“I don’t need to bond with you, little dove. I already know you’re mine.” His mouth finds mine and, for a moment, I melt into him, trying to drown in the comfort of it.
But the pit in my stomach only grows.
I kiss him back anyway, because I don’t know what else to do.
My fingers sink into his shirt, pulling him against me as I part my lips, and when his tongue strokes against mine, I let out a whimper as that familiar ache starts to build between my legs.
I need him, more than I ever have.
But Kieran breaks the kiss before I can take things further, letting out a tired sigh as he rests his forehead against mine. “As much as I would love to stay here with you, I should get back to work. I can’t afford for Cormac to slip even further out of reach.”
“You need rest too.” I reach up to brush his cheek.
His stubble is rough against my skin.
“Burning yourself out isn’t going to help anyone. How much sleep did you even get last night?”
“Enough.” He brushes a thumb over my cheek.
I give him a skeptical look, but he only shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me, little dove. I can rest once I figure out where Cormac is.”
There it is again, that promise that everything else comes second to his duty.
He presses another kiss to my forehead before sliding off the bed, straightening his shirt. He lingers in the doorway, as if he’s going to say something more. But then he’s gone, the door clicking softly shut behind him, and I’m all alone yet again.
Chapter Four
KIERAN
It’s beendays since Cormac vanished underground, and I’m no closer to finding him than I was the night he disappeared. The bastard covered his tracks too well, and now I’m left chasing nothing but false leads and dead ends.
How Ronan can believe he’s not guilty is beyond me.
From his spot on the couch, Brennan keeps his laptop is balanced on his knee as he combs through security footage from the safe house. “Find anything?”
“What do you think?”
The figures on my laptop screen blur together, and my eyes hurt like I’m rubbing them with sandpaper every time I blink.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept, and the only thing fueling me is caffeine and alcohol.
“I take it Ronan isn’t joining us?”
“If you ask one more question, I’m going to strangle you, Brennan, I swear to God.”
“I hope Riley knows how cranky you get when you’re tired.”
I shoot my brother a glare, and his answering grin has me launching my empty coffee cup at his head.
Thankfully, he manages to catch it with one hand before it crashes to the floor.
“Take that as your cue to get me another cup.”
“I thought that was what Helena was for, or whatever her name is.”
“It’s Elena, and she’s here to take care of Ciara, not be your fucking surrogate mother.”
“Kinky.”
