Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
For a moment, we basked in the stillness, our bodies sated, minds at peace, and souls entwined.
Then she lifted her head, smiling.
“Tea now.”
I kissed her.
“Okay.”
The night was quiet. Not a fire, a robbery, or a sighting of the gang that had suddenly appeared. I slept fitfully, checking my phone, certain I was missing alerts. I spoke to my men, and, like me, they were surprised by the quiet. I was sure it was a temporary lull and advised them to be vigilant.
In the morning, I showered, planning on leaving a sleeping Una in my bed. She woke as I dressed, sitting up and looking startled.
“I need to get ready!”
I shook my head, meeting her gaze. “You aren’t working today,” I stated firmly. “Your shift has been covered.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
“Read. Sleep. Relax. I’ll be in the office or here at my desk once I’ve done some rounds.”
“Can I come with you?”
I frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“You’ll keep me safe.”
I pulled on my suit jacket as I thought it over. “You promise not to leave my side and do exactly what I say?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. You can come. I’ll go do some work until you’re ready.”
“Oh.” She looked down. “My clothes are in my locker.”
“I’ll get them sent up.”
She toyed with the blanket. “Everyone will know I was sleeping up here.”
I bent and kissed her. “I don’t care. You’re mine. I don’t give a shit who knows and what they have to say about it. Unless they’re disrespectful, then they’ll feel my foot in their fucking arse.”
“Well, okay, Mr. O’Reilly. No need to get all sweary about it.”
I began to laugh. “Go shower. You have an hour.”
“I only need thirty minutes.”
UNA
It took me forty, but Finn didn’t seem to mind. He had toast and tea waiting for me, and I ate as he spoke to his men and updated Roman.
“He is being very helpful,” I commented.
He sipped his coffee. “This was his brother’s city. His as well. They still care. They want the neighborhood back and thriving.” He stood. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
He held out his hand. “Beside me, Una. I tell you to duck, you duck. I tell you to stay in the car, that’s where you stay. You won’t be alone a moment—if I have to leave your side, a man will be with you. And you listen to him since he is there to keep you safe. You got me?”
I squeezed his fingers. “Got it.”
His gaze softened. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”
We arrived, Rory pulling over and cutting the engine. “You want me to wait here, Mr. O’Reilly?”
Finn glanced around. “Yes.”
He looked my way, intense and focused. “Remember what I said.”
I nodded, taken aback by his sudden demeanor change. He tapped on the window, and the guard with us opened the door. Finn stepped out, his shoulders back, head held high. He scanned the area before offering me his hand. I stepped out, and he gripped my fingers with his. “Walk close. Tom will be behind you. John is in front. They will protect you.”
“Who will protect you?” I asked.
He flashed me a quick smile. “I can protect myself, but they can handle both of us.”
I was fascinated watching Finn as we went around to the shops and spoke with people. I knew him as my Finn. The loving, passionate man under the fierce exterior. I saw him daily as the owner of the hotel—charming and handsome, confident. I had seen glimpses of the syndicate boss, but he was front and center today. Calm, in control, intimidating. He spoke intelligently, choosing to listen intently, rushing no one who approached him. He nodded as people told him of their worries. Assured them quietly of taking their concerns seriously. Stressing the added security and the desire to end this sudden situation and restore calm to the area.
The older couples, especially the women, made me smile. They offered him sweets, drinks. Fussed over him. He accepted their flutterings with a patient expression, never refusing anything they offered. It would, I realized, hurt their feelings, and he had no desire to do that. I hung back as he spoke with his men, had a long, low discussion with a fire marshal who was on-site checking into one of the buildings that had been on fire. Finn looked furious, shaking his head, his fists tight. He was determined to end this, and he was frustrated it was even happening.
What I saw opened my eyes a little. I recalled my dad talking about rounds with Finn. The people. Brian only ever talked about the darker side, almost reveling in it. Dad liked what Finn and his generation brought to the table. Coexisting with other families, looking out for their people, and not fighting over territory. Not everyone saw it that way, but so many did, and today, I was observing it firsthand.