Chapter Seventeen
RONAN
I wake with a start when I realize I’m alone in my bed, and Ciara’s side is cold.
I’m on my feet in an instant, shrugging on my pants from last night in a hurry as my pulse spikes.
The time on my alarm clock reads six a.m., and Ciara isn’t one for getting up early, which only adds to my concern.
Where the hell is she?
I can’t find my shirt anywhere, so I go without it as I throw open the bedroom door, sending it crashing into the wall.
“Stephen?”
“Boss?”
I look over the banister at the foyer below and find my wife’s personal security standing by the front door as if he was just on his way out.
“Where is my wife?”
Stephen’s military training means that he doesn’t so much as blink at the venom in my voice. “She’s making coffee in the kitchen.”
She’s safe.
I can breathe.
It’s all I can do to nod at Stephen before heading down the stairs, two at a time, and stalking into the kitchen in search of Ciara.
I find her sitting at the kitchen island, barefoot and wearing my shirt from last night, as she nurses a cup of coffee and scrolls on her phone.
My own bare feet mean that she doesn’t hear me approach, so I take a moment to admire her.
The sight of her bare legs and messy hair floods my mind with memories from last night, and just like that, the relief I feel at seeing her turns to a dull ache in my pants.
I’m finding it harder to control myself around her, and the jealousy I feel whenever another man so much as looks at her is all-consuming.
I never considered myself an insecure man, but Ciara is a high-value woman. She could have any man she wanted, and it’s not lost on me that the only reason I managed to get her into my bed is that she signed on the dotted line.
But I consider the contract void. Now that genuine feelings are involved, I want her to want to share my bed.
But if I don’t get a handle on myself soon, I’m going to drive her away.
“I swear you’re looking sexier each day,” I say by way of greeting.
Ciara startles in her seat, and I chuckle under my breath.
She scowls. “You almost made me spill my tea.”
“I’ll make it up to you.” I cross over to her and press a kiss to her forehead. “You look beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes at me, but her cheeks pinken as I softly trace my finger along her jaw.
“Last night was fun. I was planning on another round this morning, but seeing as you left me to wake up alone…”
I let my finger trail down her neck, and Ciara shivers under my touch, her eyes already glazing over.
Before I can even consider ripping my shirt off her body, the sound of the doorbell ringing echoes through the house, and I curse under my breath.
“I swear, my brothers know no boundaries.”
Ciara laughs, poking me in the stomach. “You love them, really.”
“I don’t love them as much as I love fucking you.”
“Ronan!” Ciara glances past me at the open kitchen door.
“Maybe if they hear you climax, they’ll decide to leave.” I lean in to kiss her neck.
“You are insufferable. You can’t use orgasms as a way of getting out of talking to your brothers.”
“Try me, Tine Bheag.”
“Go.” She laughs, pushing against my chest.
I groan but decide it’s probably best to take care of whichever one of my brothers has decided to grace me with their presence so early in the morning.
When I head into the foyer, Stephen is opening the door, and on the other side stands my uncle Lorcan instead.
I halt in my tracks, not liking the way his eyes are scanning the expansive entryway, as if he’s assessing the place.
“Looking for something?” I don’t bother hiding the irritation in my tone.
Ever since my father’s death, Lorcan has been completely MIA. I might have taken over as head of the family, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still an integral part of this business.
Perhaps he thinks I would turn it down and offer him the position instead…
If that’s the case, I guess he doesn’t know me very well. I never turn my back on hard work.
"Morning," he glances at Stephen and frowns. "Mind if I come in?"
I jerk my chin at Stephen to dismiss him before walking over to Lorcan and clapping him on the shoulder.
"You already did."
“Sorry for the early house call,” he says, eyeing my attire—or rather, lack of it.
He’s dressed immaculately as always in a navy three-piece suit that clings to his broad frame.
I shrug before stuffing my hands into my pockets.
“What can I do for you, Uncle?”
“Can we talk?”
I nod before holding out a hand and signaling that we should take this conversation into my office. Not just because I don’t want Ciara to overhear, but because I don’t want my uncle seeing her in next to nothing.
That sight is for my eyes only.
The moment the door to my office closes, Lorcan turns to face me with his brows raised.
"Things feel tense around here.”
“It’s been a stressful time. Tension just comes with the territory.”
From the way my uncle's eyes darken, he doesn’t buy my nonchalant attitude.
“I’ve been hearing things, Ronan. Unsettling things.”
My jaw clenches. “From whom?”
Lorcan doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he takes a seat in one of the armchairs and crosses an ankle over a knee as he surveys the room.
“Who is talking, Uncle?”
“A few sources of mine are wondering if you’re in over your head.”
I frown, folding my arms over my chest. “I don’t follow.”
“People are questioning whether you’re up for running such a large crime network and that perhaps taking over the family business was too much, too soon.”
My heartbeat thrums in my ears as Lorcan’s words hang in the air. “Is that what you think?”
“I support you without question. But something is clearly going on around here.”
I sigh, dragging a hand through my tousled hair.
Compared to Lorcan’s immaculate appearance, my bare upper body, crumpled slacks, and bed hair aren’t exactly painting a solid picture of my capabilities.
Lorcan looks me up and down. “Do you want to talk about it?”
For a second, I consider brushing him off, but something in his expression stops me.
He’s here because he wants to help, so I decide it’s time to tell him the truth. If nothing else, his perspective on the situation might prove useful. After all, he’s been in this business a lot longer than I or any of my brothers have.
I sink down into the chair across from him and fill him in on our mystery enemy who is trying to tear our empire apart.
Lorcan is silent as he listens, his thick arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted to the side.
When I finally finish, he lets out a long exhale.
“You need to handle this now before it spirals.”
“I’ve not exactly been sitting on my ass.”
“They think you have, and right now that’s what matters.”
I bristle.
“Look, son. You can’t afford to sit back and react. You need to be proactive. Show them you’re still in control.”
“I’m trying.”
“Then try harder.”
His words feel like a slap in the face, but maybe that’s exactly what I need.
I might think I’ve been working hard, but there will always be someone out there working harder than you. I need to get my head back in the game and make sure I come out on top, which means calling a strategy session with my brothers.
This requires all hands on deck.
The moment I see Lorcan out, after he’s given me yet another warning, I send a message to my brothers.
It’s time for damage control. Be here in ten.
Kieran
Fuck off, it’s early.
Cormac
Five mins away.
Kieran
Of course, you are. Suck up.
Brennan
Can I have a ride? I think I’m still drunk.
Kieran
Good night, little bro?
Me: This wasn’t an invitation to start a discussion. Get to the house NOW!
Kieran
Someone’s cranky in the mornings…
Brennan
Maybe I should message Ciara to see if she’ll cheer him up before the meeting?
Me: I SWEAR TO GOD
Kieran
It’s good you called this meeting. I have some intel for you.
Me: Good? Bad?
Kieran
What do you think?
I curse at Kieran’s message and shut my phone off, knowing full well that whatever he’s going to tell me is bad news. I race back upstairs to take a quick shower and throw on some fresh clothes before they arrive.
Lorcan might not have offered me the words of encouragement I was expecting, but they sure as hell have lit a fire beneath my ass.
As I head back down the stairs, Stephen emerges from the kitchen carrying a mug of tea and a plate of toast.
“I’m having a private meeting with my brothers.” I try not to fixate on the fact that he’s bringing my wife food. “Make sure Ciara stays out of the way. I don’t want her listening to this.”
Stephen nods before disappearing into the lounge, making sure to shut the door behind him.
A familiar pang of jealousy resurfaces at the thought of the two of them alone in the lounge.
“Get a grip.” Now is not the time to let irrational thoughts distract me.
I manage to get through two double espressos by the time all my brothers arrive.
Brennan reeks of booze.
“We don’t have time for distractions. I need your head in the game, Brennan.”
“I was networking.”
Kieran sinks onto the couch and throws his arm over the back of it. “Is that what the kids call it these days?”
“Can you just get to the point?” Brennan mutters as he takes one of the armchairs and starts rubbing his temples, looking seconds away from emptying his stomach on the carpet. “What’s this intel you have, Kieran?”
The air in the room shifts, and any amusement on Kieran’s face vanishes as he looks over at me.
“I’ve got it on good authority that there’s a hit being planned tonight. Declan is going after our arms shipment—the one we’ve already sold and taken payment for.”
Fuck.
Brennan almost seems to sober up. “If they intercept that, it’s over. We’ll lose more than money; we’ll lose face.”
I run a hand through my hair. “I’m aware of that.”
I didn’t think this could get any worse, and yet here we are. If Kieran is right, I will not only lose millions of dollars but also important business associates who have worked with my family for generations.
A few sources of mine are wondering if you’re in over your head.
Lorcan’s words echo in my mind as I stalk to the desk and sink into my chair, trying to keep my anger in check when all I want to do is tear my office apart.
Cormac perches on the desk and folds his arms over his chest. “What’s our next move?”
I turn to Kieran. “I need every available man on this.”
Brennan looks between me and Kieran. “Declan’s army is massive.”
I grind my teeth so hard my jaw starts to ache. “Are you done stating the obvious? I know what I’m up against.”
“What I mean is, there’s a chance he has other allies, other families, who likely want a piece of our downfall.”
Kieran shakes his head. “Really helping there, Brennan.”
Cormac ignores my brothers. “So, we send in every man we have?”
My mind races through every possible scenario. “We can’t leave ourselves exposed elsewhere.”
“Fuck, you’re right. It’s probably what Declan is hoping for.”
I nod. “We need to be smart about this.”
Kieran cracks his knuckles. “We could deploy early. Set traps and hit them before they hit us.”
Brennan shakes his head. “And risk blowing our position too soon? What if they’re waiting for us to do exactly that?”
Cormac looks between us. “What if we have no choice? We’re cornered.”
Hell, no. “We’re not cornered yet. We’re going to protect that shipment with everything we’ve got. Kieran, mobilize every available man. I want our guys in place early to secure the location and set up diversions. Ideally, I want to ambush Declan’s men if we can.”
Kieran pulls his phone out of his pocket and starts furiously tapping the screen. “If we can get intel about their movements, we might have a shot at turning this around.”
“I want all of you to exhaust your contacts for anyone who might know something—anything. Leave no stone unturned.”
Brennan looks at me with genuine fear in his eyes. “It might not be enough.”
“I know. That’s why I’m going to make some calls and see if I can rustle up some support. Declan’s pissed off a lot of people over the years, and I bet at least a few of them would be happy to help us bring him down.”
Brennan doesn’t question me again, so the four of us settle in and try to come up with allies who could help stop Declan’s plan.
My office turns into a call center as we work through our contacts, calling anyone who might have a grudge against Declan, which turns out to be quite a few.
As expected, a couple of families come through and agree to stand with us. None have intel on Declan’s plans, but at this point, I’m more concerned about the numbers. I could pull all my men to the shipment yard, but that would leave Ciara completely exposed, and that’s not an option.
I would rather lose every penny than risk her life.
I hang up on my last contact. “That’s three families I have on board. Each has agreed to stand with us and will send men and supplies.”
My brothers collectively exhale at the news. We have a long way to go, but these alliances will shift the odds in our favor and could be enough to give my family a fighting chance at survival.
Brennan collapses back against his chair and runs a hand over his face. “This evens the playing field.”
Cormac frowns. “Doesn’t win the game, though.”
“No,” I agree. “But it keeps us in it.”
Kieran gets to his feet and pockets his phone. “I’ll start deploying teams. I’ll have them ready by nightfall.”
“I want hourly updates. I don’t want any mistakes.”
We’re not just fighting to save a shipment. We’re fighting to save everything we’ve built, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone take that from me.