Page 121 of Ignite

She leads me down a corridor and pushes open a door. All the air is knocked from my lungs.

Conan’s there. Bloodied. Looking sorry as hell.

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Charlotte says, disappearing before I can stop her.

I step inside and close the door.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly.

“No. Not really. That was… a lot. So is everything I’m learning right now.”

He runs his hands through his hair, fidgeting like a boy who knows he’s done wrong.

“I’m sorry if I scared you.” There’s honesty in his voice. Sincerity that softens my gut.

“Who are you, Conan Quinn? Who are you really?”

His Adam’s apple bobs. “I’m an ex-underground, turned professional MMA fighter. I run a garage to fix my cars. And I’m a Quinn. Which means Irish Mafia. Born and bred.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Mafia?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, trouble. I didn’t know what you’d say.”

My eyes trace the ink on his skin. The blood. The bruises.

And that face—raw, pained, aching.

“I didn’t want to lose you. I thought you’d hate that part of me.”

I step in close, resting my hands on his sticky chest. “I’m annoyed you thought I’d run from you, beastie. I knew something was off. I just didn’t expect that.”

He lets out a quiet laugh and wraps his arms around me. His grip’s tight. Protective.

“Are you mad at me?” he murmurs into the top of my head.

“I’m more mad that you’ve been edging me for hours.”

He pulls back, cupping my face.

“I’ll resolve that for you, baby.” He presses his lips to mine.

“Am I safe with you?” I ask, staring into his eyes.

He doesn’t hesitate. “Always. It’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s business.”

“You don’t hurt kids, women, or animals?”

“Fuck no. We try to stop the ones who do. That’s the goal, in a roundabout way.”

I slide my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck.

“We’ve gotta work on your temper, Conan. The way you flip—it’s unsettling.”

He sighs, resting his forehead against mine.

“I’m trying, Hallie. I really fuckin’ am. A few years ago, I killed a guy—a rival family’s son. That cost my father his life. And I’ll never forgive myself.”

I close my eyes and hold him tighter. “How can I help you, Conan?”

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