Page 88 of Day Shift

Seeing Conan so angry, I tried to wrap up my rant. “So, anyway, I panicked, thinking Elena might hold me against my will, and texted Julian to pick me up at the end of the driveway. Then I bolted out the back patio door, around the house, down the driveway, and there he was, thank God. The only reason I got away without being noticed was because no one would ever expect me to do something that audacious.”

I flopped down on the sofa, crossing my arms. Conan joined me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, but I shrugged him off. “Now is not the time to baby me. We need to figure out a way for me to get away from all this. Fast.”

Braxton nodded. “We’ll come up with something, Angel. We’re not letting them take you without a fight.”

Conan grasped my chin between his fingers, turning my face toward him. “You know I will burn down the world to keep you safe. Never doubt that.”

I frowned and nodded against his hold. But what could be done in a situation like this?

Braxton joined us in the living room, sitting down in a chair next to us. Together, they filled me in about how Atticus’s friend Colton had connections with the owner of a security firm. They’d been discussing the possibility of sending a team to infiltrate the church to ensure my safety.

I couldn’t help but joke darkly, “With all the security people and the mafia families I’ve never met, I won’t know who anyone at my wedding is or who wants to kill whom.”

Conan fumed. “We should just run right now. Go somewhere and live off the grid for a while.”

“Between the three families, they’d find us and kill us both,” I said. “The mafia doesn’t like public embarrassment or defiance. You can’t cross the ruling families. Viktor already wants all the Thorin brothers dead.”

The room was thick with tension, and my body was buzzing from feeling pissed off and helpless.

Finally, Braxton sighed, looking at his watch. “It’s late. We need to get some sleep. The guys from the club want to meet early tomorrow to decide what to do. There’s not much time, and we need a plan now. I’ll update the guys and share with them everything Angel just told us so they can be thinking it through.”

“There’s no way I can sleep,” I said, rubbing my forehead in frustration.

Conan swept me up in his arms, giving Braxton a look. “This one is all wound up,” he said with a smirk. “But I know exactly what she needs. She needs to have the angst fucked right out of her.”

Braxton just shook his head.

Conan carried me upstairs to my bedroom, tossing me face down over the end of the bed. In one rough motion, he yanked my dress up and off. He didn’t bother removing his pants, just jerked them open enough to unleash his dick and impale me from behind. I was instantly wet by the way he dominated me. He wasn’t afraid of taking exactly what he wanted—me. I gasped, clutching the sheets as he roughly fucked me.

Our breaths were ragged as he reached around, his fingers finding my clit. With all my built-up tension, I came quickly, shuddering against him. But he didn’t stop there. He took me in every position imaginable until I lost count of how many orgasms I’d had.

This man had just walked into my life, and now I was wondering how I had ever lived without him. He grounded me with every touch, every kiss. His raw passion made me realize how deeply I craved him—not just his body, but his strength, his protectiveness, his unwavering presence. It wasn’t just about the physical pleasure; it was about the way he made me feel whole, cherished, and safe in a world that was anything but. Every thrust, every whispered promise against my skin solidified the bond we shared, a bond I had never known could exist.

Some hours later, we were spent and sticky with sweat and cum. I was completely undone by this man, addicted to him. It was clear to me now that I would never be able to live without him again. The warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulled me into a sense of security I had longed for my entire life. I was so exhausted that I barely remembered Conan coming one last time before I slipped into a deep, satisfying sleep.

Chapter thirty-eight

Since we needed to be up and out early, we only had time for a quick cup of coffee before heading to the club. Conan and Braxton were both tense, making me all the more nervous. I had forgotten that I had silenced my phone last night, so I looked at my messages during our cab drive over. Aunt Elena had left a message demanding that I return right away. What I’m sure she didn’t know was that Uncle Luca had texted me, saying to ignore anything Elena was demanding. He told me to plan on returning to their house by noon, staying the night, and going to the wedding straight from their house.

I showed the messages to Conan and then Braxton. Conan pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Leaning into him, I teasingly asked, “Are you always this uptight?”

Braxton let out a laugh. “Ha, you have no idea who you’re sitting next to. Since he met you, he’s gone from the laid-back party boy with no fucks to give to Mr. Touch Her and Die. Not that long ago, we both were giving Atticus hell for his dramatic personality change over Sam. Damn, if this is what falling in love with a woman does to a man, I don’t want any part of it.”

“Shut the fuck up. This is different,” Conan shot back, rolling his eyes at Braxton.

“Oh, sure. Different. You keep telling yourself that.” Braxton grinned, clearly knowing he was getting under Conan’s skin.

“Rolling your eyes?” I asked. “Hmm, seems like I may have to deal with that once this is over…” I poked Conan in the ribs, mimicking his earlier threat. He gave me the side-eye and that half grin that always made me tingle.

The cab soon stopped out front of the club. We bailed out and walked into the main floor of the bar, where we were met by all the guys. They looked as tired as we did.

“Ana, you hanging in there?” Lucian asked, his brow furrowed.

“Yeah, just want to be done and move on from all this,” I said, trying to muster a smile.

Gabriel motioned to the bar. “Got doughnuts and espressos. Figured we could all use a sugar and caffeine boost with all the crazy shit going on.”

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