Chapter 10

Something is off with Ronan; he won't look me in the eye. I have known the man for a long fucking time, and he is avoiding me, but I can't worry about it today. Cian and I have been working on a surprise for Harper, and today is the day her brand-new Jeep is being delivered.

Cian smiles at me. "It's here," he says, as he stands from the lounge chair he has been confined to. Ronan has one of us babysitting his ass all the time now, since he can't trust the idiot won't saw his cast off, having decided his leg is now better.

"I will go find Harper if you meet the man downstairs."

"Who are you meeting downstairs?" Darragh asks as he walks into the living room.

Cian explains, and I ignore Darragh as I walk past. Things between us are still not great. While everyone else might have forgiven him, Darragh isn't off the hook with me yet, even if he is being nicer to Harper.

I take the stairs to the bedrooms two at a time; she must be in her room, considering I haven't seen her for a while. Her room is empty and the only other person missing is Ronan, so I head to his room, placing my finger on the digital scanner, and the door clicks open.

"Oh fuck," I hear Harper moan.

Ronan has her pressed up against a wall, balls deep inside her as she shatters around his cock. Neither have noticed me enter the room yet. And while voyeurism has always been Ronan's thing, not mine, this is Harper, and anytime she orgasms, I want to watch.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings," I say after Harper has finished, causing her to squeal while Ronan laughs.

"I knew you were there, Van. Did you enjoy the show?"

Pushing off the door frame, I smile as Ronan puts Harper down on her feet, but her knees buckle a little.

"You scared the life out of me," she tells me, as I take in her naked form.

"Sorry about that, but we have a surprise for you."

Her eyes widen. "For me? But you didn't have to get me anything—you've all done enough."

Ronan walks across the room to his closet. The asshole won't shower her off. Fuck, I wouldn't either. Dirty pricks the lot of us.

"We wanted to. Now hurry and get dressed before Cian comes looking for you. We all know we'll be stuck in this room if he finds you here and you're naked."

Harper chuckles and walks over to Ronan's closet, coming back out in one of his long-sleeved business shirts which barely covers her ass. Ronan hands her the scrap of lace she calls underwear, and she pulls them on. "Ready."

The three of us head downstairs, and when we get into the foyer, she slips on her ballet flats. I stand behind her and cover her eyes with my hands. "No peeking, Love."

She nods her understanding, and Ronan opens the front door. I carefully guide her outside and down the stairs, watching the smirk bloom on Cian's face as he takes in her bare legs, but I'm thrown when Darragh does the same.

Once I get Harper down the stairs, I lift my hands from her eyes, and she stays silent. Momentarily, I wonder if it means she doesn't like what she sees, but then a quiet sob escapes her lips, and I pull her back into my body.

"It's beautiful," she gushes.

"Isn't it fantastic?!" Cian adds.

We might have gone a little crazy—the entire Jeep is covered in Swarovski crystals. Harper turns in my arms and pushes up on her toes. Everyone behind us will get an eye full off her ass right now, but I can't seem to care as her lips press into mine.

"I shouldn't accept this, but it's so pretty. You all really shouldn't have."

The sounds of a scuffle and a man groaning have me automatically switching into fight mode. I pull Harper behind me quickly and look around to see if there is a direct threat to her safety. I relax when I see Harper's bodyguard on the ground; Darragh has his boot on Callum's neck and a gun aimed at the man's head.

"Do you really think you get to look at her?" he shouts. "I will gouge your eyeballs out and make you fucking eat them."

Harper peeks around me. "Hold up, killer. Shit. How can he protect me if he can't look at me?"

"The same way all the other male staff members have been told to, that's how," he spits out.

Interesting—since when does Darragh care who looks at Harper?

"Let him up," Ronan demands, and Darragh removes his boot from the man's neck.

Once Callum is on his feet, he looks at Ronan. "I apologize. I didn't mean to stare. It's just, I'm a hopeless romantic."

"It's not me you need to apologize to, it's Harper, but let it be known this was your only warning."

Harper walks around me and down the front stairs, stopping at Callum.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Daniels. It won't happen again."

Harper puts her hand on his shoulder. "Don't sweat it. These idiots forget I got naked for a living, so half of the town has probably seen the goods."

Ronan makes a choking sound and Cian's eyes light up. "Darragh has a hard dick for you."

Harper shakes her head, ignoring Cian's random outburst. "Can I?"

Cian hands her the key fob. "It's all yours, Sweetheart. How about we go for a spin?"

Harper opens the driver's side door and slips inside. I haven't moved so fast in a long time, jumping into the back seat because Cian is already in the front, chirping, "You snooze, you lose." Darragh even climbs into the back, while Ronan stands next to the open driver's side window to talk to Harper.

"I have to see the contractors about the bar. Why don't you take the guys for a drive, and we will go for a ride together soon?"

Ronan leans through the window and presses a kiss to Harper's mouth, then walks away.

"Okay, boys, where are we off to? I'm guessing we can't go to the D'Arco residence."

I lean forward so my arm rests on the back of the driver's seat. "Unfortunately, bullets would probably be exchanged instead of words."

"Oh, I know. Why don't we go to your old stomping ground and just drive around? You can show everyone how far you have risen in wealth," Darragh suggests.

"You're always welcome to make me rise, Sweetheart," Cian jokes.

"Fuck off," I say. "You already take up her time with her having to bathe you."

"Children, stop fighting. There is enough of me to go around."

I snort and lean back in my seat as she rolls out of the driveway. The security gate rolls open as we drive up, and I notice Callum in an SUV pulling out behind us. Ronan hasn't assigned us extra security—not that we would accept it. I'm more than capable of protecting myself, and besides, I'm not the head of the family. Fuck, I'm not even blood related, so I could never be. Cian would be next if Ronan were taken out, but the family would be fucked if he took over.

"Oh, while we are over on this side of town, could we stop somewhere really quick?" Cian asks. Harper flicks him a glance and nods. He gives Harper directions, and we pull up out the front of an unmarked warehouse.

"Darragh, wanna come help me with something?"

Darragh raises a brow but nods, not questioning what the fuck he is doing here in front of Harper.

"I'll stay in the car with Harper. A car like this will bring out the wannabe gangsters."

Darragh and Cian get out of the car, Cian taking his crutches with him. I slip from the back seat and steal Cian's spot, locking the door. Harper laughs as she turns to face me.

"You know he's going to throw a mantrum." I nod, but don't give a fuck. "As long as you're aware. So where are we?"

I wonder how much I should tell her. "Love, maybe it's better if you don't know."

She inhales and sucks her lips into her mouth before quickly speaking. "Nah, fuck that. We know I'm all in. I saw men hanging from fucking hooks in a butcher shop, so why hide shit now? I'd be as good as dead if I was able to run, and we know that won't happen because you're all fucking insane. So now I'm curious."

I laugh, as she has a point. "Fine, you really want to know? Maybe it's time you see it for yourself."

Unlocking my door, I push it open, and Harper follows my lead. Poor Callum jumps out of his SUV, but I hold my hand up. "Stay the fuck outside and babysit the cars. If we need you—well, you'll know."

Harper walks by my side, and when we get to the door, I reach for her hand. I don't even knock before it's pulled open by Bear, who instantly fucks up by raking his grubby eyes over Harper's body.

As I open my mouth to say something, Harper lashes out with a vicious strike to his neck, and he chokes on his own spit before he steps forward. I pull Harper behind me, though I don't even have to remove my gun before Cian is stepping behind the man. His crutch is replaced by the sharp blade in his hand, and he ruthlessly slices the man's throat. Harper squeaks behind me as the now useless lump of lard hits the floor.

"Someone wrap up the stupid fuck, clean-up will come and deal with him," Darragh yells from across the room. Well, I found Cian's crutch—almost rammed up some guy's ass.

Harper is quiet beside me, and I turn to make sure she isn't in shock. She doesn't seem to be. Instead, her eyes scan the stacks of money scattered around the warehouse. It's our temporary stash house since our last one went up in flames. This area is bigger, and no one would think we would be stupid enough to store our cash in Huntersville.

"I asked you a question," Darragh snaps.

The poor guy is bent over, ass out, with Cian's crutch pushed against it. My own ass sucks in at the thought.

"I . . . I don't know," the man stutters.

"You don't know who is skimming our money, or you don't want to tell me?" Darragh tries again. If I had known Cian would make this stop, we could have come later after taking Harper home.

"You don't need to watch this," I whisper to her.

"Who the fuck is touching our cash? You know what you're supposed to do—you are babysitters. Cash comes in, it's already counted. Yet, our last pick up—guess what? It was almost a hundred grand short. Someone here has sticky fingers."

I watch Harper as she scans the room again. There are ten men in the room besides us. Well, nine now, since Cian slit Bear's throat, though he is no actual loss. The man was bottom-of-the-barrel scum.

"Him," Harper says, pointing to Tim.

He is an older man, but he has worked for Ronan for a long time. Tim watches the men count the money and then attends the exchange. We had a drop here today, so it explains why he is present.

"The man in the suit?" Cian asks, and Harper nods.

"I can read men. He knows something."

Tim's eyes go wide. "The bitch is lying. Why would I do that? I have worked with the O'Brien family for almost thirty years. I'm loyal."

Removing my weapon, I aim it right at the man. "Watch your fucking mouth."

Darragh laughs. "He is serious—don't fuck with their woman. Even I had my ass tied to a chair. If they will do it to me, your thirty years don't mean shit."

Tim swallows, and Harper steps toward him. I go to grab her arm, but she shrugs me off. She crosses the room, her ass almost hanging out of Ronan's shirt and her long legs on display. Tim is smart enough to keep his eyes up; I would hate to have to blow his fucking head off his shoulders.

Harper stops just out of Tim's reach. The smart girl is keeping herself safe. "I might be a bitch, but the thing is, I was raised here on the streets. Being able to read men has kept me safe, so I can smell a rat like you from a mile away. If you admit it, I'm sure they will make your death fast. I would hate to see you in the butcher shop—those hooks are really sharp."

Tim looks panicked as he stares into her eyes, almost hypnotized, then he breaks eye contact and turns to Cian and me. "I wouldn't fuckin' do it, you know that."

Harper laughs grimly. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Well, Timmy boy, it looks like you're coming for a drive with us. Let this be a warning to the rest of you—touch our shit and you die. We pay you well, and we don't expect much in return. Keep your mouth shut, even if the cops come sniffing around. If you get locked up, your lawyers are paid for, and your family is looked after. And a new rule—keep your eyes off our woman. If you pass her in the street, you keep walking unless she talks to you," Darragh finishes and throws Cian's crutch toward us.

"Fuck no, I'll hop, or you can carry me. I don't want his poo particles near me," Cian says as the damn crutch lands at his feet.

Darragh walks over to Tim and grabs his arm. "I told you, Tim, they are crazy about her. You should have just chosen death."

Cian chuckles when Harper flips Darragh off. "When you two hate fuck, please let me watch."

"Hell would have to freeze over before I would touch her," Darragh spits.

Cian rolls his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that."

Darragh drags Tim outside while Cian hops behind him, followed closely by Harper. I take one last look around the warehouse. "Clean this shit up. Someone will swing by and pick up the body."

"Sure thing, boss. We saw nothing, just a regular day here."

I nod at the new guy. He might get a promotion if he keeps it up. Turning my back as I slip through the door, I remove my phone and dial Zombie. He heads up our clean-up crew.

"Sup," he says as a form of greeting.

"Warehouse, a dead Bear needs taking care of, will ping you the location."

"Sure thing. We'll be there in less than an hour."

I end the call, pleased to know he will not leave one scrap of evidence behind. Zombie and his crew are good at what they do, and he is compensated well.

"Ronan's phone won't stop ringing out," Cian says. "Let's get Tim to the Inventory and we can try him again. Unfortunately, we can't fucking touch him without Ronan's say so."

Harper's hands shake a little, and I lean into her body.

"Are you okay to drive?" I ask her, and she nods.

"I'm fine, just getting used to this lifestyle," she says, and I raise a brow at her.

"You know you don't have to get used to it. You don't have to be a part of it."

Looking over her shoulder, I see Darragh stuff Tim into Callum's SUV, as Callum produces a bag of cable ties. Cian has the front passenger-side door of Harper's ride already open, and I grit my teeth at the opportunistic asshole.

"Maybe I want to, Sullivan. I'm no longer the na?ve girl who thinks being a fucking prostitute will save her from the evils of this town. No more fear from me—I want to be the one who is feared. I want men to fall to their fucking knees when they see me coming."

I suck my lips into my mouth so I don't laugh, but she looks so fucking adorable, kind of like a Chihuahua when they come at you. They might be savage, but they're not the most scary type of dog.

"Okay, you will be a feared killer in no time, Love. Do you want to tag along to the Inventory, or should we take you home first?"

She thinks it over, knowing what went down the last time she was there. "I want to come."

With that decided, I lead her over to her brand-new car. It really should be deemed a road hazard—it could literally blind someone it sparkles so much.

She climbs into the driver's seat, and I slide into the back behind her.

"Just follow Callum," Cian says.

Harper nods and reverses, giving me a cute smirk when she looks over her shoulder. Cian places his hand on her thigh as she pulls out behind her security. My eyes stay glued to his hand, wishing it were mine. I'm addicted to this woman, and though I haven't wanted to push her, I need her long term—we all do. We just need her to feel safe with us. I haven't told the others she let me inside her, but after what I saw this morning between her and Ronan, I think things might be slowly getting better for her.

"Oh god, Cian," Harper mumbles. In the few seconds I zoned out, his hand slipped between her legs.

"I don't want to die, asshole," I snap as the car swerves a little before she rights it.

Cian laughs and removes his fingers from her tight little pussy, bringing them to his mouth and moaning as he sucks her taste off, all while looking at me from his visor mirror. I shake my head and huff.

"You're an asshole," I snap, and Harper giggles. It's nice to hear her laughing, though she is nowhere near the person she was before, and the ghosts are still present behind her eyes.