Page 142 of Merciless Desires

It hits me he hasn’t had my case dismissed yet. “You’ll let strangers take this baby you say is yours, but I can’t?”

“If you try to take him away against my wishes, yes.”

“With one call to the right person, I can get my money. And with millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands, my baby and I will be fine. I’m sure I can pay someone down there for a new identity.”

Darragh turns white. “You’d do that?”

“Darragh, you’re not seeing the bigger picture. This baby, this boy, is the heir to my father’s brotherhood. I don’t want him to live that life.”

He drills me with a stare. “He won’t be the Bratva heir if his last name is O’Rourke.”

CHAPTER 10

Darragh

Ana stomps away after my comment about the baby’s last name being O’Rourke.

“We’re not done talking,” I bark.

Even mad, I’m fixated on her ass. I kissed her because I couldn’t stand not tasting her lips another second. To see if she even remotely felt the same as me. Was I alone in this strange kink attraction for my brother’s pregnant ex-girlfriend? Her eyes fluttered, boosting my confidence that I still know what to do with these damn lips.

That kiss woke me the fuck up after icing myself over for years. Now, I’m on fire, and no matter what, I want more. More of her.

“End of discussion.” She snipes over her shoulder, heading for the stairs. “I’ll figure out a way to call your brother, Eoghan. He’ll help me disappear for good.”

My heart jumps into my throat, knowing I need to cut that threat off at the knees.

“Daddy?” Sophie’s voice makes me jump.

“Yeah, honey?”

“What’s for dinner?”

I glance at the clock and realize I should be neck deep in cooking a big Sunday meal for us. I’m so rattled. This situation with Anastasia is already affecting my daughter and that infuriates me.

“Let Daddy make one call, and then I’ll grill some steaks for us.” The ones we never ate last night.

“I don’t like steak.” Sophie pouts.

“Since when don’t you like steak?”

“Since forever.” She exhales, and I’m startled to remember the last time I cooked it for us. Had she pretended to eat it? “Can I have chicken nuggets?”

I know there are packages buried deep in the freezer for emergencies when I have to work late. Those are not for Sunday dinner. But we never made it to the grocery store because we took so long at the mall. Now, I’m caught with nothing.

I’m fucking exhausted from the appointment at the hospital, watching a black and white screen reveal the next O’Rourke baby about to be born. There’s a fully formed son in Ana’s belly, who’s ready to kick his way out any day. A son I am ready to call my own.

Finding out the Italians had a hand in Stasia’s disappearance, that she faked a kidnapping with fake postcards might have shown up in Astoria, I’m clear in my decision more than ever, Anastasia must stay here.

I have to convince her of that. Her fake identity held up for more than two years. Just shows how weak her father is. She’s been in a major city all this time. He has no Bratva contacts in Las Vegas?

I trust Eoghan will clean up our brother’s mess.

My daughter stares at me for an answer. Keeping the frustration out of my voice, I say, “Okay, you can have chicken nuggets tonight. Just this once for a Sunday.”

“Yay!” she chirps and skips to the freezer’s middle drawer. Sometimes chicken nuggets aren’t the biggest evil or the worst problem. “What will you and Ana have, Daddy?”

A big fight and hopefully some hot, dirty make-up sex.

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