Kieran gets to his feet and comes around the table to press a kiss to my temple. When he pulls back, there’s something almost painfully tender in the way he looks at me.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” His fingers stroke my cheek.
But then he’s gone, leaving me with only the echoes of his footsteps and my own racing heartbeat.
My fingers grip the edge of the table, and I let out a slow breath.
He’ll come back safe. He has to. And when he does, I will tell him. I will. Because this secret is too heavy to bear any longer.
He deserves to know that a piece of him is growing inside me, a piece of the family that he is trying so hard to protect.
Chapter Sixteen
KIERAN
Sean finally made his move.
I knew it was coming, but for it to happen in broad daylight in front of civilians is a low blow even for him.
Our men know what they signed up for when they decided to work for us. They know death is always around the corner.
But innocent people going for a drink after work didn’t exactly ask to get their brains blown out.
Of all the nights Sean finally decided to find his balls, it had to be tonight.
I think of all the effort Riley went to in order to cheer me up, and once again I’m letting business come between us.
How many more evenings am I going to let him ruin before enough is enough?
All I can do is hope that Brennan has most of the cleanup under control so I can get back to her as quickly as possible. Because I have every intention of having my dessert as well as a slice of that delicious torte.
As I’m about to open the front door, Ronan calls out my name.
For one sickening moment, I think something’s happened upstairs, that maybe Ciara’s finally gone into full labor and he’sabout to tell me the babies are coming whether we’re ready or not, but he doesn’t.
“I meant to tell you earlier. Callum rang.”
Callum McCarthy, Ciara’s piece-of-shit brother.
Ciara left the McCarthy name behind when she joined our family, and for good reason. I’ve never met a weaker man, and somehow Ronan still insists on keeping him around. For what, I have no idea.
“What the fuck does he want?”
Ronan blows out a hard breath as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his crumpled slacks.
“He heard about our little run-ins with Sean and thought he could help. He said his father knew Sean.”
“Good for him.”
“He said he helped Sean make a few power moves back in the day.”
“You’re telling me that Ryan McCarthy gave Sean a helping hand up the ladder? Why am I only hearing this now?”
“I was going to tell you, but…” He gestures upstairs, where Ciara’s pained moans can be heard. “I’m trying not to leave her side more than I have to.”
I drag a hand down my face. “So, Callum thinks this makes him useful, does he? Or does he simply want to keep his ass out of the fire?”
“We own him, remember? He’s tied to us whether you like him or not, so you might as well get something out of him.”
