Page 94 of Yours

“Make it six,” Ronan said. “I’m not taking chances.”

“And once we’re inside?” one of the younger men asked.

I hesitated, glancing at Ronan. “That’s your expertise, not mine. But you’ll need to move fast. If they realize it’s a diversion, they’ll turn on you—and Leena.”

Ronan’s eyes softened slightly, his tension easing just a fraction as he gave me a small nod. “She’s right. The element of surprise is everything. Seamus, Declan, get the intel we need. Map the area, get eyes on their rotations, and start gathering what we’ll need for the distraction.”

The men nodded, the room buzzing with renewed purpose as they began discussing the details. I stepped back, my chest tight, but my resolve stronger than ever.

For the first time, I felt like I belonged at that table.

Like I was finally part of his world.

It was a heady feeling.

The rest of the room talked amongst themselves while Ronan moved toward me, his presence overwhelming as he leaned in close, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

“You didn’t need to come here,” he said quietly.

I looked up at him, my chin lifting slightly. “Yes, I did. She’s my best friend, Ronan. I’m not going to sit on the sidelines.”

His lips curved into the faintest smirk, though the tension in his eyes remained. “You did good, Kiera. But don’t think for a second that the two of us aren’t going to have a long discussion about this.”

I tilted my head slightly, meeting his gaze with a smirk of my own, refusing to back down. “Oh? And what’s that going to look like,sir?”

He stepped even closer, his hand brushing lightly against my hip, the steel buckle of his belt glinting faintly in the low light. “It’s going to look like you bent over our bed with your bare ass in the air while I use this belt,” he said, his fingers ghosting over the leather at his waist. “And by the time I’m finished, you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

A rush of heat spread through me, and though my cheeks burned, I didn’t flinch. Instead, I let my smirk widen, raising an eyebrow as I tilted my chin up at him.

“Well, maybe I’ll like it,” I sassed.

Ronan’s eyes flashed with wicked arousal, his lips curling into a full grin that sent a shiver racing down my spine.

“Oh, you’ll enjoy some of it, naughty girl,” he said softly, his voice a low rumble that felt like it was wrapping around me. “But don’t think for a second I won’t leave you very sore and very sorry by the time I’m through with you.”

I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears, but I refused to look away. “Guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?”

He chuckled, the sound low and dangerous, before leaning back just enough to let the moment linger.

“Oh, we will,” he promised, his voice dripping with certainty.

My stomach tied up in knots at the same time my clit throbbed to life because I knew Ronan was the kind of man that always kept his promises.

And that was only one of the many things that I loved about him.

CHAPTER 36

Ronan

The drive upstate was silent except for the low rumble of the engine and the occasional click of Declan’s laptop as he fine-tuned the map on the screen. The cabin was less than an hour away now, tucked deep in the woods, its isolation making it the perfect place for the Ivanovich family to pull off a stunt like this.

Every detail of the plan ran through my head on a loop—our entry points, the positions of the men guarding the perimeter, the diversion we’d set up to draw their attention. It was clean, precise, just as it needed to be.

But even with all the pieces in place, my thoughts kept drifting to Kiera.

Getting her to stay behind had taken more than just words.

She’d stood in the middle of my penthouse, fire in her eyes, arms crossed, as she told me she wasn’t going to let me leave without her.

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