Chapter 39
CHAPTER 39
A few weeks later
Kiera
The days after the meeting with Marco and the mayor passed in a strange, tense haze.
The city seemed quieter somehow, as though it was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. But as the hours turned into days, it became clear that the storm had passed—or at least, shifted.
The first thing that happened was Ronan moved Leena to a safehouse.
Ronan didn’t give Leena a choice about the move, not that she seemed inclined to argue. The safehouse he set her up in was miles above the apartment the two of us had shared—spacious, modern, with every comfort imaginable. It had sweeping views of the Hudson, state-of-the-art security, and even a private gym.
For all her independence, Leena didn’t put up much of a fight, though I could tell it wasn’t because she agreed with being moved. It was because she knew Ronan wouldn’t budge, and she had bigger battles to pick. Leena adjusted well enough to her new home, though I could tell she missed the simplicity of our old life, back when things felt more manageable.
As for me, I’d spent those weeks wrestling with my own role in all of this. I was still figuring out how to navigate Ronan’s world, still trying to reconcile the version of myself that craved stability with the one that wanted to be part of his life, no matter how dangerous it got.
Marco Benedetti, for all his bluster and threats, had backed down. The usual murmurs of violence and turf disputes in the city quieted, replaced by the muted hum of grudging coexistence.
The Ivanovich family, meanwhile, was a shadow of its former self. Ronan’s decisive action—taking out a significant number of their forces—had left them reeling. Word on the street was that they’d withdrawn to lick their wounds, their influence in the city reduced to a faint whisper of what it once was.
But even in the quiet that followed, the loss of Finn hung over all of us. The funeral had been a somber affair. Ronan had stood stoic throughout the service, his expression unreadable as Finn’s family wept beside the casket.
But afterward, he’d made sure they would never want for anything ever again. He’d set up trust funds for Finn’s kids, paid off their mortgage, and promised his widow that she’d have whatever she needed, whenever she needed it. It was a quiet gesture, one that spoke volumes about the man Ronan was, the weight he carried as the head of the family, and the responsibility he felt for those who followed him.
Through it all, Ronan and I found moments of quiet together, spaces where the storm faded, and we could just be. It wasn’t long before we had to address the inevitable: telling Leena about us.
She’d been predictably shocked, her wide eyes darting between the two of us as we sat her down in the penthouse.
“You’re kidding, right?” she’d said in disbelief.
“No,” Ronan replied simply, his hand resting lightly on mine. “We’re serious, Leena. And we wanted you to hear it from us.”
She’d huffed, crossing her arms as her gaze settled on me. “You know how he is, right? Stubborn, overprotective, and a complete control freak.”
I’d smiled faintly, squeezing Ronan’s hand. “Yeah, I noticed.”
After a long pause, Leena let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging as she leaned back in her chair.
“Fine,” she muttered grudgingly. “But if you hurt her, Ronan?—”
“I won’t,” Ronan said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Leena had rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips as she looked between us.
“You two are ridiculous,” she said, shaking her head. “But… I guess I’ll allow it.”
Her acceptance, though begrudging, felt like the final piece falling into place.
Ronan had done what he’d promised—he’d brought peace, or something like it, to New York City. The Benedettis were staying in their lane, the Ivanovich family was no longer a threat, and the city, for now, was quiet.
It was peace, or as much of a peace as I would ever encounter in Ronan’s world.
My laptop chimed from the corner of the room, and I forced myself to move, needing a distraction. I looked at the screen, seeing a new email. When I opened it, my breath caught.
After further review, we’ve decided to reinstate your full scholarship.
I sighed in relief.
Since the danger surrounding me had ebbed, I’d returned to my classes, and though balancing coursework with everything else in my life wasn’t easy, I was determined to see it through. Graduation was only a few months away, the finish line so close I could almost reach out and touch it.
Behind me, I heard Ronan’s footsteps, the steady sound grounding me as he approached. He stopped just behind me, his presence warm and solid.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, his tone low and steady.
I turned slightly, glancing up at him. His gray eyes were softer than I’d seen them in days, the hard edges of his usual demeanor blunted by something that looked almost like relief.
“I was just thinking about everything,” I admitted. “About Marco, about the Russians, about Finn…” My voice faltered, and I looked away, swallowing hard. I hadn’t known the man, but I’d met his family, and I could tell he had a good heart. His loss touched me all the same.
Ronan’s hand settled gently on my arm, his touch firm but comforting.
“It’s over,” he said quietly. “We made it through.”
“Did we?” I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “You did all of this—saved Leena, took down the Ivanovich family, held Marco at bay—but at what cost, Ronan?”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said simply.
My throat tightened, and I took a shaky breath, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I just… I wish there was something more I could’ve done.”
“You did more than enough,” Ronan said, his hand brushing lightly against my cheek. “Without you, we wouldn’t have had half the plan we needed to save Leena. Without you, I would have had Marco killed and started a brutal war that would have shaken the very foundations of this city. Don’t sell yourself short, love. You were incredible.”
My cheeks flushed, and I glanced away, the praise overwhelming. “I didn’t do that much.”
“You did,” he insisted, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
His hand tilted my chin up, his eyes locking with mine. The tension between us crackled, electric and undeniable, and my breath caught as he leaned closer, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that was soft and full of unspoken emotion.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his voice barely above a whisper.
“And I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”
I smiled, and for the first time in days, the weight in my chest lifted. Whatever came next, we’d face it together.
And for now, that was enough.
Ronan’s hand lingered on my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against my skin as he looked at me. His expression softened into something more tender, though the teasing edge in his eyes remained.
“You know,” he said, his voice dipping into that low, commanding tone that always left me feeling like the ground was shifting beneath my feet. “We’ve got some unfinished business, you and I.”
A flush crept up my cheeks, my mind immediately flashing back to his earlier threats—threats involving his belt and my bare ass.
“I thought… I thought we were past that,” I said, though my voice betrayed the nervous anticipation simmering beneath my words.
Ronan smirked faintly, lowering his hands to my waist. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten, love. But I’ve decided you’ve had enough punishment for now.”
Relief swept through me, but it was short-lived. His smirk deepened, and his grip on my waist tightened slightly, pulling me closer until our bodies were nearly flush.
“This isn’t about punishment anymore,” he murmured. “This is about showing you that you’re mine—in every way that word means. Either way though, you’re still going to get a taste of my belt.”
My breath hitched, my hands instinctively gripping his arms as his words settled over me like a spell. There was no mistaking the meaning behind them, no misunderstanding the intent in his gaze.
Before I could respond, his lips captured mine again, this time with a fierceness that left no room for doubt. His kiss was possessive, consuming, a claim as much as it was an expression of everything he hadn’t yet said. I melted against him, my body responding to his touch like it had been waiting for this moment all along.
When he pulled back, his lips curved into a wicked smile. “Go to the bedroom,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, deliberate rumble.
I blinked up at him, my breath coming in shallow gasps. “What?—”
His hand came down on my backside over the fabric of my jeans, hard, the sound echoing in the quiet room as a sting bloomed across my skin. I gasped, my cheeks burning as I stared up at him, a mix of shock and arousal flooding through me.
“You heard me,” he said, his smirk widening slightly. “Go to the bedroom. It’s time for that discussion to finally begin.”