Page 53 of Yours

My eyes narrowed. “Spit it out, Finn. You’ve never been good at subtlety.”

He chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Word is you’ve got yourself a girl.”

The silence that followed cut through the room like a blade. Finn was clearly enjoying the game, but Seamus’s expression was more serious, his gaze searching mine like he was trying to read the truth before I said it.

“And?” I asked, my voice calm, controlled.

Finn whistled low, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “And nothing, boss. Just thought it was interesting. Not your style is all.”

Seamus shot him a sharp look. “Don’t push it, Finn.”

I stepped around the table, coming to stand directly in front of them. Finn straightened slightly under my gaze, but I kept mytone steady. “If I did, would it matter? My business is my own, and I don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

Seamus nodded slowly, his respect evident in the way he held himself. “Of course, boss. We know you’ve got your reasons. But if it’s true… This kind of thing—it paints a target on your back, you know that.”

“I know,” I said, my voice hardening. “And I don’t need either of you worrying about it.”

Finn raised an eyebrow, his grin returning. “So, it is true, then.”

I leveled him with a look that could have frozen water.

“Finn,” I warned.

I wasn’t ready to talk about what Kiera meant to me.

She was a complication I hadn’t asked for, but couldn’t seem to push aside. She didn’t fit into the clean lines of my world, and yet the thought of her being anywhere else, with anyone else, stirred something primal in me. I wasn’t quite ready to delve into what that meant.

“Right, right. Shutting up now.” He mimed zipping his lips, but the twinkle in his eye didn’t fade.

Seamus took a step closer, his voice low, his concern genuine. “Boss, it’s not about prying. It’s about watching your back. If this Benedetti situation gets out of hand, they’ll look for any weakness. You know that.”

I let his words hang in the air for a moment before responding. “If there’s anyone I care about, they’re not a weakness,” I said, my tone steel. “And if anyone tries to touch her, I’ll handle it. Personally.”

Finn’s grin faded slightly, and even Seamus’s usual calm demeanor flickered with unease.

“Understood,” Seamus said quietly, but firmly.

I stepped back, letting the tension in the room dissipate as I turned toward the table. “Now, if you’re done speculating about my personal life, you’ve both got work to do. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

They nodded, Finn muttering something under his breath as they left the room.

As the door clicked shut, I leaned against the edge of the table, my thoughts swirling. The rumor wasn’t wrong—Kiera was mine, even if she didn’t quite know it yet.

But keeping her safe in a world like this?

That was a game I couldn’t afford to lose.

It was time to take care of her problem. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I landed on Marco’s name. My jaw tightened as I stared at it, my thumb hovering over the screen for a moment before I pressed call.

The line rang twice before Marco’s voice came through, smooth and laced with smug amusement.

“Well, if it isn’t Ronan O’Malley,” he drawled. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Cut the bullshit, Marco,” I said, my voice sharp and cold. “This isn’t a social call.”

“Clearly,” he replied, his tone unbothered. “So, what is it, then?

“You’ve been messing around with someone who belongs to me,” I said, ignoring his jab. “And I’m here to tell you to back the fuck off.”

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