I tell him. The same way I told Judge, word for word, and I watch a shift move behind Ronan's eyes, cold and tactical and completely certain.
When I'm done, he doesn't speak for a long moment.
Then he turns to Judge.
"I'm handling this," he says. "Tonight."
Judge nods once.
Ronan looks at me.
"Stay here," he says. "Don't leave. Don't answer calls from numbers you don't know. Don't go anywhere alone."
"Ronan—"
He crosses to me. Puts both hands on my face, firm and careful, the way he touches everything important.
"Stay here," he says again. "Please."
I see it then, underneath the control—the fear. Not for himself. For me.
"Okay," I say.
He kisses me once. Hard and brief.
Then he's gone.
Chapter 14 – Ronan
The Pinecrest Lodge sits outside town, tucked into the pines like it’s trying not to be noticed.
It’s not trying hard enough.
I park out in the tree line, sightlines clear. Force of habit—no one rolls up to a target on a Harley expecting surprise.
Judge is already there.
His Road King is parked where I would’ve put it—north side, clear view of the entrance and lot. He’s leaning against a pine tree, arms crossed, watching the building the way we used to watch compounds in Kandahar.
I move up beside him without a word.
"Room 212," he says quietly. "Second floor, corner unit. His car is the black Mercedes, California plates. He's been in his room for the past hour. Ordered room service at eighteen-hundred."
"Alone?"
"Far as I can tell."
I study the building. Two floors, exterior access, metal stairs at each end. Room 212 would be upper corner, facing the parking lot. One exit through the door, one through the window if he's desperate. Probably not desperate yet. Men like Derek Sutton don't operate from a place of fear. They operate from entitlement.
That's about to change.
"Stone's on the south approach," Judge continues. "Blaze is at the main road. Anyone comes in or out, we know about it."
"Good."
"Ronan." Judge turns to look at me. Pale eyes steady in the fading light. "This needs to be clean. No hospital, no cops, nothing that blows back on the club or on her."
"I know."
