Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“That sounds beautiful. What does it mean?” my mother asks.
“Find her worthy and keep her for your own,” Ronan replies as he looks me in my eyes.
“It sounds like you two need to do some talking. I’m going upstairs to bed. I’m hopeful for a wedding in the next two days.”
With that, Mom gets up and leaves. I remain seated, trying to figure out what the fuck has happened today. My head is spinning.
“We can head to my suite and have a yarn,” Ronan leans into my ear to breathe.
“I think that would be best. I have a lot to tell you before you decide if I’m what you want.”
Ronan
I watch as Danika paces my hotel suite. She has kicked off her shoes and let her hair down and now she’s tugging at her locs, looking as if she’s trying to figure out some puzzle.
“Ach, love, yer going to wear a hole through the floor. Come sit and have a drink with me. We don’t have to rush,” I call as I pour two glasses of whiskey.
“We have so much we need to talk about. You don’t even know who I really am.”
I scoff. “Ya know I’m not an eejit. How do ya think I learned yer name? Where did ya think I got it from?”
She stops and chews on her lip as she gives me a doe-eyed expression. I hold up a glass for her to come and take. When she walks over and takes it from my hand, I grab her by the waist and tug her into my lap.
“I asked a friend who ya were after seeing ya in a photo in his office. I knew him and the other men in the photo. It was when he answered the question that I found out ya were the niece of a man I once called a good friend.”
“You knew Uncle Freddie. He was your friend who didn’t like talking about the past.” She pauses and narrows her eyes at me. “You’re the liaison for the Irish families. The one I’m not supposed to go find. He said to allow you to come to me.”
“What do ya mean?”
“He left me a letter with his will. Sort of a warning and instructions on what to do and what not to do in case of his untimely demise. He said the head boss would find me, or I would know when to find him. I’ve met him.”
“Are ya talking about … the Italian?”
“LaSalle, yes, him. I did him a favor, like Uncle Freddie said I would. That let me know it was the start.”
“Ya mean the Albanians. I was there, love. I enjoyed watching ya work.”
She furrows her brows. “Huh?”
“Bujar didn’t see either of us coming. I had been there to take care of him for you, but you were already coming out of the air when I pulled the trigger.”
“I thought I was tripping or something. When I went to carve the tat off, I noticed the wound. His head had been half mashed in, so I couldn’t be sure.”
“Ya cut his tat off?”
“Yeah, his and Dalmat’s. I had to send proof,” she says as if to say duh.
I grow hard and can’t help tugging her in for a passionate kiss. I kiss her roughly. Then I move my lips to her neck and begin a trail of open-mouthed kisses.
I reach into the keyhole of the dress she’s wearing and palm her breast to knead it. I groan as she gives back as good as she’s getting. Just when I’m about to lay her down and have my fill for the first time in over a week, she pulls back, breaking the kiss.
“Wait, hold on, baby. We’re getting off topic. We have time for all of that. I think you should know the rest.”
“Sorry,” I say, placing my forehead to hers. I then take a calming breath. “Go on. Tell me more about this letter.”
“After telling me LaSalle and I would find each other, he said two more things would happen and those would be signs too. One of those things was the liaison for the Irish families coming to me. He didn’t say how or when. However, he did give a cryptic message about being open to him when he found me.
“Holy shit. It all makes so much fucking sense now. Uncle Freddie knew me better than anyone. He knew you were the last thing I would expect.
“Relationships are a hard pass for me.” She palms her forehead and shakes her head. “This is insane. I don’t even know how he knew any of those things.
“I just trusted his word. I loved my uncle so much. His word was law. He’s the only man who I was able to trust who never hurt me in return.”
“Phoebe Romaine.”
“Huh? Who?”
“She’s a Gypsy. She’s been the fortuneteller for the underworld for years. She has her favorites. Your uncle was one of them. Ach, but why didn’t she tell him about …”