15. Ronan
15
RONAN
I glance around Declan’s office. He sits at the head of the table, his expression grim, his fingers drumming against the dark wood. This isn’t business—it’s personal. It always has been. Especially for me.
“Reports are coming in from California,” Declan says, breaking the silence. His voice is laced with anger. “Girls are disappearing again. Same pattern. Same timeline. Everything points to Smoke.”
My teeth grind together, the sound almost audible. “He’s a dumb son of a bitch coming back into the country. I’m going to find him, and I’m going to make him pay for what he did to my girl.”
Kieran sighs, running a hand over his dark beard. “It could be someone using his methods. It could be one of his men, for all we know. We don’t even know what he looks like.”
I slam my hand on the table. Everyone looks at me, but I don’t care. “It’s the same sick pattern he’s always used. Lure them in, move them fast, and make them disappear without a trace. Whether it’s him or one of his men, we’re going to find them and get Smoke one way or another. Tessa doesn’t deserve to live in fear.”
The room falls into heavy silence. No one argues because they all know I’m right.
“We have to find him,” I say again, a bit calmer this time. “And when we do, I’ll make sure he never takes another girl.”
The door creaks open, and Alessandro steps in, his presence commanding. The head of the Italian mafia is as composed as ever, dressed in a tailored suit. His dark eyes scan the room, assessing everyone in seconds before he moves to stand beside Declan.
“Thank you for coming,” Declan says, gesturing for Alessandro to sit. “This affects us all, and I know your resources will help.”
Alessandro nods, his expression unreadable. “Smoke has been a thorn in everyone’s side for far too long. I’ve already put feelers out. If he’s operating in California, we’ll find him.”
“And when we do?” Killian asks.
“When we do,” Alessandro says, his tone turning lethal, “he dies. Slowly.”
“Good.” I lean forward. “But I’m the one who ends him. That’s non-negotiable.”
Alessandro raises a brow, his lips curving into a faint, dangerous smile. “As you wish, Ronan. I have no desire to stand in the way of your vengeance. But finding him won’t be easy. He’s careful, calculated.”
“And a fucking coward,” Bash mutters, earning a few murmurs of agreement.
Declan clears his throat, bringing us back on track. “We’ll pool our resources while keeping this between our two syndicates. I’d like to think none of the other families are aiding Smoke and his crew, but we need to be extra careful and keep this close to the pocket.”
Alessandro nods again. “Agreed.”
“What’s the plan?” Grady asks.
I tune out their conversation, my mind wandering to Tessa. I’ve killed dozens of men in my life, but it’s never been truly personal. But this one is. Because it has to do with what’s mine. The person I care for. The one I’m in love with. My wife. My beautiful baby girl.
T he house is quiet when I step inside. I shrug off my jacket and loosen my tie, my mind still buzzing from the meeting with my brothers and Alessandro. But as I move through the house, the tension in my chest eases. Tessa has a way of grounding me without trying, and I find myself looking forward to seeing her more than I want to admit. It’s almost like I can’t take a full breath until I’m in her presence.
I find her sitting on the floor in the living room, her laptop perched on the coffee table and a small notepad in her lap. She’s leaning forward, her hair spilling over her shoulder as she scribbles something down, her focus so intense that she doesn’t notice me at first.
“You’re working hard,” I say, my voice cutting through the quiet.
She startles slightly, looking up with wide eyes before a smile spreads across her face. “Hey. You’re home early.”
“Just checking in,” I say, walking over to sit beside her on the couch. I glance at the screen. “How’s the hunt going?”
She exhales a soft sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Really well. I have an interview. I need to talk to you about it, actually.”
“Talk to me?”
Her cheeks flush slightly, and she fiddles with the pen in her hand. “The job is based in Las Vegas. I’d be able to do a lot of it here, but I’d have to go to Vegas regularly during the project.”
The muscles in my shoulders tense as I run my fingers through her hair. “What kind of job is it?”
“Savage Entertainment. They own most of the casinos in Vegas and just purchased another one. I’d be one of the project planners on the hotel side of things.”
The name sounds familiar, but Savage Entertainment has a huge footprint in Nevada, so it’s not surprising. I don’t like the idea of her traveling, though. Even with bodyguards and using our private jet, I don’t want Tessa to be away from me. I’m a selfish bastard, but I only just got her.
“They reached out to the hotel I interned for in Ireland and were impressed with all the things I did within the budget. The owner of Savage Entertainment handpicked my resume.”
Her passion is obvious, her eyes lighting up as she talks. I nod, taking in her words, but my mind is already working, trying to figure out how to handle this.
She’s asking my permission because this is a huge decision. I can’t tell her no. Especially with how excited she seems about it. I’ll just have to make it work for us. Even if I have to travel back and forth to Las Vegas with her.
Using the backs of my fingers, I stroke her cheek. “Baby, if this is a project you want to work on, I support your decision. You won’t be traveling alone, though, and no commercial flights. We have a plane. Understand?”
The way her eyes light up as she shifts to sit on her knees between my open thighs, I know I made the right choice. And seeing her like this, kneeling before me, has my cock throbbing in my slacks. Fuck. She’s so goddamn sexy, and she doesn’t even realize it. My self-control is wearing thin.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
With just that one word, it snaps, and my mouth crashes to hers. Closing my fist in her hair, I hold her head steady as I kiss her roughly. She’s compliant and kisses me back, moaning softly.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter when I pull away. “You’re driving me crazy, Little one.”
A naughty smile curves her lips, and she slides her hands up my thighs, making my cock jump. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, baby. I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to hearing you call me Daddy.”
Cupping her face, I lean down and press several gentler kisses to her plush lips. It’s intimate and quiet, but it’s perfectly us.
When her eyes dip to the outline of my hard cock, I take her chin and force her to look up at me. “Soon, baby girl. Soon.”
“Okay,” she whispers, her fingers trembling slightly. “I, um, I…”
I run the pad of my thumb over her lips, silencing her. “I know, baby.”
She doesn’t have to say it out loud because I already know. My girl is a virgin. Which is why I want to wait for her to be sure about us before I bury my cock in her pussy. Because once I do, I won’t let her go. Ever.