SIX
Dillon
Finally back at Grace’s apartment after meeting with Conall and Tatiana, I breathed a sigh of relief. While we were there, I could see the connection building between Grace and Tatiana. Even for a cynical guy like me, it made me want to smile. If this thing between the two of us was going to last, it was important to me that she be accepted by my family, but especially by Conall.
Since Tatiana had not been born into this life, she was someone who had to accept Conall for who he was and the life we had. It felt good that she was someone who could help Grace with her adjustment.
She turned to me, those piercing eyes catching mine, locking me in place. “Dillon. About this thing between us…”
I cut her off before she could finish. “Don’t. Don’t start doubting now, Grace. I’m in this thing with you. All the way.” My voice was hard, edged with the kind of determination that had kept me alive in this life of blood and betrayal.
She studied me, weighing my words, searching for any hint of hesitation. I gave her none.
“Dillon, I can handle myself. You don’t need to play the hero.”
“Who said anything about playing?” I moved closer, closing the gap between us. “This isn’t some damn fairy tale, Grace. There are no heroes here. Just survivors. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone take you from me.”
Her breath hitched, and I could see the storm brewing behind those eyes. But there was something else there too—something like steel. She was tough as nails, my Grace. I was glad as fuck to see it. It still boggled my mind that we had found each other on a damn dating site catering to women’s fantasies about their ideal boyfriend. Even Tatiana had heard about it, which made Conall growl under his breath and ask her how the hell she knew about the site. It was funny to see one of the most dangerous men in Massachusetts jealous of an imaginary man. Everyone knew his wife would never leave him. “I meant what I said to you when we started this. I want you in my life. We’re in this together and I will protect you, even from yourself. There’s some shit brewing that Conall and I need to handle. I just want you safe.”
“Fine,” she finally said, her voice low but fierce. “But don’t get hurt or I’ll kill you. I just found you and I can’t… I can’t lose you.”
“I promise you, baby. I’ll be fine. I will do everything I can to come back to you. Now, enough talk about business. I need you, Gracie,” I growled, my voice low, barely holding the storm within.
She met my gaze, her own eyes darkening with the same hunger that clawed at my insides. With a swift movement, I closed the distance, my hands finding her waist, pulling her against me. Our lips crashed together in a collision of raw desire, all lingering doubts consumed by the blaze of our kiss.
Our bodies melded together in a frenzy of need and our clothes were ripped away with reckless abandon. Her soft moans filled the room as I explored every inch of her body with my hands and mouth. My teeth nipped at her neck while my fingers traced circles on her soft inner thigh, teasing her until she was writhing beneath me. She weighed almost nothing to me as I walked us back to her bedroom.
My erection pressed against her, throbbing with need, as she wrapped her legs around my waist. As soon as we made it to her bedroom, I knew I was done waiting. With a primal growl, I thrust into her, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from her lips. Our hips moved in perfect sync, building a rhythm that left us both panting and aching for release.
I laid us down on the bed so I could go deeper. Her muscles tightened around me as she reached her climax, her nails digging into my back as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. I could do nothing but follow soon after, spilling into her with a groan that echoed through the room.
As we lay spent and tangled in the sheets, our hearts raced, and our breathing slowed. The silence was heavy, but it was a silence filled with satisfaction.
I traced the curve of her shoulder with my fingertip, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing. “Never thought I’d find something like this,” I muttered, the words escaping before I could cage them. “In this fucked-up world, you’re the one damn thing that feels right.”
“Never expected to be with a man who could fulfill my every fantasy,” Grace whispered back, her voice thick with emotion. “But here we are, defying the odds.”
“Defying everything,” I agreed, tightening my hold on her. Love was a luxury I never thought I could afford. Yet here it was, wrapped around me, undeniable as the morning sun. But with it came the stark realization that there was more at stake now. More to lose.
“Whatever comes,” I vowed, my lips grazing her forehead, “I’ll keep you safe. They’ll have to go through me to get to you.”
“Promises, promises,” she teased, though her fingers clutched at me, betraying her concern.
“Damn straight,” I said, with a conviction that ran bone deep. I felt her heartbeat against my chest, steady like a drum, and it gave me a sense of peace.
“We’re in this together,” Grace said. Her fingers drew lines across my bare skin. The sight of her touching my skin made me want to fuck her again.
“Partners in crime,” I replied. It wasn’t sweet talk, it was fact, hard and cold as the gun in my holster resting on the chair across the room. With that thought, my eyes closed, and we fell asleep.
The morning had slipped away when I finally let myself out of Grace’s apartment. She was still curled up in the sheets, a contented smile on her lips. I pressed my own into her temple, breathing in the scent of her hair, and promised silently that I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
“Watch your back, Dillon,” she mumbled, half-asleep.
“Always do, babe,” I replied, tightening my grip on the gun tucked in the back of my jeans. “And yours.”
I left her with a kiss and the unspoken vow hanging in the air between us. The city was a jungle, and I’d become its most watchful predator. Anyone who even looked at Grace sideways would have a bullet with their name on it. That was a promise.
*****
Grace
The next day, the streets were buzzing with the chatter of pedestrians and the honking of horns. I walked through them invisible, just another face in the crowd. But even as I moved among them, my ears were tuned for trouble, especially after the past week. Learning more about Dillon’s life had put me on guard.
Trouble found me outside a boutique in the form of a hand snaking out to grab my arm. “Dillon’s going down, you hear?”
I whirled around, facing the scumbag who dared touch me. Anger flared hot and bright inside me. “You got a death wish? Don’t you ever touch me,” I spat. My eyes narrowed to slits.
“Big talk, little girl,” he sneered. “But Dillon can’t protect you all the time.”
“Protect me?” I laughed, cold and hard. “You think I need protection from trash like you? Get the hell away from me before you find out just how wrong you are.”
He hesitated, his bravado faltering under my glare. “This isn’t over, bitch,” he hissed, backing away. “Tell Dillon the Ricci’s said hi.”
“Walk away while you still can,” I warned, my voice laced with venom. “And if any of you assholes approach me again, I promise you, you’re gonna regret it.”
He skulked off into the crowd, and I straightened my jacket, shaking off the disgust flowing through my body. They thought they could intimidate me? Threaten my man? They had no idea who they were dealing with. Dillon and I had found each other in a world where we never should have crossed paths. Nothing would come in between that.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, but my mind kept circling back to that confrontation on the street. Those motherfuckers had no idea who they were messing with.
I wasn’t some delicate flower that needed protecting. I chose to be in this life with Dillon. My eyes are wide open. I know the risks and dangers that came with loving a man like him. But I also knew my own strength. I wasn’t about to let some two-bit gangsters push me around.
As evening fell, I made my way back to Dillon’s place, my steps quick and purposeful. I needed to see him, to feel his arms around me, to know that we were in this together, no matter what.
I let myself in with the key he’d given me. The weight of it in my hand is a reminder of the trust between us. The apartment was dark, but I could sense his presence, feel the heat of his gaze on me as I moved through the shadows.
“Dillon?” I called out, my voice echoing in the stillness.
He emerged from the bedroom, shirtless and glorious.
His eyes locked onto mine, intense and hungry. “Gracie,” he rasped, his voice rough with emotion. “You okay?”
I nodded, crossing the room to him, my hands already reaching for his bare skin. “Some asshole approached me today,” I said, my fingers curling into his hair. “Threatened you. Said to tell you the Ricci’s said hi. I’ve never heard of them, but they said it like you would know what it meant.”
Dillon’s jaw clenched, his muscles tensing under my touch. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he demanded, a dangerous edge to his tone.
“I’m telling you now,” I said, my fingers tracing the lines of his abs. “Plus, I handled it. Told him if he or any of his friends came after me or you again, they’d regret it.”
A slow, feral grin spread across Dillon’s face. “Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter how small of a matter you think it is, you will always tell me when someone approaches you on the street or mentions me, or Conall, or Tatiana, or the O’Shea family. I know you’re tough and want to prove you can handle yourself, but that it non-negotiable,” he growled, his hands gripping my hips, pulling me flush against him.
I could feel the hard length of him pressing into me, igniting a fire in my core. “Okay, I will. But Dillon, you know I’m not going anywhere. You know that, right?” My lips hovered lightly over his. “I’m in this with you. All the way.”
“I know. Which is why they’re coming after you. Don’t worry though. We’ll find out who it was. Now, give me what I need, sweetheart.” He captured my mouth in a searing kiss, his tongue delving deep, claiming me again.
I moaned into the kiss, my body arching into his. His hands gripped my hips, grinding me against his hardness as I craved more of him.
It was funny. This man had me turned the fuck out, and there was no way I could walk away.