Page 45 of Break Me, Daddy

Shane understood me like no one else did. Today, he’d sat back and let me take control of the entire exchange. He was a man of his word and with his actions, he’d shown me that we were equals in public and that we always would be.

I’d made the right decision when I’d said yes to him.

I reached for his hand, and he grasped it as the room started to empty. He squeezed it tight and let go before he stood up and buttoned his suit back up.

“Last night, you took me to your own safehouse. Tonight, I’m going to take you to mine,” he said, his tone simple. He peered back at me over his shoulder, a firm glint sparkling in his eye. I swallowed hard as he cocked a thumb in his belt, and I caught his silent meaning in an instant. I hadn’t forgotten his warning, or what I’d said to him after that.

He was going to remind me how different things were between us when we got to wherever he was taking me tonight. A part of me was a little afraid, but a much louder piece of me was looking forward to it.

In private, the two of us would be free.

* * *

In no time at all, we’d left the Emerald Isle Hotel out the back through a secret entrance that only Shane seemingly had access too. He funneled me into a blacked-out Range Rover stored in an underground parking lot that was filled with more than a dozen identical models. We exited through a long tunnel once we were safely inside. For several long minutes, we were the only car on the road until we drove up a ramp, through a hidden steel door, and exited out of another building several blocks down from the hotel.

In that time, we’d both made calls to the men at our disposal and started preparing them for Irina’s kidnapping. There would be no rushing into this. We needed some time to get people into place and gather intel on where she was being kept, so the plan was to go through with the mission within the next several days. There was a lot of additional information we needed before we could take her, including what room she was staying in, what people had access to her, who was guarding her, the works. This was a very high-risk operation, and I needed to know every detail before it could take place. There was a lot riding on this, and it had to go perfectly.

I did everything I could think of to make that happen.

The driver took a circuitous route so that we weren’t followed to a small airport outside of the city. We drove by a well-guarded tower, and I looked out the window to see a small army of men with automatic machine guns patrolling it like it was an army base. My family had significant pull in many places, but the Kavanaghs had been here for much longer, and their alliances ran much deeper. This was an example of that.

As we walked through the opulently designed terminal, I gave him a look and raised an eyebrow at the lavishness of every detail. It was obvious that someone had sunk some serious money into this place. No one made a move to stop him either, which meant that his reputation was such to ensure we were left alone.

“Do the Kavanaghs run this place?”

“Partially. I’m a sitting member on the board with a number of other people that spent enough to buy a seat next to me,” he smirked.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Since we have to stay under the radar a little longer, I thought I’d take you to one of my favorite properties.”

“I imagined something a little different when you mentioned that you had a safe house,” I murmured, unable to stem my curiosity. He guided me through the tiny terminal until we were led aboard an elegant private jet. I didn’t need to ask if he owned it. I was one hundred percent certain that it was his.

“What were you thinking I meant?” he smirked. His eyes were dancing with amusement, and I reached for his hand. He readily took it, squeezing his fingers around mine gently, but possessively.

“I don’t know. Maybe a cabin deep in the woods or something like that,” I guessed.

“Do I look like the kind of man that owns a cabin in the woods?” he asked with a soft chuckle. I appraised him, taking in his luxurious suit, gold cufflinks, and black leather shoes, and I shook my head, unable to keep myself from laughing along with him.

“No, I guess not,” I answered with a laugh, my mood light.

“Definitely not,” he replied.

“Honestly, I’d bet that I’d probably have to kill any spiders we found for you,” I teased.

“You seem like a girl that could handle that,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’d prefer not to,” I said, cringing. As much as I was willing to show off that I could take care of myself, spiders just made my skin crawl. There was something about all those tiny legs that made a shiver race down my spine, and not in a good way.

“What about snakes?” he asked, his grin contagious.

“I mean, I’ve never really had to fight one off before. I’d probably just let it be and go somewhere else,” I said, and he snorted.

“I’d probably do the same,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Some big, strong man you are,” I goaded him, and his eyes darkened as his grin widened.

“You’ll find out how big and strong I am later tonight,” he replied with a wink.

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