Page 131 of Sins of Innocence

"My room."

"Let's go there."

After we've gone through the second secure airlock between quadrants, Áine says, "This place is like a futuristic space station."

"Or a secure underground bunker."

"Dagda said it's called the Bunker," she acknowledges. "I can't believe you were able to build something like this underground without anyone knowing, but the way we got in makes it obvious this place is a secret."

"It is." I clear my throat and add. "They built it over one hundred years ago."

"It's too space age to be that old."

"Mick overhauled it before I joined the mob."

"Wait." She stops and stares up at me. "Is this where you got caught breaking in?"

"Yes," I say shortly.

I'm glad I'm in the mob now, but failure isn't something I ever enjoy revisiting.

"I can't believe you broke in here at all, but no wonder you got caught."

"Bad intel," is all I say.

When we reach my room, I place my palm on the biometric lock. The door swings open and Áine steps inside without hesitation.

I try to see the sparse room through her eyes. There's an extra long single bed, a basic desk, chair and bookcase filled with books.

"That door leads to the bathroom." I point. "The other is my closet." One full side of which is dedicated to my personal armory.

Áine sits down on the bed.

I go to sit on the chair, but she shakes her head and holds out her hand. "I want to talk."

And she knows I'll find it easier to use more words if we're touching. I haven't been able to figure out why, but I'm okay with it. I like it.

I sit down beside her, our thighs press together and take her hand, lacing our fingers. My cock jerks, my lizard brain focused on the things we could be doing in this bed instead of talking.

After several long seconds of silence, Áine sighs loudly and crawls over me to straddle my lap, facing me, her beautiful eyes pensive. "I think you're rubbing off on me because it feels like I can't say what I need to without sitting like this."

"Works for me." Even if it means having a pike in my jockeys instead of a semi.

She licks her lips and then bites the bottom one. "Kenneth Shaughnessy waylaid me on the way out of the school. He said some stuff."

Tension tightens every single one of my muscles. "Dagda should have escorted you inside."

"Not possible. I didn't tell him I wanted to go in until we were in the dropoff line. He had to move the car."

And I can see her demanding my man to do just that. Dagda listened because I didn't give instructions to stay with her if she decided to go in.

It wasn't a scenario I considered. Damn it.

It's my job to consider all potential outcomes and risks and plan accordingly. "I miscalculated."

She shakes her head, her ponytail swishing. "I don't see how. It was a long shot for him to lay in wait for me there. How could he know I would go inside with Sadie this morning?"

"You worked for him long enough. He knows what a good mom you are." I should have realized she'd want to walk Sadie in this morning.