Chapter 19 DAN
DAN
Ipark the car next to Dom’s Range Rover, the engine ticking as it cools. “You coming in or waiting here?”
“I’ll come inside.” Rose unclips her seatbelt and slips out of the car, fiddling with the pink scarf around her neck. The same scarf I want to choke her with while I fuck her brains out. “What are you looking at?”
A smile curves my lips as I lock the car and climb the stairs to my apartment. Maybe I don’t want to choke her completely, just enough to heighten her orgasm when she submits to me. There’s something about her in this uniform that makes me all kinds of crazy.
I unlock the door and step inside, carrying my holdall, only to be greeted with laughter and voices. Three women are in my kitchen. “This is a nice surprise.”
Rose walks in behind me and stops dead. Wide eyes take in the scene. “What the hell is this?” she mutters under her breath and glares at me with a tight lip.
“Ladies,” I say, holding back a chuckle. “This is Rose.”
“It’s Grace,” she says through clenched teeth as she taps her name badge.
The girls all stare as if I just got my date’s name wrong, and I feel like I’m about to be lynched by the mob.
“Hi, I’m Poppy,” Dom’s girl says as she ties her red hair up in a messy bun.
Lilly waves from the fridge, rubbing her very pregnant belly with her other hand.
Violet glances up from the coffee machine she’s failing to operate and eyes Rose from head to toe. “Sup.”
Rose doesn’t move. She folds her arms across her chest, chin tilted up. “Nice setup you’ve got. Do you always keep a backup harem in your kitchen?”
I choke on a laugh, but the girls—well, Poppy and Lilly—just burst out laughing.
Rose stares at Lilly’s large belly. “You won’t be laughing when he disappears and leaves you to raise your child…” Eyes dart to mine, full of venom. “Alone.”
I give her the same glare back because that’s not fair, and she knows it.
“Oh my gosh,” Poppy says. “No, no. We’re all taken.”
Lilly smiles kindly. “Don’t worry, Dan’s not as charming as he thinks he is.”
“Oi,” I shout.
Rose gives me a dry look. “He’s a better liar than charmer, that’s for sure.” She says it like a joke, but her arms are crossed and her glare could curdle cream.
I can’t stop the smug smile from forming. Seems my flower has a jealous streak.
Violet snorts. “Ooh, I like her.”
“I’m Lilly,” she says, one hand on her lower back and the other resting on her bump. “Due in two months and about to eat someone if Shane doesn’t bring food back soon.”
Rose nods, taking it all in. “Congratulations. You look ready to burst.”
Lilly laughs. “Tell me about it. I can’t even see my own feet.”
Poppy pushes off the counter, examining Rose more closely. “You look familiar. Did you used to work at the London casino? The posh one in the East End?”
Rose freezes and glances back at me. My spine bristles as if I feel everything she does, her bright blue eyes widening like someone just yanked the emergency slide mid-flight and is about to spill all her secrets.
“I’d hardly call the casino posh,” I shout from the table, trying to break the tension as I unpack a few things from my bag.
Rose fiddles with the hem of her flight attendant jacket. “I’ve never worked in London.”
She’s not lying, just omitting the part where she was married to the owner.
Poppy blinks. “Oh. You must have one of those faces.”
Rose shrugs. “Apparently.”
Lilly waves a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it, Grace. Everyone knows Poppy’s face. She was on Crimewatch TV. Made the most wanted list.”
“Really?” Rose looks at me as if for confirmation.
“My brother didn’t know what he was letting himself in for, did he, Pops?”
Rose huffs and crosses her arms over her pink blouse. “Probably after the reward money, if he’s anything like you.”
Poppy isn’t the only one watching Rose closely now, but it’s Violet who speaks next, lips curling. “So… are you and Dan…?”
Rose lets out a humourless laugh. “Definitely not.”
That one lands like a slap to my face.
“She’s just here for the view,” I say as I pull off my top and walk into my room for a clean shirt.
Buttoning up my shirt, I hear the front door click and the guys enter as I walk down the hall.
Dom’s balancing coffee trays, Shane’s carrying a brown bag as if it’s a newborn, and Kane’s got that look like he already regrets coming.
“Breakfast is here,” Shane announces. “Extra sausage, extra cheese, hash browns, and the gherkins you wanted.”
Lilly lights up. “I love you more every day.”
He presses a kiss to her forehead as she tears into the sausage muffin like a woman possessed.
Dom shoots me a quick look before nodding at Rose. “You must be the reason he ditched us last night.” He says it lightly, but there’s an edge of interest in his tone.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, last night was eventful.”
Dom slides the coffees onto the counter. “I didn’t know you’d be here. Have you eaten?” He looks between me and Rose. “I’m sure we can spare a few hash browns and egg muffins.”
Lilly mumbles with a mouth full of food. “Not a chance in hell am I sharing mine.”
“We’re good, man. Been up since the crack of dawn.” I nod at Rose. “This one woke me up.”
Dom gives me a look. “Oh, yeah?”
Rose screws her face in disgust. “He had a date with the ironing board.”
The guys chuckle at my expense.
“Rope. Chair.” I raise my brow at Dom, who wipes the smirk from his face when he remembers the photograph I took of him after Poppy tied him up.
Shane pats my back. “I thought you were coming out with us last night to celebrate Lil’s becoming a qualified nurse?”
“Something came up. Did you have a good night?” I slip a clean tie around my neck under my collar.
“I had one too many mocktails and spent the rest of the night nursing a bottle of Gaviscon.”
Rose smiles warmly. “Oh, don’t remind me. I had terrible acid reflux when I was having my son. I practically lived on that stuff.”
I rub at the ache in my chest, wishing I were there with her. Bitterness coats my tongue, knowing she was with someone else.
“Right,” Lilly says, dipping her hash brown into a pot of ketchup. “How old’s your son?”
“Almost thirteen.” Rose glances at me, then back to the girls.
They all stare at her as if she’s grown another head.
Violet practically chokes on her bagel. “No way. You must have had him when you were like fifteen or something.”
“I was eighteen.” Rose straightens her spine as if proud, like our son is her greatest achievement, and my chest swells with admiration for the woman before me.
Dom raises his brow as he looks between us as if he’s just done the math.
I nod towards the bedroom and hope he follows as I change into a clean pair of trousers.
Dom shuts the door behind him. “You weren’t kidding when you said last night was eventful, were you?”
“He’s mine.” I button up my trousers and sit on the bed, scroll through my phone to a snap I took of one of Rose’s family photos in her living room.
It’s a recent image of Angelos.
Dom’s jaw slackens as he looks between the phone and me. “He’s a City supporter?”
I snatch the phone back and smile at my son in last season’s City shirt. “You find out you’re an uncle and that’s your first response?”
“He looks like you,” Dom says, quieter now. “Same eyes. Same resting bitch face.”
“Cheers.”
He nudges me. “You all right?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I’ve missed almost thirteen years, Dom. I don’t know where to even start.” A sigh escapes as I run my hand over my face, tired from little to no sleep last night on Rose’s couch.
“You start by educating the lad on football teams. Maybe throw in a United shirt.” He chuckles and knocks my shoulder with his. “You start by showing up. Which, by the way, you’re already doing.” He pauses. “Have you told him yet?”
“Not yet. I can’t. Not while that arsehole she married’s still sniffing around.”
Dom’s face hardens. “Need help burying a body?”
“I think I might.”
“You know we’re all here for whatever you need. Even Shane. He might be preoccupied with Lilly and the baby, but I’m sure he can lock Magnus up if we need him out of the picture,” he says with a grin.
“Magnus’s in Rome at the minute. I’m heading back out there. Matteo’s meeting me today, but I’m gonna need you to keep tabs on the boy and Rose. I can’t be with her twenty-four seven. Especially if I’m still in Rome with Matteo.”
“I got your back. And when you’re ready, tell the kid. He deserves to know who’s got his back, too.”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah.” I throw on my suit jacket and fold fresh clothes into my holdall.
Walking into the kitchen, I grab my keys from the counter. “Right, I’ve changed. We’ve got to head out.”
Rose stands, smoothing her skirt again. The way she wears her uniform is like a coat of armour shielding her true self.
Lilly’s eyes soften as she watches her. “It was lovely to meet you.”
“You too. Good luck with the baby.” Her smile is genuine this time.
“Thanks. And, uh, whatever’s going on with you two…” She glances between us. “I hope it works out.”
Rose doesn’t reply. Just walks towards the door like it’s suddenly urgent.
As we step into the hallway, I murmur, “You okay?”
She shrugs, not looking at me. “Fine.”
“Cheer up. Could be worse.” I give her my widest grin. “At least I don’t have a harem.”
Her lips curve with a hint of a smile. “I’m actually impressed you have friends.”
“How did you like Poppy?”
“She was nice. Why?”
I shrug a shoulder. “No reason. She’s marrying my brother.”
Rose snorts. “In that case, I feel sorry for her.” Her lips lift in the corner. “She’ll have to put up with you as her brother-in-law.”
I let out a small laugh. Because Rose doesn’t know it yet, but she’s part of our family now, just like Poppy is.
We get into the car and drive off, needing to talk, but I just don’t know where to begin. For now I stay silent, the atmosphere charged with everything unspoken.