Page 16 of Watch Me, Daddy

He was from a family far more powerful than mine. The Murphys had been the reigning powerhouse in Boston for years now. Aidan could have any woman he wanted with those forest green eyes. All he had to do was say the word and they were his.

Why was I thinking about this? I didn’t even know if he wanted me. Did he see me as anything more than a pawn in this twisted game?

I sighed and shook my head. I needed to get a hold of myself.

All of a sudden, the sound of gunfire echoed all around me from outside somewhere, and I jumped, clutching my towel tightly around my body as if it could defend me.

Had the Kozlovs found us already? Where was Aidan? Was he okay?

With cautious curiosity, I crept to the window and peered through the curtains, my breath catching in my throat when I saw Aidan standing alone in the middle of the street in a tense standoff with a group of Russian soldiers. The sight sent a jolt of fear through me, and I cried out quietly. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as another volley of gunfire sounded, and my core clenched tight with terror.

Aidan, please be okay…

In the span of a few seconds, every single Russian fell to the ground except for one. For me, it happened in slow motion, and I shrieked at the sight. Aidan didn’t flinch. In a twisted kind of way, the death of the Russians didn’t hit me right away. Instead, I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that Aidan hadn’t been hit, that he was still alive.

Why did I even care? If he died, I could escape and make my way back to the safety of my own family. I’d be free, but a part of me didn’t want to be.

I didn’t want him to die.

Aidan and the last Russian standing gazed at each other with obvious vitriol, each one trying to assess the power of the other. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I recognized the signs of Aidan’s laughter as he lifted his own gun and pointed it at the man. After a tense back and forth exchange, Aidan cocked his gun, his expression viciously dangerous. I tensed, recognizing several small signs that the stand-off was quickly coming to an end. The Russian’s face looked nervous, like Aidan had shaken him up. Aidan pulled his shoulders back and his grin grew wider. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and the Russian slowly slumped to the ground along with the others.

I’d just seen twenty-four men die right in front of me.

As much as I had been involved in my father’s responsibilities as kingpin, he’d ensured that I was kept far from any hint of violence. I pressed my hand over my chest, feeling the frantic pounding of my heart, and I drew in several large breaths. In a moment, my heartbeat calmed, and my breathing turned less ragged as something else occurred to me.

Had he done that to protect me?

For some reason, the thought calmed me. Even in all the danger and violence I had just witnessed, it made me feel strangely safe and secure.

I stared down at him standing alone in the road, and I felt something shift inside me. The way he stood, tall and unwavering, made me feel like it was possible for him to be my anchor for just a little while until I figured things out, at least until I could get in contact with my father to confirm Aidan’s story.

I watched as he walked back inside, and I moved away from the window into the closet. I dried off the rest of the way and got dressed in a pair of grey yoga pants and a long black top. By the time I was fully clothed, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I called out, picking up the towel and wrapping it around my wet head.

The door opened slowly, and I looked up to see Aidan enter the room.

“Dinner will be ready a bit late tonight. There was a bit of a delay,” he said, his expression apologetic.

I glanced towards the window and back to him, nodding but saying nothing. I didn’t trust myself to speak just yet.

“If you prefer, I can bring your meal up to you so that you can eat here,” he continued, gesturing towards the table and chairs beside the other window.

I didn’t want to eat alone. I needed to learn more about what was going to happen to me, to find out if the Kozlovs knew where I was and what that meant for me, but that wasn’t the only thing.

I wanted to know more about him.

And what he thought about me.

Were all his smart remarks just meant to tease me, or was there something more? I knew that he was older than me by a fair amount, more than enough to make him see me as nothing more than a kid even though I was a fully grown adult. Was that how he saw me?

A part of me yearned for him to see me as a woman and not only that, but as a woman he desired.

“No. I’ll come down,” I said quietly.

Tentatively, I lift my eyes to meet his.

As I gazed into Aidan’s eyes, I noticed a subtle shift in his demeanor that sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine. The intensity in his piercing green eyes seemed to smolder with a growing desire, and a slow, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. His jaw clenched with restraint, and a flicker of heat danced in the depths of his gaze, revealing a yearning that mirrored my own. It was as if a magnetic pull had enveloped me, and I yearned to reach my arm out to touch him.

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