17. Kieran

17

KIERAN

T he air is thick with tension as I look around. Even more so than normal with Cage and some of his men here. Everyone in this room is a criminal. The difference between the syndicates and the Elite team is that the syndicates are organized crime. We have bylaws and morals we stand by. The Elite team have none. And every mafia group here knows just how dangerous Cage and his men are.

Normally, it's only Declan and Killian involved in round table meetings with the other groups, but with the severity of the situation, each organization has its top six here. At a warehouse in the middle of fucking Montana, of all places. Neutral territory and all that.

"You're telling us there's some asshole out there running girls all around the fucking world right under our noses?" Diego Alvarez, the leader of the cartel, asks.

Declan nods. "Yes. We suspect he may have been doing it for a while, but because he's been rotating from country to country, it's gone unnoticed. The information we have suggests that the women we found a couple of years ago down in Argentina were part of Smoke's operation. A group of women were also found in a warehouse in Seattle, and we also know of girls brought over from Russia."

Andrei Volkov, the leader of the Russian mafia, runs his hand along his chin. "We should reach out to our contacts in our own countries. Since we have no idea where he might hit next, we're going to have to be extra vigilant. We have no idea where this asshole came from. He could be Russian, for all I know. It doesn't matter, though. As long as we're all on the same page. Once we find him, we end him and all his associates."

Every man in the room nods in agreement.

"It's possible that our organization could be a target for Smoke since we're the ones who interrupted his last job," Killian says.

"We all need to work together on this. It affects every family," Alessandro De Luca says. "Whatever is needed, Declan, you know you have my support."

Declan nods and looks toward Cage. The man pushes off the wall he's been leaning against.

"Not only is he running girls; he's also dealing drugs laced with fentanyl. There's a stamp on the package of a dragon. It's identical to the symbol the Red Dragons have used in the past," Cage explains. "Everyone I've interrogated so far has no idea who Smoke is. They're at the bottom of the chain within the organization and have no answers. Whoever this asshole is, he's smart."

"For now, we operate as usual, but stay vigilant," Declan says.

The meeting ends, and the six of us head to the airfield to fly home. I hate being away from Paisley. She refused to stay at my house since I'm not there, and it bothers me. She belongs there. In our bed. I'll be changing that very soon.

I t's nearly four in the morning by the time we roll onto the estate grounds. I'm tired, and I need a shower. But I need to see my girl even more.

"I'm coming home with you," I tell Bash.

He smirks at me. "I don't really swing that way, buddy."

Asshole. He's lucky he's my best friend because otherwise, I would have shot him years ago.

"Fuck off. I'm coming to get into bed with Paisley."

Bash chuckles and pats me on the shoulder. "Being in love looks good on you, man."

I grunt and nod because there's nothing else to say. Being in love is the greatest and most terrifying thing in my entire life. I just hope I can make her as happy as she makes me.

We enter his house quietly, and I head directly up the stairs and into Paisley's bedroom. I can't help but stand in the shadows and watch her sleep for a while. She's restless, though, and I don't like it. My girl normally sleeps like the dead. Seeing her toss and turn like this ignites my protective side.

I start removing my shoes, tie, jacket, belt, and watch as I go. As soon as I lean down and gently put my hand on her arm, she jolts awake and rolls to look up at me.

"Daddy," she whispers.

"Yeah, baby. I'm right here," I say quietly as I slide into bed next to her.

She turns so she's facing me. "I missed you."

My throat tightens as I stare down at her. I'm used to my sister telling me she loves and misses me, but to have someone else care about my absence is a new feeling. A really fucking good one. I think every person wants to be needed in some form or another, and I want Paisley to need me. Not because she can't take care of herself but because she feels whole when I'm around. That's what it's like when we're together. I can truly breathe, and my heart is in one piece.

"I missed you too, baby girl. Were you having a bad dream?"

We keep our voices low. Hers is soft and sleepy. I stroke the side of her face with my thumb while I memorize every small curve in the moonlight.

"No. I wasn't sleeping well, though."

She reaches for my chest and lets out a soft sigh. "Skin. I want your skin."

I already know what she means, so I sit up and quickly remove my shirt so she can trace the lines of my tattoos. As soon as I'm back down next to her, she touches me again, and all the stress from this evening disappears like a cloud of dust. The only thing I can think about or focus on is her.

"You weren't sleeping well because you don't belong here."

Even in the dark room, I can see her furrow her eyebrows. "Where do I belong then?"

I lean forward and kiss her. "At home with me, baby. That's where. In the bed we share, in the house we will share, where I'm going to love you for the rest of our lives."

She sucks in a breath, and I tense, ready for her to start an argument or say something sassy to try to throw me off. But in usual Paisley fashion, she shocks the hell out of me.

"Hmm. Maybe. For tonight, will you please hold me, Daddy?"

I might be the Grinch because I'm pretty sure my heart just grew three sizes. So did my dick, but now isn't the time for that, and sex isn't what this is all about.

"Of course, baby. I'll hold you any time you want."

Pulling her against my chest, I wrap my arm around her and kiss her forehead. Almost immediately, her breathing slows. For the rest of the night, I watch over her, and she doesn't move even once.