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Ronan is not alone when he comes back. Niall is with him. The second he’s through the door, Niall tugs Mellie into his arms.
“Where’s yer purse,amhuirnín?” he growls. Mellie blinks at him.
“In my locker in the storeroom.”
He nods to Ronan, dragging her out of the room, his arm clasped tightly around her shoulder.
“W-what’s going to happen?” I ask as Ronan moves across to me, crouching down in front of my chair. “Am I in trouble with Seamus?”
Fear creeps across my face, and Ronan’s eyes search mine as he sighs, pulling me into his arms and burying his face in my hair.
“No,leannán. Ye’re not in trouble. I’m taking ye home, and ye’re not to leave without me until we know the coast is clear. Liam’s got some errands to run, but he’ll be coming to stay.”
Liam is coming to stay with us? My stomach clenches with fear. He’s going to be my bodyguard. Like he used to be Tiggy’s. That’s what Ronan is trying to tell me.
“If I’m not going to leave the condo, why do I need a bodyguard?” I mumble into Ronan’s chest. Sighing, he rocks back on his heels, his thumb smoothing over my cheek.
“I’m not taking any chances with yer safety,leannán.”
My heart is the organ to clench this time. Ronan is looking at me and talking to me with such tenderness that it takes everything I have not to bawl like a baby. “Let’s get ye home safe.”
Ronan bundles me out of Oracle, not even bothering to stop for my duffel bag full of things. As we move from the building to his SUV, he curls himself protectively around me, even though I know – logically – that we’re safe here because I can feel the eyes of the undercover Vice cops on us.
The tires of the SUV squeal as we leave, and Ronan’s eyes are darting around, his knuckles white on the steering wheel until we pull into the secure underground parking garage underneath his building.
Even though there’s no way Grant could get inside here, Ronan hovers protectively over me in the elevator car all the way upstairs. He deadbolts the front door and makes me stand in the entranceway as he stalks through the condo with his gun out, searching every nook and cranny.
It seems a little excessive to me, but if that’s what he needs to do to lower his anxiety, I can stand here and wait. Sure enough, no one is here, but Ronan still half shuts the blinds.
I guess I’m going to have to get used to minimal sunlight. And fresh air. Not that I’m complaining. Before my, let’s face it, absolute failure of an outing today, I hadn’t left this condo in almost a month.
Ronan tugs me into his arms, snuggling with me on the sofa. If I’m stuck here for a while, we need to talk about getting one of those squishy fabric ones I’ve dreamed about. He doesn’t speak much, running his hands over my face and hair, occasionally dropping kisses on my face, holding me tightly.
After about two hours, Ronan’s phone beeps, and he pulls it out. I glance over and freeze. Ronan is frowning down at a photo of Grant on his phone.
“Where’d you get that?” I hate how shaky my voice sounds. Ronan glances over at me, turning to glare at Grant’s headshot again.
“Liam got it from City Hall.”
“Why?”
Ronan presses a kiss to my temple, his fingers stroking the back of my neck comfortingly.
“So the doormen know not to let him in here. Or Niall’s building, or Oracle. Or Sean Fitzpatrick’s house.”
Oh. That makes sense, I guess.
“Liam will be here soon. I have to get back to Oracle. Ye make up the guest bedroom for him. And remember,leannán, don’t leave the building without me.”
“I won’t.”
Ronan sighs, pressing a hard kiss to my lips. “I’ll see ye later,leannán.”
Standing, he heads to the front door. I turn to watch him go. Before he leaves, my mouth moves without my permission, and Ronan freezes mid-stride, turning, his eyes burning into mine.
“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”
My voice wobbles and Ronan is back across the room in a flash, his hands cupping my face.
