Page 64 of Yours

He cut me off with a slight shake of his head. “You thought I ordered the hit on Lorenzo.”

His voice was calm, but there was an underlying message hidden between his words, something I couldn’t quite read.

I fidgeted with the hem of my sweater, my own words sticking in my throat.

“It… it seemed like something you’d do,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know what to think, Ronan. You can be ruthless when you want to be.”

Ronan’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing just a fraction, but it wasn’t anger. It was something colder, something harder.

“Ruthless doesn’t mean reckless,” he said, each word getting softer as he spoke. “Blowing up Lorenzo Benedetti’s house in broad daylight—killing him—that’s not a move I’d make.”

I looked away, ashamed. For all the violence Ronan commanded, for all the fear he instilled in others, everything he did was calculated. Controlled. Even now, I could see it—his frustration was clear, but there was no chaos in him. Just cold, focused resolve.

“I’m sorry,” I said finally, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I shouldn’t have accused you. I just… I panicked.”

Ronan tilted his head slightly, as if studying me. After a beat, he sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

“You panicked because you’re not used to this life. I get it. But if you’re going to be in it—” He hesitated, his eyes darkening. “If you’re going to be mine—then you need to trust me, Kiera.”

The word ‘mine’ hung between us like a weight, one I wasn’t sure I was ready to carry. My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I nodded.

“I’ll work on it.”

He huffed softly, something almost like amusement flickering across his face before it disappeared. “Good. Now, we need to talk about something else.”

“What’s that?” I asked, my stomach twisting in knots at the sudden change in his tone.

“My sister. I need to know where she is,” he said quietly.

I shifted on the couch, trying to regain some control of myself and the situation. “I handled it.”

His brows drew together, and he stepped closer, looming over me. “Handled what?”

“I… I told her to come back. She’s fine,” I said quickly, forcing nonchalance into my tone.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed, and I saw the gears turning in his head. “And what exactly do you mean by that? Where is she?”

I froze for a second before recovering. “She just… needed a break. A weekend away. It’s nothing, really.”

“Nothing,” Ronan repeated, his voice flat with skepticism. “Where is she, Kiera?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself not to crack under his gaze. If I told him the truth—that Leena had snuck off glamping with a burner phone and probably zero common sense—he’d lose his mind. He’d lock her up in a tower like a medieval king protecting his kingdom.

“She’s fine,” I said firmly, ignoring the way his eyes bored into me. “I told you—I handled it. She’s coming back.”

Ronan didn’t look convinced, not for a second. He took another step toward me, his presence making it feel like the room had shrunk to half its size.

“Kiera, don’t play games with me. Where is Leena?”

“She’ll be back soon,” I replied, keeping my tone light. “You’ll see.”

Ronan didn’t move, didn’t blink. He just stood there, staring at me with that unnervingly piercing gaze of his, like he could peel back every lie and half-truth I was trying to hide.

“No,” he said finally, his voice cold and quiet. “I don’t see. Give me your phone.”

“What?” My heart sank, and I instinctively clutched the device tighter in my hand. “Why?”

“Because I don’t believe you,” he replied flatly, stepping closer. “You know where Leena is. You’ve spoken to her. I want to know what she told you.”

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