And I have to really lean forward to grab the cup. But Cillian is right there to help me. He watches as I bring the cup to my lips and take the first sip.
Heat floods my system and I close my eyes and savor the sweet cinnamon taste.
“Mmm, that’s good.”
“You must be hungry.”
“I could eat,” I acknowledge. “But I’d rather get the tour first.”
He smiles, his eyes still lingering on my lips.
The heat flutters over my skin now, reminding me of that passionate kiss we’d shared moments before he left to rescue his parents.
Since I can’t bring myself to bring it up, I deflect. “So the mission was a success? You got your parents back?” I ask, sipping on my cinnamon tea.
“Yes,” Cillian replies. “I just got off the phone with Kian. My parents are in a secure location for the moment. He went to meet them there. It’s too risky to bring them back to the mansion. Especially after what happened at the Cavern.”
I frown. “What else happened?”
He takes a deep breath and I can tell it’s filled with disappointment.
“My gut was right,” he says. “There was a snitch.”
“No,” I breathe. “Who was it?”
“The person I least expected,” Cillian tells me. “Rory.”
I frown for a moment, and then realization hits. “Rory… as in the guy who picked us up off the side of the road?” I exclaim.
“That’s the one.”
“He’s the mole?”
Cillian nods. I can tell that the discovery is a painful blow to him.
“He’s only a few years older than me. He’s been with the clan for fourteen years. I’ve known him since I was a teenager. It just… It doesn’t make sense.”
“Wow. How are you coping?”
“I go back and forth between anger and disappointment,” he admits freely. “Of all the men I thought it could have been, Rory didn’t even factor into the list.”
“You trusted him.”