“Aw, thanks.” He gave each of them another kiss before shoving Guinness at me like the dachshund was my kid, not a dog.
I took Guinness from him and stroked my hand over the small head, and Guinness’s tail wagged even harder, thumping against my belly. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he stared up at me in a similar way to Conall. I was a mob boss, I didn’t getgooeyover puppies, so if my heart melted over the little doxie, I’d never admit it.
“All right, boys. Papa needs a nap.” Conall stood and carefully took Guinness from me. I hated to see him go, and apparently, the puppy agreed because he gave me the biggest puppy dog eyes, whining as Conall held the dogs out to Ronan again. “I know they missed their papa, but can you take them to the kitchen for food, Ronan?”
The bodyguard inclined his head and took the puppies from Conall. He left again, closing the door behind himself.
Conall flashed me a pearly smile, one that he used to get his way. “So now you know about your kids. Surprise.”
I rolled my eyes and chuffed out a laugh as I got to my feet. “Pet, those are not my children.”
“They are, you just don’t know it yet.” He waggled his eyebrows. He fell back against the bed and raised his arms over his head. He yawned, and I took in the flushed face again and how hazy his eyes were. I’d feel better once he’d seen Rory.
“Nap, I’m going to clean up and shave.” I winked as I headed toward the bathroom again. Maybe have another shower.
“Yeah, after being in jail, I don’t blame you one bit.”
I laughed.
13
SLOAN
The shower was the kind of bliss that couldn’t be put into words. Water swirled the drain, carrying both the grime and anguish from my time in jail, but my stomach still churned. Growing like poison ivy, the feeling twisted inside me, knotting itself around my organs and holding them captive. I wasn’t behind bars anymore, but the rage festering in my chest was another type of jail—one that I’d use as a weapon against my enemies. They thought locking me away would weaken me, but it only made me stronger.
Hungry for revenge.
No matter how much I washed myself, how much water poured over my sore and tired muscles, I still felt dirty.
When I was done washing myself until my skin flushed pink, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a couple of towels. I used one to dry myself and the other to wrap around my waist, then stared in the vanity mirror as I dried my hair. The roots had grown out since I’d been at Rikers, and the brown swallowed the usual bleached parts, giving me a more natural look. Strands of silver joined the brown, though. A reminder of my mortality.
Shaking my head at the thought, I went back into the bedroom.
Conall wasn’t in the room like I’d expected and concern spiked through me, sharp and alert, a sensation I didn’t welcome at all. Even though we were in our home, that didn’t mean he wasn’t in danger.
I quickly put on comfortable clothing—a loose pair of pants and a light shirt for the nice spring weather outside—and grabbed my handgun from my safe. I gripped the weapon, my throat tightening in anticipation as I stalked out of our bedroom.
I checked his office—not there.
The gym—not there.
The living room—still not there.
Damn it. Threads of anxiety weaved their venomous vines around my heart, strangling the damned organ that only beat for him. I clenched my teeth until they felt like they were going to shatter in my mouth as I stalked down the hallway. I caught sight of Ronan near the back door and strode toward him.
“Ronan, where’s my pet?” I barked. It was his job to protect Conall, and Ronan would have been at his side the instant he left the bedroom.
Ronan straightened, his blue eyes flicking sharply in my direction. He squared his shoulders. The afternoon sun that filtered through the door reflected off his neatly styled blond hair. “Boss. He’s outside in the greenhouse. He asked to be alone.”
Some of the worry seeped out of me, and my body lost the tension that had my stomach clenched. “Why?” I softened my tone and paused at the back door, staring out the glass toward my mother’s—now Conall’s—greenhouse. He loved that place, but he always had a bodyguard with him when he went in there. That was a hard and fast rule. He needed someone at all times when I wasn’t around him.
“It was his refuge while you were in Rikers.” Ronan was carefully concise with his words, and while they were said as a statement, I didn’t miss the warmth in them. He cared about Conall. After eight years, I knew it was nothing but friendship and respect, though. I trusted Ronan with Conall’s life.
Conall had always enjoyed his time in the greenhouse, but I hadn’t realized how important it’d become to him.
I gave Ronan a small nod of appreciation before I swept past him and out the door. I strode across the grass. The last rays of afternoon sun sent bronze streaks across the lawn and reflected off the glass of the greenhouse, as though guiding me to my sweet pet. The perimeter of the yard was protected by some of our loyal men, and when I caught their gaze, I tilted my chin in acknowledgement while they lowered theirs in respect. I kept an eye on them, wariness prickling my spine. After today, I’d have to evaluate the structure of who to trust.
When I arrived at the greenhouse door, I opened it gently to avoid scaring Conall. His scratchy voice met my ears, and I frowned as he spoke—to whom, I didn’t know. As far as I was aware, no one was in here with him. The only person I might have expected, Vail, wasn’t at the mansion right now, and his partners were dealing with the traitors.
