Page 93 of Yours

“Good,” Ronan said, his tone carrying a finality that left no room for debate. He motioned toward the men at the table, turning to me. “Now, she’s here to help. Listen to what she has to say.”

The tension between us was palpable, the heat of his frustration mingling with the possessiveness that radiated off him. He didn’t want me here—that much was obvious—but he wasn’t about to send me away, either.

One of the men, a grizzled older guy sitting near the middle of the table, raised an eyebrow. “She’s got guts, showing up here.”

“She’s got more than that,” Ronan said evenly, his gaze still locked on me. “Now shut up and let her speak.”

“First things first, tell me who’s who here,” I demanded as I took the empty seat next to Ronan.

He nodded to the man closest to us, a gray-haired figure with a thick beard and a steely gaze. “This is Seamus. My second. If I’m not around, you listen to him.”

Seamus gave me a small nod, his eyes sharp, but not unkind. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I said, my voice steady despite the way his presence seemed to fill the room.

Ronan moved on, gesturing toward a younger man with a wiry frame and quick, restless eyes. “That’s Declan. He’s my tech genius. Anything digital, surveillance, or intel-related, he’s your guy.”

Declan offered me a quick smile, though his fingers never stopped flying over the keyboard of his laptop. “Nice to meet you,” he said, his tone light, but focused. “Glad to see someone who can keep up with the boss.”

I couldn’t help but smile faintly at that.

Ronan nodded to a man with a broad frame and a scar running along his jawline. “That’s Bradan. He handles logistics and heavy lifting. If we need to move fast, he makes it happen.”

Bradan gave me a curt nod, his gaze assessing. “Welcome to the table, lass.”

“Thanks,” I said again, my voice a little stronger this time. Ronan introduced several more people at the table and I nodded in greeting to each one of them. When he was done, he turned to me and lifted an eyebrow, almost like he was giving me leeway to take the lead.

I took it and ran with it.

“Now, tell me exactly what’s going on,” I said with a heavy sigh.

Bradan leaned forward, “Here’s what we’re looking at, Miss Kiera,” he began. “The Ivanovich family is holed up in a cabinabout two hours north of the city. Remote, surrounded by dense forest, with limited access roads. It’s a fortress in its own way—lots of cover for them, but it also works for us if we’re smart about it. They’ve got at least a dozen men stationed around the perimeter, possibly more inside. Heavy firepower, too—these guys don’t play small. They’ve been quiet since the kidnapping, but that’s by design. They’re waiting for us to make a move.”

I was quiet for a moment, thinking.

Then I cleared my throat, my nerves buzzing as I stepped closer to the table. “If Leena’s being held in a cabin in the woods, then we need to use the terrain to our advantage. Woods mean cover, which means we can move quietly and get close without being seen.”

Declan, seated near the end of the table, nodded thoughtfully. “Exactly. We’ll need to map the area, figure out the best entry points.”

“And we should think about distractions,” I added, my voice gaining strength. “If we draw their attention to one side of the cabin, it’ll give us a better chance of getting in unnoticed.”

Seamus leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed as he studied me. “Not bad. What kind of distraction are we talking about?”

“Something loud,” I said. “Fireworks, maybe. Something that’ll make them think they’re under attack from the front while we come in from the back.”

The men exchanged glances, their expressions thoughtful. Even Ronan seemed to consider it, though his jaw was still tight with a mix of frustration and something that looked an awful lot like arousal.

“Declan, can you source something like that on short notice?” Ronan asked.

Declan grinned, typing away. “I can make it happen. Give me an hour.”

I glanced at Ronan, expecting him to push back, but instead, he gave me a small nod, the faintest hint of approval in his eyes.

“Keep going,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “What else?”

I hesitated for only a moment before speaking again. “You’ll need a team to secure the perimeter while the main group moves inside. If they realize it’s a diversion, they’ll try to circle back. Someone needs to make sure they can’t.”

Seamus nodded, his expression grim. “She’s right. We’ll need at least four men watching the perimeter.”

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