Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“I promise, it’s the last one for the day.” Connor passes me a box that has my heart stuttering and my head shaking side to side. “It’s not that kind of box.”
I shake my head, looking down at it. Scared to open it. Christ, what did he do now?
“Open it,” my dad says.
“I’ll probably cry again, and you know how I hate to mess up my makeup.”
Connor slides his hand into mine, threads our fingers, and holds on tight.
“Look at me, angel.”
“Gah, that’s so sweet,” Skyla murmurs, and my lips twitch as I turn my eyes to Connor’s.
“I know, today’s been a lot. Just humor me one more time.”
I rub my lips together and flip up the lid of the box, and stare down at a key fob.
To a Porsche.
“Jesus, Connor.” I swallow hard and feel my cheeks heat.
“What is it?” Millie demands. “The suspense is killing me.”
“It’s a freaking car.”
“Not just any car,” Brooks says, looking over my shoulder. “A Porsche. Nice, man. Macan or Cayanne?”
“Macan,” Connor replies, and Brooks nods, clearly pleased with my new ride.
“I don’t need a new vehicle.”
Connor smirks. “Any time the words my brother had to put new brakes on my car fall from your perfect mouth, you need a new car, bumble.”
“Swoonfest,” Dani says, making me giggle.
“Please let this be the last thing for today.”
“I promise,” he says against my ear. “Want to have a look at it?”
“Are you kidding? I’m gonna give rides to everyone here.”
“Shotgun!” Blake announces, and we all walk outside. I don’t have to search for it. The sexy SUV is pearly white and adorned with a huge red ribbon on top.
“Holy shit.”
Connor chuckles, slipping his hand in mine once more. “It should handle great in the snow.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
CONNOR
It’s been two weeks since Billie’s birthday, and one week since I’ve seen her.
I’m going out of my bleedin’ fecking mind.
“We’ll be landing in Dublin in fifteen minutes,” the pilot says over the speaker, and I turn to Miller.
“We should be headed home.”
Miller works for me, but he’s also my friend. One of the few people in this world who I trust implicitly.
“And why aren’t we?” he asks with a raised brow.
“Because my bloody board wants a goddamn meeting.” I scrub my hand down my face. I just spent a week in New York without my angel, and the penthouse felt … wrong.
Everything feels so wrong without her.
I was supposed to go home two days ago, yet there have been issues and delays that keep me from going to Montana.
And it’s pissing me the fuck off.
The plane touches down, and once in the waiting SUV, we head straight for the offices.
As I walk through the building to my office, everyone gives me a wide berth. I’m pissed as fuck, moody, and I don’t know why I’ve been summoned here when I could have likely handled whatever they want to talk about from the comfort of my home.
With Billie in my lap.
As soon as I walk into the office, my phone rings, and I scowl when I see Simon’s name on video call.
“Yes.”
“I wanted to touch base, boss,” he says with a sigh that has my eyebrows climbing.
“What’s going on?”
“Miss Blackwell is safe.” He rubs his hand over his eyes. “But she’s been … obstinate.”
“Obstinate?”
“Stubborn,” he adds.
“Just tell me what in the hell is going on.”
“She leaves without telling me,” he says, and I feel every muscle in my body tighten in agitation. “Nothing crazy, but she’ll go to the grocery store, or run over to one of her brothers’ houses, or pick Birdie up from school without letting me know she’s leaving the house.”
“We have cameras,” I remind him.
“Yes, sir, we do. Doesn’t stop her from evading me. I don’t think she’s doing it on purpose. She’s simply independent and thinks having a detail with her every time she leaves the house is excessive.”
I rub my hand over my mouth. She’s going to be the bloody death of me.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“The sooner, the better. I like this job.”
I hang up and find Ronan standing in my doorway. “Bad time?”
“Come on in.” I gesture to a chair. “Have a seat and tell me why I’m here.”
“The board wants a meeting in person.” He shrugs a shoulder when I glare at him. “That look doesn’t work with me.”
“I was here less than a month ago.”
“I think they want to talk about Sweden.”
“I swear, that property is going to send me out of my fecking mind.”
He grunts in agreement. “How are things with your lass, then?”
“Good. She’s brilliant. I want to go home to her. How are things with Fiona? Ronan—”
He puts a hand up, stopping me, and then sighs. “We had a long talk. She’s not confused about us, and she’s not pining after you. I think she really thought she was trying to protect you, or Billie, or hell, I don’t know. I think her ego was bruised.”