He snorted. "Yes, you said it out loud."
Fiery red heat burned my cheeks. I focused on a rosebush, grateful we sat in a pocket of shadow and he couldn't see me doing a brilliant impression of an overripe tomato. Why was I so lame?
I should go. Head back to my room before I embarrassed myself further.
"Sorry." I plucked at my dress, fully aware of how young and stupid I must seem to Ronan. The man who'd bedded a thousand women.Probably.
"Why are you apologizing?" He sounded genuinely perplexed.
"Because I'm drunk and you probably have better things to do than babysit me," I slurred. Fuck my life. I should never have finished the wine. Wine clearly didn't agree with me.
"Verity, don't be—" He grabbed my wrist as I stumbled to my feet, pulling me off balance in the process. I fell straight into his arms.
The spicy scent of his aftershave, the way he held me so tightly, left me light-headed. I could have blamed the wine, but really, it was the effect he had on me. Not just him.
Then a memory of me lying on a cold beach, coughing up seawater as Ronan screamed in my face, popped up. He'd been so angry. I'd never seen him that angry before.
"Pixie girl, I can't let you leave." I stared into his slate-gray eyes, marveling at how long and thick his lashes were.
His legs felt solid beneath my fleshy thighs. Like the arms around my waist, a steel band of muscle. Even if I wanted to escape, I couldn't.
But you're not mine, I said in my head. Except, once again, the words didn't stay in my head.
His lips parted, ready to tell me what I'd waited years to hear. That he wanted me as much as I wanted him. The fact I wanted his brothers as well was a minor inconvenience. One I wasn't in the mood to address right now.
Only instead of a heart-felt declaration that erased all the embarrassing moments between us, the world went to shit at that precise second.
Gunfire echoed through the trees, followed by yelling. Ronan swung me off his lap and pressed his palm over my mouth.
"Stay quiet, Pixie girl," he whispered in my ear. "We're under attack."
12
Ronan
What in the ever-loving fuck was going on? This was a party, for fuck's sake. And more importantly, I had my girl right where I wanted her. The bastards unlucky enough to cross my path tonight would pay for their sins in blood.
But first, I needed to get Verity inside, where it was safe. If unknown assailants had breached the perimeter, they were likely running amok in the gardens by now.
I pulled my phone from my pants, keeping my pixie girl tucked under my arm and in the pocket of a deep shadow. The rose garden was a dead-end, so we were safe for the moment.
Me: Outside, we're under attack. I have Pixie with me.
Con: Why is Verity with you??
Dec: Get her indoors now. This could be her father's work.
Dec: I'll handle the rest.
After shoving my phone away, I grabbed Pixie's hand and moved toward the stone archway at the exit to the rose garden. I had an inkling about who our attackers were. Only one family stood to gain from causing carnage at a high-profile event like this: the O'Rourkes.
Two of our guards lay slumped on the lawn between us and the house, but from the sounds of gunfire, the rest of our men were engaging with the attackers. Movement in the trees caught my eye, and I stepped back into the shadows, shielding Pixie with my body.
"I need you to stay out of sight for a moment while I deal with this," I said in a low voice as a figure dressed in tactical gear edged closer. He hadn't seen us, but if we tried to move across the lawn, he soon would.
"Tuck yourself behind that rose bush. I'll be back shortly." She nodded and slid into a small gap between the wall and the overgrown roses. Unless someone had a flashlight, they wouldn't see her.
Sticking to the shadows, I moved beyond the rose garden. Just as I reached the man waiting near a tree with his attention focused on the house, the moon broke through the clouds. A slant of silver light lit me up like a beacon.
