41. Ronan
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
RONAN
NOW
Ichecked on Damon a little while ago under the guise of handing him the shitty bowl of pasta I made.
He’s fine. Licking his wounds and insisting he doesn’t give a fuck about Chloe.
The problem is, my brother may be the master of shielding his emotions, but I see right through those walls he builds. I was too blind when we were kids, too wrapped up with being in love to realize Damon had those same feelings for her. He just never knew how to deal with them.
Ryker and Kingston sit on the couch, their bodies leaning over a small table covered in documents and maps.
It’s weird as hell being here with the man I’ve held responsible for Mom’s accident all these years, but the more secrets that are uncovered, the more confident I am that there’s more to the story.
The man in question glances up and nods for me to join them. He doesn’t stop talking as he fills a third glass of amber liquid and slides it across the table to me.
“Thanks,” I say, trying to tune into the conversation they’re having.
We’ve all but ruled out my family being responsible for the attack. After checking all the bodies, Damon and I couldn’t identify a single one of them, making it unlikely to have been Dad.
If it was anyone else, I’d consider the idea of hired mercenaries, but Salvatore Lombardi is the most paranoid man I’ve ever met. He wouldn’t trust a job like this to someone outside the family.
Which most likely means it’s one of Kingston’s enemies.
And boy, does he have a lot.
Hawk Security is responsible for the deaths of more than their fair share of high-profile criminals. From cartel leaders to shady senators getting their rocks off hurting innocent women, Kingston has coordinated their downfalls. The options are endless.
Ryker leans back and tugs a laptop onto his lap, his fingers flying over the keyboard quicker than I can track them.
As well as being a ruthless murderer, he’s also one of the best hackers I’ve ever encountered.
“Do you have a recent list of the hits the team has carried out?” he asks, not bothering to look up at Kingston.
“The team?” The words escape before I get the chance to stop them.
“Ryker does most of the…complex cases, but we have four other guys that work for us. They were trained by The Hunter back when he was doing hits.”
“The Hunter?” I ask, my brows lifting into my hairline.
That masked asshole in Los Angeles has caused us more issues over the years than I can count, but I never realized he trained anyone to take his place.
He nods, handing a list to Ryker before he responds. “We don’t have much to do with him now, but the guys still see him from time to time.”
The soft taps of Ryker’s fingers on the keyboard and the crackling of the fire make for a soothing background noise, and for the first time in what feels like months, I allow myself to relax.
Ever since Chloe stepped back into my life, things have been so chaotic I haven’t been able to rest completely.
But she’s safe here.
Because if there’s one thing I know with absolute certainty, it’s that every single one of us would put our lives on the line for her.
Damon included.