Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 525(@200wpm)___ 420(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
I rear back and pull my arm with me, determined to finish him. He rolls out from under me and lands a knee to my chest. It steals the wind from me and I splutter out the only defense I’ve got left.
“Fucking cunt.”
I stumble up onto my feet and spit the blood from my mouth, wiping my lips on my hand. Ronan stares at me, body tense and his own chest heaving for breath. He’s not a brawler by nature, he’s an out and out killer. So I know something has really set him off here.
“What’s your beef now?” I ask again.
“That’s exactly the question, isn’t it? Do ye take me for a man who likes to sit around and babysit?”
I grin, in spite of myself. Goddamn Ronan, the temperamental bastard.
“Ye’re the one who said ye didn’t trust her.”
“Ye’re the one who brought her in. This isn’t a fecking joke, Crow. The lads are all watching you right now. Sean is watching you. Looking for weaknesses.”
“I’ve no delusions about that,” I reply.
Silence falls between us. Ronan is my best mate. Always watching my back. He knows me better than most. My secrets, my weaknesses. But right now, he’s looking at me like he doesn’t know me from the bloody janitor. I can’t tell him what the fuss is all about, because he’s too much of a wildcard himself. He respected Carrick as much as I did. If I even planted so much as a seed of doubt in his mind about our alliance, he’d burn their whole syndicate to the ground or die trying.
That’s Ronan. Loyal like no other. He has his reasons for being the way he is. Likes to believe I saved him somehow. He saved himself. I don’t argue the point because I reckon this logic helps him sleep better at night.
“Have ye any idea when you’d care to fill me in?” Ronan asks bitterly.
I jerk my eyes away and use my shirt to towel off my face. “There’s nothing to fill in, lad.”
He laughs, and it always sounds odd coming from him. Ronan doesn’t laugh. He’s quiet, observant, never funny. But this isn’t a funny laugh.
“Fuck you too.” He walks to the door.
“I need ye to keep eyes on her,” I call after him.
He pauses, palm on the door handle.
“Ye’re the only one I trust, Ronan.”
His back straightens, and I get a jerk of a nod in response. He doesn’t like it, but he’ll do it. “I’ll sort it out, Crow. I always do.”
Chapter Eleven
Mackenzie
The next night, Ronan comes back to take me to the club again. Apparently convinced he can handle me on his own now, Rory is absent, which is okay by me. I want to use the opportunity to talk to him. There’s been a burning question on my mind that I can’t seem to shake. I want to eliminate Lachlan from my pool of suspects in Talia’s disappearance. Why that’s so important to me, I have no idea. It could just as easily be him involved as anyone else.
“So do you do this for all of Lachlan’s girls?” I ask.
He pauses at a stoplight and stares over at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I suppose I probably have, asking questions like these. But what I really want to know is if he ever drove Talia anywhere.
“I see to whatever needs seeing to,” he answers.
Hm, okay. When all else fails, use sarcasm.
“That many, huh?”
“Jaysus,” he mutters. “Ye sure are nosy. Haven’t ye ever heard that women are better seen and not heard?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Fricken, chowdahead. “Sounds like the words of a bitter man to me, Ronan. Did you get your little gangster heart broken?”
I’m totally joking, but when he scowls at me, I know I’ve hit the nail on the head without even meaning to. It kind of makes sense when I put two and two together. He’s so broody all the time and wears a permanent scowl on his face. Someone whose nerves I could easily get onto- and generally would without question- but now I feel a little sliver of guilt.
“Ye want to know if I drive other women around for Lachlan?” his fingers tighten on the steering wheel. “Sure. He’s out on the razzle every night with a different ride. Something to think about when ye’re trying to sink your claws into him.”
Sheesh, I really hit a nerve. Who knew gangsters could be so touchy? And why exactly does what he’s saying even bother me? He’s got this smug smile on his face because he knows it too. Bastard.
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about buddy,” I lie. “I’m here to work. I was just trying to make some friendly conversation is all.”
He grunts in response. Obviously I have my work cut out for me with this guy. I shut my mouth and remain silent for the remainder of the ride. When we arrive, Ronan escorts me to the back and then takes a seat outside near the stage. I guess he really will be watching me every second of the day.
I walk towards the dressing room, knowing I’m a little early, and not expecting any of the other girls to be here yet. So when I round the corner and find Donovan with his cock balls deep in Sasha’s mouth, I freeze in shock. Before I can even get my bearings, he grunts out his release and shoves her head away.
“Jesus,” I mutter. “That’s going to haunt my nightmares.”
He wheels around and zips up his pants, eyeing me off in disbelief.
“This fuckin’ cunt. What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
I don’t reply, and I don’t bother to leave either. He’s trying to make me uncomfortable, and the worst thing you can do with a guy like this is to let him think he’s got your goat.
A slow smile spreads across his face as he reaches down and grabs his junk through his pants. “You want to take a ride next, babe? See how tough you are with my big, fat cock up your ass?”