Chapter 21
TIERNEY
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these events.”
I lean into Livvie and hold my purse close to my side as we walk inside the grand ballroom set up for a charity luncheon.
“These aren’t my sort of people. Too judgey. Too much high-class arrogance.”
Livvie hooks my arm.
“I felt that way too,” she says. “I keep them at arm’s length most of the time, but some of these ladies will come in handy in the future. Believe me. Plus, the money raised today goes towards women’s shelters.”
A suited guy escorts us to our table near the front stage, and I get the impression Livvie Viacava has more than established herself in these circles.
I take a sip of water and assess the room. From power couples to singles and everything in between, the influential and wealthy are in attendance this afternoon. Every table looks like a catalogue for expensive jewellery and white teeth.
It makes me want to crawl under the table to hide.
“So how come Kingston doesn’t come with you to these things?” I set my purse on the table, sit back and fold my arms.
Livvie shrugs. “He’d escort me in a heartbeat, but it’s important for me to have something for myself. Aside from playing the violin, I need something that’s mine.
When you have money like we do, we have to put it to good use. I suppose I get a kick out of donating so much to a good cause.”
“I’m trying to figure out who I have to become now.” I lift the place card with my full married name written in ink and turn it in my fingers. “Lately all I think about is Bronx’s next move… or his last one. I hate how living with the man has screwed with my head.”
“So things are still going well?” She takes a sip of champagne and gives me a knowing look.
“You could say that.” I shrug. My thighs still remember the way his hands felt all over me. “It’s all part of Bronx’s game, right?”
Livvie smiles and places her hand on my knee. “And if Viacava men are playing, they always win.”
My stomach knots because I’m realising that. Living with him was only the beginning. Making moves wore me down and now I can’t go five minutes without daydreaming about how I want to lick his chest.
Livvie strikes up a conversation with the woman to her left while I scan the tables again. Two men step inside the function room.
They pause just beyond the doors, both wearing dark suits that don’t fit the occasion, their eyes sweeping the guests, studying the layout, the stage, the clusters of chatting men and women.
My skin prickles.
Years of training snap awake inside me like a switch being flipped.
I lower my glass to the table and watch them hover until their gaze lands on our table.
Something’s wrong.
“Tierney?” Livvie murmurs beside me. “You okay?”
I keep my gaze fixed on the men.
“Those guys over there clearly aren’t here to make a donation.”
Livvie follows my line of sight, her brows pulling together as she studies the strangers weaving through the room.
My pulse picks up speed as they veer in our direction. I slide a silver knife under my purse, then lift both onto my lap.
The first man’s shoulders are broad, his dark hair cropped short. When he reaches our table, he stops just close enough that only we can hear him over the chatter of the room.
“Tierney Blake?”
The Irish accent hits me like ice water.
They’ve come all the way from Dublin.
My blood chills.
I lift my chin, forcing my expression into polite confusion.
“I think you have me confused with someone else.”
The man studies me, his mouth curling into a sly grin.
“No confusion,” he says. “We know who you are. And it’s about time we talked about your brother.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, we think you do.”
The second guy lingers a few steps behind him, blocking the view from the rest of the room.
“We know he’s in New York, hiding like a little bitch.”
I curl my hand around the knife handle as my mind jumps to the Tribunal. To our life back in Dublin. The jobs. The assholes who’d love to see the Blake family buried.
“He’s been hard to find,” the man continues, glancing around the room as if he’s admiring the décor. “But we tracked him down and now he’s gonna pay up.”
Livvie shifts in her seat beside me, her hand tightening around her champagne glass.
“Who the hell are they?” she whispers.
I ignore the question, keeping my eyes on the man in front of me.
“You’re making a mistake,” I say, steeling my spine. “My brother isn’t involved in anything.”
The man chuckles and scratches the side of his jaw.
“Don’t play dumb, Tierney,” he says. “He’s in it up to his fucking eyes.”
His gaze flicks toward the entrance.
“And he thought hiding in New York was the answer to all his problems.”
“He’s not hiding,” I snap before I can stop myself. “He’s under Viacava protection.”
The man’s grin widens.
“Very convenient. But protection won’t help with what’s coming.”
Livvie’s breathing has gone shallow beside me. She understands enough to know it’s dangerous.
“Tell him we haven’t forgotten what happened in Dublin,” the man continues. “Some debts don’t disappear just because ya cross an ocean or whore out your sister to the mafia.”
My pulse pounds in my ears.
“Get the fuck outta here,” I hiss, choking the knife handle and knowing I can’t stab this fucker in the throat in front of these people. “Before security removes you.”
“We’re not here to cause trouble…today.” His eyes meet mine again, colder this time. “We’re just deliverin’ a message.”
He bends forward, bringing his face closer. “We know where Connor lives.”
My ribs tighten.
“We also know you live in the same building… pretty fucking cozy if you ask me.” He straightens. “That’ll make it easy to kill a few birds with one stone.”
My mind flashes to Connor’s apartment below the penthouse where Bronx and I live.
“We know about your husband’s family rule over this city,” the man adds. “But family loyalty only goes so far. Tell Connor we’re not going away.”
Behind them, I notice movement. One of the Viacava security men has finally picked up on the tension and is walking toward us through the crowd.
The two Irishmen see him too.
“What goes around comes around, Mrs. Viacava. Have a nice day pretending to be someone you’re not.” His voice drops just low enough that only I hear the last words. “Bronx can’t keep a dead man alive for long.”
Then the two men melt back into the crowd just as the security detail closes in.
By the time the guards reach our table, the strangers have disappeared through the emergency exit.
“Everything okay?” one of the men asks.
I shake my head. “No. It’s far from fucking okay. Go after those bastards.”
Livvie grabs my wrist the second the guards back up.
“Do you know who he was?” she demands in a low voice. “What did your brother do?”
I exhale a steadying breath and reach for my phone. “I need to tell Bronx....”
The line connects on the second ring, and his husky voice has my pulse spiking.
“Missing me, wife?” he drawls. “I can be naked by—”
“Bronx…we have a problem,” I say in a rush, glancing around the room at the faces who don’t seem that friendly anymore.
“What happened?” he replies, all traces of amusement gone from his voice.
“The Tribunal found us…they threatened Connor…all of us.”
“Go to the roof now, princess.” Bronx’s voice drops into something colder. “I’ll pick you up in the chopper. Keep Livvie close.”
“Okay.” I set the knife back on the table and rise to my feet. “Livvie, will you come with me for some fresh air, please?”
She nods and pushes her chair back without a fuss.
As soon as we reach the corridor outside the function room, our security team moves into position. They ride the elevator to the top floor with us.
By the time we step outside, a black helicopter is already cutting through the sky toward the hotel we’re standing in.
My veins buzz, not just from the threat but from knowing Bronx just dropped everything.
For the first time since coming to New York, I’m not thinking about fighting him or hating the ring on my finger.
I’m counting on him…and I’m fucking glad he’s coming for me.
The rotor blades thunder louder as it closes the distance. Wind whips at my hair and tugs at Livvie’s floral dress as the aircraft descends, the powerful downdraft announcing his arrival.
Once it touches down, the side door slides open before the rotors have even slowed.
Bronx jumps out, and in that beat of time, the world narrows to just him.
He’s head to toe in black, tailored to perfection, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar that moves in the wind, revealing a glimpse of tanned skin and the ink curling across his chest. Dark sunglasses shield his eyes, but there’s nothing casual about the way he moves.
Every step toward me is determined; his long strides eating up the concrete between us.
One of the security men says something to him, but Bronx doesn’t slow. He lowers the sunglasses just enough for his hazel eyes to meet mine. There’s a flash of something dark in them. Something lethal.
My pulse kicks harder with every step he takes because I have his full attention.
By the time he reaches me, the wind from the rotors is whipping my dress against my legs and pushing my hair across my face.
His hands come up to my cheeks, and he brushes the loose strands back. “You okay, princess?”
The deep rasp of his voice cuts through the roar of the helicopter.
“Yeah, you know me,” I say. “Unshakeable.”
He thumbs my cheekbone and presses a quick kiss to my forehead.
“Good,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you now.”
Then his hand slides to the back of my neck, drawing me against his chest in a possessive embrace.
“Let’s go home.”
When he pulls away, I glance over at Livvie. Her hand is splayed over her chest, and she draws her lips between her teeth, trying—and failing—to hide a grin.
Bronx takes my hand and tugs me to his side, and there isn’t a single shred of resistance within me.
I hold my other hand out to Livvie, and she takes it.
“I think we’re gonna be sisters-in-law for a very long time, Tierney.”
The city drops away beneath us when I’m fixing my headset in place. Livvie sits beside the pilot, her phone in her hand, typing out a flurry of messages.
Bronx turns toward me and rests his hand over mine. “What did they say to you?”
“They knew my name. Called me Tierney Blake. Said it was time we talked about Connor.” I swallow. “They said he’s been hard to find… until now.”
Bronx’s jaw tightens as he laces his fingers with mine, the tendons in his hand tightening.
“Apparently he owes people back home,” I continue. “That crossing the ocean didn’t erase the debt. They know where he lives… and that I live in the same building.”
The warmth leaves his expression.
“They also said family loyalty only goes so far,” I add. “And that you can’t keep a dead man alive for long.”
Bronx watches me for a moment, completely still.
“Well, they made a big fucking mistake,” he says. “Coming to my city.”
Then he reaches into the pocket of his trousers and pulls out his phone. His thumbs move across the screen, typing quickly while the helicopter hums around us.
He sends it, locks the phone, and slides it back into his pocket.
“My men are hunting them.” His thumb sweeps across my skin. “No one threatens my wife and walks away.”
I blink. “Do you know what they look like?”
“They didn’t hide from the cameras in the hotel. I’ll know more in a few hours. They talked about family loyalty.” His mouth tilts into a subtle smirk. “Now they’ll learn how far mine goes.”
Bronx squeezes my fingers, lifts my hand, and presses a kiss to my knuckles.
“Security at the condo has already doubled,” he says. “Connor’s floor and the penthouse. You don’t need to worry about a thing, princess.”
I’ve spent my whole life protecting Connor, and I’m not about to stop now.
Despite everything between us, Bronx is on the same side. That makes us allies…even if I don’t trust him with my heart.
But I trust him with Connor’s life. Right now, that has to be enough.
Let the Tribunal come.
If they want my brother… they’ll have to go through my husband first.
And I’m about to find out exactly what that means.