Page 50 of Ronan

Lochlann hands me a gun with a silencer on it. I put it under Tom’s chin and pull the trigger.”

“What do ya want me to do with him?” Lochlann says as I stand with my chest heaving while looking down at this piece of shit.

Rage fills me. This is my fault. The Albanians are having trouble breathing because I have LaSalle down their necks.

Because Brax wants Kline’s head on a platter, I’ve set things in motion to get him that. All business for the Albanians has been brought to a halt until they cut ties with Kline. The note now makes sense.

“Send a few pieces back to where he came from. Ya know what to do with the rest.”

“Ya want me to call for one of the guys to come take ya back to the office?”

“No, I have somewhere to be.”

CHAPTER16

Light the Fire

Dean

“No,that’s all for now. Thanks, Hudson.”

“No problem, boss.”

I turn and head for the elevator up to my suite. I’m stewing about the report Hudson just gave me. He didn’t find that guy from the book signing. I still don’t know what all that was about.

I need to know what that note said. Ronan needs to understand a few things if we’re going to try this out. I don’t need him making this harder for me.

I’m still talking to myself as I get into my suite. Not seeing Ronan, I get even more annoyed. I had hoped he would be here for us to talk.

Not that I know what I want to say. I still don’t know how much I want him to know—if anything beyond knowing what happened earlier wasn’t cool. I’m a straight shooter; lying to a man I’m involved with doesn’t sit well with me. That’s why I don’t get involved.

I move through the suite, heading for the bedroom. I need a shower and a nap. After hours of signing books and smiling, I want some time to decompress.

I step into the bedroom and freeze. There’s a trail of clothes on the floor leading to the bathroom. A large pair of men’s casual dress boots, a pair of jeans, and a white dress shirt.

I move forward and pick up the boots to check the size just because I’m curious. I whistle and pull a face when I read they’re a size thirteen. I place the pair neatly by the door and then go to follow the rest of the trail.

“This man is something else,” I mutter to myself as I pick up his jeans.

That’s when it hits me. He stuffed that note in the back pocket of his jeans. I start to check his pockets for the paper, but I come up empty.

I growl in frustration and toss the pants on the accent chair in the corner of the room. I then turn for his jean jacket and grab it from the floor. I grunt to myself when my hand lands on a crumpled piece of paper. I pull it from the pocket.

A smile comes to my lips. I drop the jacket and smooth the page out on my thigh. I bare my teeth as I read the first few lines.

I think you have forgotten I know who you are, my friend. Our deal isn’t over. If you want to keep your worlds separate, you will turn the pipeline back on and honor our contracts. I know what you are capable of. Don’t think I haven’t made contingencies for your reaction. If something happens to me or my family, you will be exposed. You and the other three horsemen. Call me NOW.

“That fucking Bujar,”I snarl.

I ball the note in my hand and toss it into the trash. I’m going to fuck some shit up when I get back to New York. No one threatens me to do shit.

I snatch up the jacket from where I dropped it and place it with his jeans. I turn back and move to his dress shirt. Cursing under my breath, I grab the shirt from the floor.

I need to calm down before he gets out of the shower. I don’t want him to see this side of me just yet. I take a calming breath, but that does nothing. I bring the shirt to my nose and try again. That seems to help. I have no doubt it belongs to Ronan.

It smells just like him. I close my eyes and inhale deeply once again, a smile slowly coming to my lips. God, he smells delicious. Pulling the shirt from my nose, I open my eyes.

A gasp floats from my mouth. Is that blood? My anger surges back through me.