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In the short time she’s been in this apartment with us, she’s brought out the best in each of us. Okay, yes, I’ve been a pain in the ass lately, but that’s only because it is taking every single ounce of restraint in my body to deny what I really want, and what I want is her. And the fact that I’m left wanting another human being beyond just sex is alarming, that I feel something when I see her walk into a room, or that her voice is like music to my ears, or that the sweet smell of vanilla and caramel can now make my dick hard or that for the first time in a long time… her presence makes this place feel like a home.
“So what? Do you just want me to store her away until you’re ready to ship her off? Are we sinking ourselves to that level?” I wonder if he notices the slight shake in my voice.
“Yes.”
“What the hell happened to you?”
“Don’t fucking start with me, son.” He enunciates that last word. As if to remind me that whether or not I’m in charge, he is still my superior. “This is Declan Whelan. With one simple handoff, we can be rid of him and his entire syndicate. We wouldn’t even have to get our hands dirty.”
He straightens his shirt and walks toward the elevator, signaling he is done with this conversation and doesn’t want to hear anything else I have to say. Once he hits the button on the wall, he looks over his shoulder, “I expect you to do what’s best for the empire I’ve created… for our family. You will do as I say, Ronan.” The door opens, and he steps inside. “I’ll let you know when we have a plan in place for her.” The doors close, and just like that… conversation over.
“Fuck!” I continue to release a loud string of expletives into the apartment.
What the hell am I supposed to fucking do now. If I don’t follow his orders, if I interfere in any way, it will mean that not only will Declan come at us hard, but Dad will know exactly who was involved in fucking him over. Because he left her with us. She’s our responsibility.
She’s our responsibility.
She. Is. Ours.
That’s it. That’s all there is to it.
But what the hell do we do? How do we protect her? How do we keep her safe?
I don’t know who my dad has become. When I looked into his eyes tonight, I didn’t see my dad. I saw Liam McDermott, the great mafia boss. When I was younger, I thought those two men were separate. I thought my dad was a good person. An honorable man. One who lived by a particular set of rules, by a code. I thought the mafia boss was just who he was when he went to work. Maybe that was naive of me. Perhaps that was just because I was a child. Or maybe it was because he was good at hiding who he truly was. Now, I realize those two men are one in the same.
Regardless, three things have become true.
One. We can’t trust him, especially not with Harper.
I wonder how much my mom knows. I make a mental note to figure that out later.
Two. I will not be like him. I will be better. Just because we are criminals does not mean we are evil men. Sure, we do bad things. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do them with honor and a little bit of fucking integrity. I will run this empire better than he ever did.
Three. Harper is mine. She is ours. There’s no going backward. And there’s certainly no letting her get shipped off to the fucking Declan Whelan. Over my dead body will I let them take her. I will protect her and keep her safe no matter the cost. I will give that gorgeous woman whatever she wants in this world. I’m done second-guessing. I’m done fucking doubting. I’m done pretending that I don’t want her. And I’m sure as hell done acting like she doesn’t exist. Because she does exist, she’s quickly becoming the center of my universe.
I need to talk to Mac and Finn.
“Shit!” I suddenly remember what was happening at the club. I run into my office and pull up the security feed to Kings.
I don’t see them anywhere. They’re gone. I pull out my phone and call both the guys again. No answer.
“I swear to fucking God…”
Time stands still. All I can do is sit here and wait. Wait until the three of them walk through that door and explain what the hell is going on.
She is never going anywhere without me ever again.
The sudden intrusive thought is like a shock to my system. The idea of wanting someone, not just someone, this woman, around all the time is new to me. But for the first time in my life, I want it. I want her. Now we just have to figure out how to keep her.
I’m unsure how much time passes when I hear her laugh float through the apartment. And just like that, the sound of her voice causes my whole body to relax.
I move to stand in the doorway of my office. When I take in the sight of the three of them, I am immediately tense right the fuck back up. “What in the hell is wrong with the three of you?”
23
Mac
“Oh shit. Now we’re really in trouble.” Finn, Harper, and I are rooted in place in front of Ronan’s office. I’m not ashamed to admit that Finn and I are hiding our giant bodies behind her five-foot-ten frame. He won’t hit her, but he sure as fuck will deck the two of us.
