Page 10 of Niall

“You’re not ready to be on your own. You’re safe here. Una is here. I’m here. Finn has an idea for you he will discuss with you.” I stood, towering over her. “You’ll stay in the hotel.”

She gazed up at me, once again the trust and hope in her eyes doing something to my chest.

“If you want,” I added.

“Is-is that what you want?”

I bent and pressed a kiss to her head. “Yes.”

“Okay.”

“Excuse me,” I muttered. “I have to do something. I’ll be right back.”

I passed John in the hall. “You can go.”

I knocked on Finn’s door, glaring when he answered it.

“Niall? Everything okay?”

“She’s staying here. With me. You can tell Roman to feck off with his offers. They’re not needed.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Is that exactly how you’d like me to deliver the message?”

“I don’t care how you deliver it. Just make it clear. Tell the Italian no help is needed on this.”

Then I turned and strode away, ignoring his shout of laughter.

“I’ll handle it, cousin,” he called. “A bit more diplomatically. But consider your territory well and completely marked.”

I flipped him off and headed back to my suite, unsure why I was so pissed off.

Except when I walked in and saw Anna again, my ire melted away.

And I knew I was truly fucked.

I got her to eat some dinner. Tender chicken, mashed potatoes with lots of butter, and a rich chocolate pudding were soft items I ordered for her, thinking they would be easy for her to eat. And high in calories, given the amount of butter and sugar it all contained.

I ate with her, encouraging her with small talk. When she seemed too tired to keep eating, I slid her chair closer and hand-fed her small bites as I talked. I told her about my mum. Growing up in Ireland.

“Were you in trouble a lot as a kid?” she asked.

I grinned. “Constantly. My mum says I gave her gray hair far too young. Finn and I were always in scrapes. Back then, there was no such thing as time-out. It was the wooden spoon and my arse. And Mum had good aim, even if I tried to escape.”

That earned me a smile.

“When I was older, the scrapes turned dangerous, and she hated it. When Finn left for Canada, I was lost without him. I fell into a bad crowd. When Mum got sick and he came home a few years later, she begged him to take me back with him.” I slid a forkful of potatoes and chicken into her mouth. “He was already a leader here and making a lot of money. He bought her a new place and made sure she had good care, and I came with him.”

“And you’re still working together.”

“He’s my family. More of a brother than a cousin.”

“What about your dad?”

I sighed, sliding her dessert toward her. I couldn’t believe the way I was talking to her. I never spoke of growing up—or my past.

“He died when I was younger. Fell off a ladder at work, hit his head, and was never right after.” I frowned at some of the memories. “He was a good dad. Taught me things. Warned me to stay clear of gangs and illegal activities. But after the accident, he became angry. He yelled a lot. Drank heavily, whereas, before the accident, he only occasionally indulged. He preferred tea with Mum.”

I was quiet for a moment. “He died about two years after the accident. It was the men who ran the gangs who helped me to get Mum compensation for Dad’s early death. I owed them.”