Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Ihave no idea where Connor is. He did put a number I could contact him on in the phone Dante sent me. But I’m trying really hard not to bother him. I hate not being with him. It gives me anxiety.
Connor didn’t leave me alone, though; he had Aisling and Levi come over. Well, I think he had Aisling come and Levi showed up with her, which Connor did not look too happy about.
Although he insisted he invited her over for her own safety, not to distract me.
It’s not working either way. I’m sitting here pretending not to be stressed, but I’m fucking stressed.
I don’t understand why he couldn’t take me with him.
Why he won’t tell me what he actually had to come back to Dublin for.
I’m not buying that it’s just for some deal with the Albanians.
I’m also not buying that he won’t deal with them because of the beef they have with my family.
Connor hates my family. He tolerates them because he loves me, but I know he doesn’t really like them.
They are a lot to handle, so I can see how it might take a while for an outsider to develop a likeness for their overbearing, bossy ways of showing love.
My fingers are itching to message him, just to check that he’s still okay. I’m not sure he should be running around doing whatever the fuck he’s doing while he’s sick. We haven’t even got the genetic testing back yet to confirm that he has that iron thing going on.
“Why do you look like someone pissed in your whiskey?” Patty’s voice has my head snapping up.
“Why are you here? Where’s Connor? Why aren’t you with Connor?” I ask him, rising to my feet. “You’re supposed to be with him.”
Patty lifts a shoulder. “Connor wanted me to stick around here.”
“And you went along with that? Is he out there by himself? Shit. I need to find him.”
How the hell do I find him?
“He’s fine, Aurora. I just got off the phone with him,” Patty says.
“You did?” I ask, not sure I believe him. “Look, I’m sorry I threatened you—well, not really. But if it makes a difference to you, let’s pretend I am. I need you to go wherever he is and make sure he stays in one piece.”
“I swear he’s fine. He’s not alone, and if I left here without you, he’d probably kill me,” Patty mutters.
I tilt my head to the side. “Who are you more afraid of? Connor or me?”
“You, definitely you. But he is the boss, so I kind of have to do what he tells me as well.” The poor guy looks like he would rather be anywhere else at the moment.
“You know what? It’s been a while since we’ve sparred, Little Valentino. Surely this museum has a gym somewhere,” Levi says, stepping between me and Patty.
“You don’t want to fight me right now, Levi,” I warn him.
“Pfft, you think your pretty little ass can best me? Bring it on. Let’s see what you got.”
Levi’s smile is pissing me off. Does he really think I won’t beat him? And he’s right. It has been a while since I’ve been in a ring with him. He has no idea how good I’ve gotten.
“Fine, but I’m telling Connor you said my ass was pretty.” I smirk, having no intention of doing such a thing. Connor would lose his shit if he heard Levi talk to me like that. I turn my glare on Patty. “Is there a gym here?”
“Yep, follow me,” he replies.
“I need to change first. I’m not fighting him in a skirt,” I say.
“I have something you can borrow.” Aisling swipes up the duffle bag she came in with.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I really am going to owe you a whole wardrobe at this rate.” I laugh.
“It’s okay. They’re just clothes.” She shrugs.
“I’ll show you to Connor’s room,” Patty says.
Connor was supposed to show me around, but after he gave me the gift in the office, we got distracted. On his father’s desk. And then Aisling and Levi turned up.
“Thank you,” I tell Patty. I still want to hurt him, and Connor and I will have words when he comes back because him going out without someone who has his back completely is just plain stupid. And Connor is anything but stupid.
This whole him needing to protect me bullshit has to stop. I’m not a damsel. I don’t need babysitters. Do I appreciate the concern? Sure. I also don’t love being alone at the moment, so it does help having other people here. Especially Levi, because he’s familiar and reminds me of home.
When Patty stops at a door, Aisling digs into her bag and pulls out a pair of shorts and a sports bra. “It should fit. Might be a tad tight. Your boobs are bigger than mine.”
“I’ll make it work. Thank you.” I open the door, walk in, and shut it behind me.
This room is very similar to Connor’s space back in New York. The one I broke into to leave him little reminders of me when he thought he could forget me. If I had a lipstick, I’d go and draw on the mirror, just to remind him of how far we’ve come since then.
I strip out of the skirt and top I’m wearing and continue into the bathroom. I know Levi is waiting, but he can wait longer. I want a shower.
I turn on the water and wait for it to heat up as I look around the bathroom. Spotting a window, I walk over to check that it’s locked. It is.
I don’t stay in the shower long. The anxiety is making me jumpy, and I really need to just not be alone, I think. Scratch that. What I need is Connor but he’s not here.
Once I’m dressed, I look down at myself. The shorts barely cover my ass and the sports bra—well, it does make my cleavage look amazing. So I pick up my phone, snap a selfie, and send it to the number Connor programmed for me.
Me:
Going to the gym to spar with Levi.
Connor messages back almost instantly.
Connor:
Put on a shirt. I have plenty in the drawers behind you.
I laugh. I had a feeling he wouldn’t like me wearing this to the gym. Another message comes in.
Connor:
Kick his ass for me too, princess.
That message makes me smile even more. That’s the Connor I fell in love with. The one who doesn’t treat me like I’m breakable.
Feeling a little better after messaging with Connor, I walk out of the room and find Patty waiting for me. “You good?” he asks.
“I’m ready to wipe that stupid smile off my cousin’s face,” I tell him.
“Good, it’s been a long time coming,” Patty says. We walk in silence, me following his lead down two different halls and him lost to his thoughts. “Just so you know, I would do anything for Connor. He is my best friend.”
“He shouldn’t be out there doing God knows what alone,” I say. “I don’t want to even think of what could happen.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want to think about what he will do if something happens to you. He needs you, Aurora. This, taking over this fucked-up family, isn’t an easy task.”
“I know,” I say. Because it’s not easy for any new boss to come in, especially one as young as Connor.
When we get to the gym, which is on the ground floor and not the basement like I was dreading it would be, Levi is already on the mats. “Took you long enough. I was starting to think you chickened out.”
I look around the room. “Me?” I point to my chest. “As if.” I laugh. “Patty, you should probably call a doctor. Levi is going to need one once I’m finished with him.”
Patty looks from me to Levi, and then back to me. “Really? He’s your cousin.”
“I’m not going to kill him. Just make him hurt.” I smirk and stretch out my arms and legs.
Levi bounces around the mat, his hands up and ready to block my blows. I don’t start with throwing fists, though. Nope, I swipe my right leg behind his knees, forcing him to fall on his back. Then I stand over him, smile, and hold out a hand.
“Did you trip?” I ask.
Levi shoves my hand aside and jumps to his feet. “That was a lucky shot, Little V,” he says.
Lucky, my ass. He underestimated me. But after this session, he won’t make that mistake again.