Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
U nexpected Find
Ronan
I thought I would go to California and turn around to head back to Ireland. My life is never that easy. Business has called me here to New York.
Dayton Hughes has requested my presence. Normally, I would have made him wait for another time at my convenience. However, I’ve been wanting to meet the new horsemen.
I was introduced to all four men ten years ago, but there have been some changes in their organization. Now that the Alliance is sure to happen, I would like to meet Philips’s replacement.
No one will be able to replace the man whom I came to think of as a friend, but I still would like to know all the men who stand among us. Hughes and Givens kept all their promises from the original agreement, even getting Philips to agree to the partnership and contracts with me and my family.
“Where is this guy?” Carrick asks impatiently as we sit in Dayton’s office.
“Patience, lad. If Hughes is late, it’s not disrespect. Something came up.
“It’s different when yer one of the heads of an organization. More fires to put out and responsibilities,” I say as I stand and move to the bookshelves to look at the photos as we wait.
“This isn’t going to be like the visit in California?”
“Ach, not at all. This is a friendly visit. Ya will learn soon that ya will have to change faces multiple times in a short span.
“Yer doing well, yer da would be proud. I meant to tell ya that. Four years isn’t a long time. Ya’ll be taking my place soon enough.
“I’m ready now. I don’t know why da didn’t tell grand that.”
“Ya need to work on yer a patience, lad. Even here in New York with its fast pace, patience has won every time.
“This meeting will be good for ya to understand what I mean by that. I want ya to listen this time. I’ll explain anything ya don’t understand after.”
“Uncle Ro, I …”
I don’t hear a word he says as I stop to stare at one of the photos on the shelf in front of me. I reach for the frame and take a closer look. I would know that face anywhere.
“Ya have to be fucking kidding me,” I breathe.
She’s a bit younger, with straight red hair that brushes her shoulders, but this is the same woman. She’s smiling back at the camera as four men I know well stand around her, one with his arm around her shoulders as he stands proudly.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you so much for coming, Ronan,” Dayton says as he saunters into the room.
I turn to him with the frame still in my hand. He moves to sit behind his desk. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to see if there is a resemblance.
“Who is this lass in the picture?” I say and walk the frame over to his desk.
His brows pinch in the center of his forehead until I place the photograph before him. A smile comes to the corners of his lips as he looks down at it. I can see a fondness in his gaze.
Quickly, he schools his expression and glances up at me. “Why would you ask about her?”
“She looks like an author I know.”
“Ah, yes, Danika and her writing career.” He shakes his head. “Her books come too close to real life a little too often. She’s talented. Freddie would have much to be proud of.”
“Freddie? Who was she to Freddie?”
“Danika is … This isn’t what I asked you here for. I’ve already said too much. She’s not known to the world as Danika. Danny remains private. She learned well when it comes to keeping her identity a secret.”
“Danny,” I mutter to myself.
Dayton narrows his eyes at me once again. “Ronan, I have come to know you. This is not about her books or her pen name. How do you know Danika?”
“She’s the friend of a friend.”
“That’s rich. The girl doesn’t make friends. She has enough for me to count on one hand.
“My nephew’s girlfriend would be one of them.”
“Ah, Kaye Blaze, a.k.a. Kaye Porter. The preacher’s kid. Now this is rich. Felix Black is your nephew. Why didn’t I put it together sooner? Freddie knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That Danny … nothing. I promised Freddie I would look after her and I plan to keep that promise.”
“I mean the lass no harm. I would never allow anything to happen to her.”
He snorts. “That’s not at all what I mean. She is capable of handling herself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dayton falls back in his seat and laughs. “She’s more like you than you know. Freddie spoke to you of his son a time or two, am I right?”
“Aye, he did.”
“Ronan, Freddie never had any kids and he damn sure didn’t have a son. Whenever he spoke of his son, he was speaking in code.”
“What aren’t ya saying? My patience is beginning to wear. I want to know more about the lass.”
“No, I don’t think you actually do. If I were you, I’d leave that bear sleeping.”
“What are ya talking about? Why can’t you answer a simple question? Who is she?”
“Leave it alone, Ronan.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s ruthless and you’ll regret knowing the truth. Think about the stories Freddie told you about his son. I bet you never asked to meet him because you knew if you two bumped heads, Freddie was going to lose one of you.
“You say you’re a fan of her books. If you’ve read them, you know the truth. When I read them for the first time, I thought Demarco was Freddie.
“I was sure of it. Then Freddie died and … well, I met Freddie’s son firsthand. Danika is Demarco in the books. I’ve been able to confirm that many of those events hold truth in those stories.
“Freddie created the son he never had. Since he’s been gone, she’s been struggling with his loss and all he has left in her lap.”
“What did he leave in her lap?”
“You’ve wanted to meet the new fourth horseman? Read the last books in her Onyx Brothers series. You will see you already have.
“Danika Peoples was given Freddie’s entire empire. It is because of her the fleets and our dealings with your family didn’t fall apart.”
“What?”
“Danny is the fourth horseman. You two are now the only other people outside of us who know,” he says, turning to glare at Carrick.
“He will keep his mouth shut. This is my nephew, Carrick. He will be taking over for me on the West Coast. Anything said in front of him is safe.”
Dayton nods. “She hasn’t told anyone about her wealth or role in the organization. We have respected her wishes to have time to adjust.
“Freddie trained her up for this. If she were my daughter, I would be a proud father. Marlow doesn’t like it.
“However, Percy is like me; he wants to see what Baby Girl will do with it. Danny is smart. Freddie trained her up well?—
“But?” I say, hearing the but in his words.
“Marlow has wanted to be Freddie since before you ever came into the picture. We have a long, complicated history. The horsemen started out as some wild knucklehead boys.
“Freddie and his main boy had already established so much when Percy, Marlow and I came on the scene. However, Marlow thought he could run things better if he were in charge. Now he still has his eye on the head seat.
“I’m not even sure what makes him think that’s an option. Maybe because he’s been trying to get Danny and one of his sons together. Joke’s on him, Danny isn’t having any of that.
“She’s different; she has little tolerance for nonsense. Marlow received a rude awakening when he thought he’d steamroll her. If not for me, this all would have fallen apart already.”
“How so?”
“She doesn’t allow many in close as it is. She had kept us all at arm’s length at first. I believe if not for the relationship she has with my children, she would have dissolved everything and gone on about her life.
“I gave her some time and then was able to talk to her and get her to see this is something Freddie knew she could handle. I also promised to keep Marlow away from her.”
I nearly growl. “Has he tried to hurt her?”
“No, I’ve been keeping an eye out to make sure he doesn’t get any ideas. Percy and I have talked about it at length. Freddie wouldn’t want her forced into anything she doesn’t want, but she’s right for this.
“Marlow is just as headstrong as ever, thinking he knows better than everyone. The position belongs to Danika. Not one of Marlow’s sons could ever fill Freddie’s shoes or hers. He wanted her to decide whether or not to rise to the occasion.
“At one point, I think Marlow thought with Freddie gone, we would fall in line and he would be the one. He hated the fact that LaSalle took a liking to Freddie the way he did.
“Women are pawns to Marlow. Mindless tools. That will be his downfall. I believe gaining LaSalle’s favor is why he wanted Danika to get involved with one of his sons.”
“That will never be an option. She and I already have an arrangement,” I reply.
Hughes laughs at me and lifts a brow. “I’m sure Freddie would have been amused. You were on his short list.”
“Short list of what?”
“He knew his niece. She would never agree to an arranged marriage, but he had planned to introduce her to a few men he thought she might gravitate to. Your name came up a few times.
“His biggest concerns were the age gap and the fact that he knew you both had been through things he wouldn’t make either of you relive for his understanding.”
“Leave the past in the past,” I mutter.
“Yes, you remember his mantra. Unfortunately, he died just before he planned to introduce the two of you.”
“I don’t believe it, I don’t.”
“This is the truth, and it can’t leave this room. There are still some things I need to clarify about certain situations and this needs to remain confidential until then.”
“Ya have my word. If there’s anything I can do, ya let me know. Freddie was a friend, and Dean means something to me.”
I’m not willing to tell him why or how much. I’m still reeling that I showed my hand about my feelings toward her being off limits. The woman is sucking me in deeper and deeper and she doesn’t even know it.