Dylan (Kings of New York #2)

Preface

Our Turn

Ronan

I sit with Danny standing between my legs as she blow-dries my hair while finger combing it. I have my hands on her waist as I smile to myself. Knowing she’s carrying our child has me on a high.

“What are you smiling at?” She smiles down at me.

“I’ve missed ya. Can’t yer husband be happy to see ya?”

She leans in and pecks my lips. “You’ve been driving everyone crazy. You think I haven’t heard about you?”

I grin back at her. “What have ya heard?”

“Anika moved because you were at her door nearly every day.”

“Ach, if ya think I be the reason she took off, I don’t think yer the full shilling at all, so it is. We need to have yer noddle checked, we do.”

She bursts out laughing at me. Her face brightens with the gesture. My heart fills with so much love as the sound rings out.

“God, I’ve missed your voice. Okay, you’re right. I’ve heard about what’s been going on with her.

“Still, Lyric has been seconds off getting a restraining order against you. You’ve been at his office at least once a week. Thank God, Logan and LaSalle put a stop to that before you ruined his campaign.

“You’ve even been to Ireland to harass your mother, thinking she was hiding me out. I’ve heard a lot,” she says with a rueful smile on her lips.

“Ya think I don’t know that she was at some point?” I lift a knowing brow.

Ma and Da did have her there with them during the first week or two. That’s where I lost track of her. The way Ma laid into me told me my wife had been there.

Danny sighs. “She’s going to kill me when she sees me.”

“I doubt that. Yer her favorite.”

She snorts. “The only thing that might save me is the baby. I had to leave without a word. I knew she was trying to keep me there until you arrived.”

I roar with laughter. “Okay, ya might be right. Although she wouldn’t rat ya out once ya were gone. So ya might still have her favor.”

“We’ll see.”

I run my hands up her sides and then back down again. She bites her lip as I move my hands to palm her full ass then squeeze. Lifting from my seat, I look her in the eyes as I lean in to take her lips.

She moans as I groan and kiss her deeply while now hovering over her. The slacks to the suit I’ve changed into begin to become tight. I want my wife again. Her pregnant pussy feels too grand to ignore.

“Ro, baby. We’re going to miss the entire wedding.”

I groan and place my forehead to hers. “I can name at least two more weddings that will be here, not including ours.” A smile comes to my lips as I think of the vow renewal we were planning before she took off. “After all his planning and fussing, Ryan won’t know we’re missing.”

“Ronan, the baby and I do need to eat. Besides, whoever the DJ is has this place rocking.”

She’s right, we should be down at the wedding, but we both needed a shower after our session in the bathroom downstairs. I held nothing back after we settled the tension between us.

We had to sneak up to the room I’ve been staying in for the wedding weekend. I haven’t had proper sleep in months. I’ve been replaying our last conversation over and over at night while in bed alone.

We’d been fighting, yes, but I thought it was about our keeping secrets and my overprotectiveness. When she disappeared four months ago, I didn’t think it was because she was pregnant. I know for a fact I’m not the only male around here who has become more watchful over his other half.

What happened with the Alliance has made us all extra watchful. I don’t think any of our hearts could take anything like that again. The only reason I didn’t completely lose my shit while she was MIA was because Danika ensured I knew she was safe.

“Ach, yer right. I do want to feed ya and the babe. Do ya know what it is yet?”

“Not officially. I wanted to wait to see if you want to come with me to find out.”

I kiss her hard. “Of course, I want to be there,” I say against her lips.

“I love you.”

“Aye, I love ya too. So ya haven’t told Ma about the wee ’un yet?”

Danny snickers. “Do you think she would have kept it to herself if I did? We can tell her together.”

“In that case, I’ll keep it in my pants for now. Let’s go tell me oul wan she’s going to have another grand.”

“I love how you say that with so much pride. I’m sorry I read into things so wrong.”

“It’s not yer fault, love. This one is on me.”

“No, I should’ve shown more patience.”

I laugh. “I hope this babe teaches us both the meaning of the word. Let’s not argue over who’s to blame. Yer here now and we have the rest of our lives to make it up to each other.”

She smiles and begins to bob her head. “Oh my God, “Microphone Fiend.” This wedding sounds lit. Come on, baby. I want you to dance with me.”

“As ya wish, love. Let’s go.”

I take her hand and turn her in a circle in front of me. She looks great in the thin black dress she has on. I drop my gaze to her ass and grin like a loon.

Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I then lean into her ear and whisper. “I love the hair, and ya look good enough to eat.”

Dean

We get down to the ballroom where the reception is being held and the music feels like it’s booming through the floors and walls. Eric B. & Rakim’s “Microphone Fiend” is still playing.

I throw my arms in the air and bob my head to the beat. A smile comes to my face as we walk onto the dance floor and find our family and friends showing out. Tasha and Noah are going back and forth doing The Whoop. Paige and Bobby aren’t that far away and Bobby is giving it his best.

I’m not mad at him. It’s Cass and Laoise who have me laughing so hard I’m doubled over. Neither plans to be left out of the fun, but Lord, they both need to sit down before someone calls an ambulance from thinking they’re having a seizure.

“What are ya laughing at?” Ronan says in my ear as he wraps me in his arms.

“I’ve seen you dance, but your mom and sister … wow. I don’t get it.” I laugh some more.

Ronan rumbles with laughter as he starts to sway to the music, proving my point. I stop trying to make sense of it. The two little women are too cute as they give it their all.

Let them have fun. Ronan gives me a squeeze and kisses my neck. I can feel his happiness rolling off him.

DJ, Val, and Tasha have been trying to tell me this would all work out. If I had known about Sasha and their baby, I wouldn’t have stayed away for so long.

It took about two weeks for me to realize I not only missed my husband, but I also wanted this baby. Yes, I, Danika McGowan, want to have my own crumb snitcher. As long as it’s with this man, I’m willing to do just about anything.

The only reason I didn’t run back home to Ronan was because I didn’t know if this was something he wanted. Between his age and the role he holds in the Alliance and with the families, I didn’t think he would be so happy about the news.

“I love you. I’m so happy we’re having this baby,” Ronan croons in my ear as we sway to the music.

“I love you too. Surprisingly, I’m excited about the baby.” I’m smiling so hard my face hurts. As I look around at all the other smiling faces, I know this is going to be all right.

The bride, Carmen, looks like she’s having the time of her life dancing with Joe Black, her father-in-law. Ryan grabs his grandmother and tries to help her out a bit as Ciara walks over to Cass and begins to dance with her. A face-splitting smile comes to my lips.

That girl holds a special place in my heart. I took to Ciara from the first time I crossed paths with the little thing. She’s full of fire and reminds me so much of myself at her age.

She and her cousin have grown on me and are two I consider friends. I’ve gained a lot of those over the last few years, along with family. Don’t get me wrong, there’re still levels to this, but the people in this ballroom have proven they would give their lives to have my back.

If not for Ciara and Dylan, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off my disappearing act. Not with my husband. This isn’t my first trip to Scotland.

I came here after going to Ireland to my in-laws in the beginning. It didn’t take long to realize my mother-in-law was going to sell me out. I only went to Ibiza because I didn’t want to drag everyone into my mess.

Logan didn’t like the idea of them hiding me out while pregnant with Ronan’s baby. Seeing how pissed he was, I took off on my own. I might not have been under his roof, but don’t shit move here without Logan O’Brien knowing and having a say.

I learned that fast. Once I was gone, I wouldn’t tell anyone where I was so that if Ronan asked, they wouldn’t have to lie. I’m grateful to everyone for not trying to stick their noses in my business for as long as they did.

Logan looks over at me as sweat drips down his face while he dances behind his woman on the dance floor. He gives me a smug smile and winks. I shake my head, laugh, and wink back.

“There ya are. It’s good to see ya. It’s even better to see ye together,” Laoise says with a huge smile on her face.

She quickly pulls me into a hug. I squeeze her back as if I hadn’t seen her three months ago. We both rock from side to side.

“Don’t give him too much hell, love. He be missing ya.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m going home with him after the wedding. We need to see a doctor to find out if we’re having a boy or a girl,” I whisper back.

She releases me and begins to scream. The joy on her face makes my heart ache. She looks between me and Ronan with tears in her eyes.

“Ya will come to spend time with yer oul grand at least twice a year, ya will. I’ll spoil ya rotten and send ya back home,” she coos to my stomach.

I can’t help but laugh as she palms my still flat belly as she talks to it. Her excitement is infectious. Ronan cups my chin as he stands behind me and tilts my head back so he can kiss my lips. I smile up at him as he breaks the kiss.