Page 67 of Yours

“Yeah, Leena. It’s me.”

“Where’s Kiera?” she asked quickly, her voice hitching with a mix of guilt and nervousness. “Why do you have her phone?”

“Because she’s here,” I replied coolly, “and because you’ve got some explaining to do.”

“I—” Leena started, then stopped. “How did you even?—”

“Where are you?” I interrupted, cutting through her fumbling excuses. “And don’t lie to me, Leena. Not today.”

There was a pause, and I could practically hear her debating whether or not to fight me on this. Finally, she sighed.

“Fine. I’m at the Catskill Pines bus station,” she muttered reluctantly. “It’s this tiny little stop up in northern New York—practically in the middle of nowhere. My friend bailed on me, so I figured I’d just take a bus back to the city.”

My fingers curled around the edge of the phone, my knuckles white. I exhaled through my nose, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Stay put, Leena. I’m sending Finn and Bradan to get you right now. You’re not getting on that bus, do you understand me?”

“Ronan, come on?—”

“Do you understand me?” I snapped, my tone sharpening just enough to shut her down.

There was silence for a beat, and then she grumbled, “Yeah, I understand.”

I softened my tone just a fraction, though the urgency of the situation still pressed hard on my chest.

“Leena, listen to me. This isn’t a joke. Lorenzo Benedetti is dead. His house exploded this morning. If someone finds out whereyou are and thinks they can use you to get to me, you’ll be a target. You have no idea how serious this is.”

I heard her quick intake of breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was smaller. “I… I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”

“Well, now you do,” I said firmly. “Stay exactly where you are. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t move, and don’t make me have to repeat myself again. My men are already on their way.”

“Fine,” she muttered, quieter now.

I ended the call without another word and slid Kiera’s phone into my pocket before pulling out my own.

“Finn,” I said the moment he picked up. “I’ve got her location. She’s at the Catskill Pines bus station. She’s waiting there. You and Bradan get to her now. Bring her back safely.”

“On it, boss,” Finn replied quickly, the sound of car doors slamming in the background. “We’ll get there fast. What about trouble? You expecting anyone else to have eyes on her?”

“It’s possible,” I said tightly, running a hand through my hair. “Be ready for anything. If anyone so much as looks at her the wrong way, you take care of it. Understand?”

“Understood,” Finn said, his voice sharp with focus. “We’ll call you the second we’ve got her.”

I hung up and slid the phone back into my pocket, turning to find Kiera still sitting on the couch. Her eyes were wide, cautious, watching me like I was a maze she wasn’t sure how to navigate.

“You found her?” she asked quietly.

“She’s fine,” I said curtly, though the tension still thrummed through me like an electric current. “Finn and Bradan are on their way to get her now.”

Kiera exhaled, a mix of relief and lingering nerves. “Good. That’s… that’s good.”

I didn’t say anything.

She was worried. I could see it in the way her hands fidgeted against the fabric of her leggings, in the way her eyes kept darting toward me like she wasn’t sure what I might do next. She was trying to play it cool, but the truth was written all over her body—tension in her shoulders, her lip caught between her teeth, her breath just a little too quick.

And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t do something to me.

Something dark. Something hot.

I let my eyes linger on her for a moment longer than necessary. She noticed, of course. She always noticed. Her gaze flicked to mine, wide and uncertain, and I watched her try to hold steady as my eyes bore into hers.

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