Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
I’m Only a Fool for You - Dybbukk Covers, Dybbukk, Domingo Morales
Ronan kissed me. Ronan kissed me . RONAN KISSED ME.
And now he’s running away.
Fuck, fuck, fuck . I jump out of the car. This was my fault. I was so busy trying to keep Ronan alive. Apex is a huge organization and they have a hit out on us. To put a cherry on top, now Ronan wants to go after Dillon, who is actively being guarded by the same guys who wanted to kill us. Because apparently, the universe is full of jokes.
Ronan is striding up to the theater, looking like a man on a mission. Every cell in my body needs to chase him. Needs him to stay with me forever. Needs him to learn he can never run from me.
“Ronan.” Before he can get inside, I grab his arm a little bit harder than I mean to, and he shrugs me off.
“Back off,” he snarls.
Unlucky for him, that just makes me want to chase him more. I grip Ronan’s muscled shoulder and whip him around. When his angry gaze meets mine, I grin. “Let me get the door.”
Ronan starts to argue, but I’ve already opened it. I wave with a mocking bow, about to make a jab, but Ronan strides past me, muttering, “Ladies first.”
My mouth drops open. How did he know I was going to say that? Am I that predictable? Then I realize I’m standing a little dumbfounded and follow after Ronan. He’s already at the counter since it’s the middle of the day, and there’s no line.
“One for–”
I slide up beside him and grin at the employee. “Two. We’ll take two.”
Ronan glowers but says nothing. I wrap my hand around his back, plastering him to me. “You thought you could buy your own ticket on our first date?”
Ronan whips around to give me a horrified look.
I grin wider, pressing my hand into the gun in his waistband. “You’re so sweet. But I insist. ”
The flush in his cheeks is adorable. Sure, it’s an angry flush, but I love it all the same. He wants to play games? He needs to learn that I’ll win every time.
There’s some sort of exchange with the employee that I don’t listen to cause I’m too busy watching every embarrassed move Ronan makes, and then he’s moving. I stick to his side as he strides past the refreshments and down the hall. I can feel the anger radiating off him in waves.
It’s exhilarating.
I glance at the ticket stubs, then ask, “A kid’s movie?”
“We aren’t dating. This isn’t a date,” Ronan hisses, the back of his neck pink.
“Why in the hell did you pick a kid’s movie? PG-13 too much for you?”
Ronan glances around the empty theater and whirls on me. “I wasn’t exactly paying attention, fuckwad.”
“It’s okay to get first-date jitters.” I give him a taunting smile. All I want is to kiss that angry look off his face. To get him to kiss me back.
I walk into Ronan, steering him back toward the wall.
“Jesus!” Ronan shoves away from me and keeps walking. “Will you focus?”
“On what? The horrible carpet? Just admit it, Ronan. You’re flustered.”
“Am fucking not!”
But he won’t look at me. He is flustered. And I fucking love it. I want to pull him into the bathroom and make him more flustered. Show him what the consequences are for disrespecting me. Want to shove my dick all the way up his–
Voices come from behind us, and I turn to see our target and his wife come in. Ronan spots them too, turning away so they can’t see his face.
Christ. Christ, we’re here to kill someone.
“Get out your phone,” Ronan hisses.
“What?” I blink at him.
“Get out your phone.” He motions impatiently. “No one just stands in a hallway doing nothing. Check the weather or something.”
I glare at him but do as he says. I check my programs to make sure the cameras are off. Thank god this place has shitty surveillance. There are a grand total of five cameras in the whole place, and they were pretty easy to loop.
Once Dillon and his wife walk into one of the theaters, I turn to Ronan. “What’s the plan?”
He barely looks at me. “Let’s go.”
“What?” I hiss, but Ronan has already stalked after Dillon, following him into the theater.
Fucking hell. I dart after Ronan, and when I’ve caught up in the walkway, I grab his hand. He tries to shake me off, but I just hold firmer. The movie has already started, and the deep base of some action music fills me with adrenaline.
Ronan’s hand tries to escape mine, then he glares at me. Even in the dim light of the walkway, I can see something isn’t right. There’s no more humor in his gaze. He looks…empty. Ronan isn’t there. Which scares me.
I want him back.
I yank on Ronan’s hand, bringing his gaze back to me. “Let’s find our seats.” Then, I yank him along. I pick the highest row so no one can sit behind us. The only other people here besides our mark are a couple all the way down the row. They seem pretty wrapped up in each other, so I’m sure they won’t be an issue.
I’m not sure what Ronan’s plan was. I’m not sure there was a plan. If he was going to just blow the guy’s head off in the theater, I’m glad I’m here to stop him. We need to be smart about this. It’s the only way I can keep him safe.
I keep Ronan’s hand gripped in my own, forcing him to extend his arm across the seat and nestle his hand in my lap. In my lap, by my crotch. Despite the fact I’m trying to keep him from shooting someone in a movie theater, my dick is hard. I can’t goddamn help it.
And that’s when I realize he has a ring on. I look down, manipulating his fingers so I can see it better. It’s the fidget ring. The one with the gears.
A pang of tightness and excitement fills me.
He’s wearing my ring.
My chest feels like a balloon caught in a steel band. Floaty, but all tight at the same time. I glance over at Ronan, ready to say something, but then Ronan stiffens just as movement catches my eye.
Dillon is getting up.
Ronan stands, yanking on my grip.
“No,” I hiss, trying to yank him back down. I don’t want to do this.
“Bathroom,” Ronan all but growls at me, pulling me along with him. He sounds like a shell of the man I’ve gotten to know. Angry, bitter, lost.
Broken.
But still, I go. What other choice do I have? Because I’m finding that anywhere Ronan Carter goes, I’ll follow.