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“She’s my best friend,” I whispered to myself, the words trembling on my lips. “I should be doing something.”

But what could I do? I wasn’t part of this world—not really. I didn’t know how to navigate its dangers, its alliances, its unspoken rules. And yet, the thought of sitting here, powerless, while Ronan and his men handled everything made me want to scream.

Leena would do it for me, I thought bitterly. She wouldn’t just wait around for answers. She’d fight tooth and nail to bring me home if it were me out there.

I clenched my fists, stepping back from the window.

No. I couldn’t just wait. I wouldn’t.

If this was the life I’d stepped into—if this was Ronan’s world—then it was time I learned how to navigate it. It was time I stopped hiding behind him and started standing beside him.

Whether he liked it or not.

My stomach twisted with nerves, but I shoved the feeling down, letting my resolve harden in its place. I wasn’t going to be the girl who sat on the sidelines anymore. Not when Leena needed me. Not when this was my fight as much as anyone else’s.

I crossed the room to grab my coat, the soft fabric sliding over my arms as I pulled it on. My heart pounded in my chest, my breath shallow, but I ignored the fear bubbling up inside me. There was no room for it. Not now.

Ronan might not like it. Hell, he might even try to stop me.

But he was going to take me seriously.

With one last glance at the penthouse—its polished perfection now feeling more like a cage—I stepped toward the door, my hand gripping the handle.

It was time to stop waiting.

Time to step into the fire.

And no one—not even Ronan O’Malley—was going to stop me.

I pulled the front door open and walked out.

CHAPTER 34

Ronan

The drive to O’Malley’s was a blur, the adrenaline coursing through me like wildfire. By the time I walked through the doors of the bar, most of my men were already there, their expressions grim as they filed into the back room.

I took my place at the head of the table, my hands braced against the polished wood as I looked around the room. Seamus stood at my right, Declan at my left, his laptop open and glowing faintly in the dim light.

“Listen up,” I said, my voice cutting through the quiet. All eyes turned to me. “We’ve got confirmation. The Ivanovich family is behind this. They’re the ones who killed Lorenzo, and they’re the ones who took Leena.”

A ripple of shock ran through the room, but no one spoke.

“They’re not just targeting us,” I continued. “They’re targeting the entire city. They want to pit us against the Benedettis, tearus apart from the inside out, and pick up the pieces once we’ve destroyed each other.”

“Those bastards,” Seamus muttered, his arms crossed as his expression darkened. “They’ve been quiet for years. Why now?”

“Power,” Declan said, his fingers flying over the keys as he pulled up a map on his screen. “They see an opportunity. With Lorenzo gone and the O’Malleys and Benedettis on the brink of war, they think they can swoop in and take control.”

“They’re not wrong,” one of the men at the table muttered.

“They are if we stop them,” I said abruptly, my gaze cutting across the room. “They’ve got her holed up in a cabin in the woods upstate. Heavily guarded. If we go in, it has to be precise. Clean. No room for mistakes.”

Seamus nodded, his jaw tight. “What’s the plan?”

“First, we gather intel,” I said. “Declan, I want eyes on that cabin. I need to know how many men we’re dealing with, their positions, rotations—everything.”

“I’m on it,” Declan said, already typing.

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