Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
W ho Ya Are
Dean
Holy shit. He just called me by my real name and damn it, that shit rolled off his tongue like hot, sticky, delicious honey. I want to hear him say it again, but first I need to know where he got it from.
“Where did you get that name from?”
“What’s wrong, Danny? I did warn ya I could find anything and anyone. Come here, love, my room is this one.”
My brows rise into my hairline. Only those close to me call me Danny. Which means he has been digging too close to home for information.
Could that be the reason for his distance? If he knows who I really am, that would be a good enough reason for him to keep away from me. The thought makes me sad.
“I said c’mere, love. I’ll tell ya where I got it from after ya spend the night in my bed,” he croons, pulling me from my thoughts.
I blink as I stare at him. He lifts his hand to his face to touch the side of his mouth as he licks his lips. I note the ring on his pointer finger. It’s the same ring I noticed all the McGowan men wearing today. All on the same finger.
I allow my gaze to take him in from head to toe. Ronan in a suit should be illegal. Ronan in a suit like this, with his tie loose and the top three buttons of his shirt open, should be a sin of the highest caliber.
This is why I’m going to take my ass into my room and forget all about him. He doesn’t get to ignore me then change his mind when he’s drunk. It doesn’t matter if he has found out my name.
He has me fucked up if he thinks this shit is going to fly. He can go find that blonde or hatchet face. I’m done lusting after him.
“Ach, yer not going to renege on me now, are ya?”
I jump as I realize he has closed the small distance between us as I got lost in my musing. He places one hand on my waist and the other on the back of my neck. I look into his eyes and my thoughts scramble.
“A deal is a deal, love. I told you your name, now you’re mine.”
“The deal was for you to tell me my entire name.” I try, wanting to see how much he might know.
“Danika Peoples, I have delivered. Now it’s yer turn. I have some sheets that need burning. Let’s stop wasting time.”
Before I can protest, he captures my lips. Are you fucking kidding me? This is how this man kisses.
I moan into his mouth and lock my fingers into his shirt. Ronan palms my ass in his big ass hands and lifts me into him. He’s straight devouring me.
My entire body quakes as he deepens the kiss and growls. He tightens his hold and lifts me onto his waist. I cup his face and give back as good as I’m getting.
Both our phones ring at the same time and it’s like a bucket of ice water. I slide down his front and take a few steps back. Not taking his heated gaze off me, he pulls his phone from his pocket.
I bend to pick my clutch up from where I dropped it. When I see who the call is from, I frown and turn to rush into my room. He knows my name, but that doesn’t mean he knows who I am.
“Hello,” I say as I pick up the line.
“Baby Girl, we need to cut ties with the Albanians. They have some shit coming down the pipeline that’s about to go south,” Lyric says into the phone.
“Why are you calling me?”
“If I end the deal with Bujar, he’s going to be pissed. This will have consequences. You’re away … by yourself. If I make a move like this, you can’t be out there playing civilian.
“I need you to lock in. Your men need to be with you. I’m covering your ass?—”
“Because Bujar knows who I am and what I look like because I had to pop out on him and his brother over that bullshit,” I think out loud.
“Yeah. You got it.”
“Then I’ll go see him first. Do what you need to do.”
“ Baby Girl ,” he groans. “You can’t do that. Our friends are just trying to force the Albanians to do something they want. They’re not going to allow you to touch them because they don’t plan to move them off the table entirely.
“The order was to cut their access for now. You come back here like John Wick and shit and you’re going to ruffle all the wrong feathers.
“It would be better for you to come home so no one around you is pulled into this. At the very least, allow me to send your team to you.”
I chew on my lip as I think his words over. This can’t touch Kaye or Dae-Dae. I’ve grown fond of all the McGowans. Especially the fine-ass man in the hallway—whether I want to admit it or not.
“Fine, I’m on my way back. I’ll be in New York by tomorrow.”
“See you when you get here.”
I end the call and walk over to the bed to unfasten the straps on my shoes. A headache begins to form, so I reach up and release my locs from their bun. I reach for my kiss-swollen lips as I listen to Ronan’s voice rumble quietly through the door.
“You were about to fuck up,” I mutter to myself.
The last thing I want is to get attached and something happens to him because of me. This has to end before it gets started. I’m not going back out there.
* * *
Ronan
“That should be enough to close his coffin,” Eugene says as I pace while watching the door Dean disappeared behind.
“Aye, sounds like it’s time I head to New York. I’ll stop by to check in with ya and drop off a care package to help ya disappear. Don’t leave too soon and make it obvious. We don’t want to tip him off.”
“I’ve got ya. Sorry about the hour, ya know how it is.”
“Aye, don’t worry about it.”
I know he has to call when he can. Ernest likes to keep him close, so it’s not easy to get away to make calls like this. It sounds like Ernest has pissed the Albanians off enough for a wee bit of pressure to cause them to turn their backs on him. This is good news for Brax.
“So this is what the Alliance will look like? Fall in or lose it all?”
“Aye, if ya know the right people, these are the perks.”
“Sounds good to me. Get some sleep. I’ll see ya soon.”
I hang up and go to knock at Dean’s door. The room seems still, as if she’s gone to bed. I move the hand I have hovering at the door to my lips. That kiss lit me on fire.
I haven’t felt anything near that in twenty-four years. I blink a few times and shake my head. She knows she’s mine.
For tonight, that’s enough. I want to be fully sober when we come together, if that’s what a kiss will do. I will have her soon enough, I will.