“Christ.” I grow hard once more.
I want nothing more than to go after Ciara and continue my apology by getting on my knees for her, but I made her a promise, and this is one I don’t intend to break.
I need to call Stephen.
Ciara was right about everything. I can’t keep blowing up every time another man is in the same room as her. It’s not fair, and it’s not sustainable. She deserves better than a paranoid wreck who throws punches first and thinks second.
So, before I can talk myself out of it, I reach for my phone, pull up Stephen’s contact info, and hit the call button.
It rings twice before he picks up.
“Hello?”
I wince at the bitterness lacing his tone. “Hey.” I awkwardly rub my jaw. “It’s me.”
There’s a brief pause, and I shuffle uncomfortably in my seat.
“I know.”
Fuck, why is this so awkward?
I’ve known Stephen for nearly a decade and consider him an honorary Sullivan brother. We’ve been through some shit together, so a quick phone call should be easy. But then again, I’ve never punched him or fired him, so this is all new territory for us.
“Look, I’m calling because I owe you an apology.”
There’s another pause, and this one is longer. The asshole is trying to make me sweat, and it’s working.
“No shit.”
I close my eyes as my anger flares, but I force it down. If I don’t go to Ciara with news that Stephen is coming back, then I might as well cut off my balls and hand them to her on a silver platter.
Taking a deep breath, I swallow the last of my pride and offer Stephen an apology that I hope will be enough to get him to take his job back.
“I was way out of line. I shouldn’t have put my hands on you, and I shouldn’t have fired you. That was an overreaction on my part, and I’m sorry.”
Stephen lets out a sigh. “Ronan, I get that you’re protective of Ciara. She’s your wife, after all, but I need you to admit that I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
It’s rare for anyone to talk back to me other than my brothers, but I can’t deny that I deserve it.
“I know that now, and I trust you. I wouldn’t have put Ciara’s safety in your hands if I didn’t.”
He doesn’t respond right away, and I fear that there might be nothing I can say to make this better.
“Come back,” I say before he can fill the silence. “You’re good at your job, and I need someone I can trust. Besides, Ciara clearly feels safer with you around.”
There’s another beat of silence, but this time, I have nothing left to fill it with.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. What happens the next time you get jealous and decide I’m too close to her again? Are you going to put a bullet in my chest?”
“Fuck, no.”
“You sure? Because the look on your face the other night says otherwise.”
Fuck, was I really that bad?
