Page 123 of Demanding Mob Boss

I bet he was.

Not wanting to disturb Cian, I reach for my phone charging on the nightstand.

I text Connor.

Me:Is Elliott still there?

I text Elliott.

Me:Are you okay? Was Connor hurt very badly? I noticed he had a bandage.

Connor's reply comes in first.

Connor:Yes. Thank you. You kept them safe for me. Coming home to them, I realized this is where they belong. I'll talk to Cian before I take Elliott and Dot to my parents' house for dinner.

Elliott's answer comes in while I'm reading Connor's text. I tap into the text stream.

Elliott:He was shot. Angry face emoji. Crying emoji. But he's okay. Smiley face emoji. At least he says he is. I mean, he was okay enough to…winky face emoji. Eggplant emoji. Grin emoji. Three heart emojis.

I'm so happy for my friends. I text thumbs up and heart emojis back to both of them.

"Are you texting Ini?" Cian rumbles from behind me.

"Not yet. I was checking on Connor and Elliott."

Cian pulls me onto my back and kisses me before asking, "Who is Elliott?"

"Connor needs to talk to you before dinner."

It's a little after one, so there should be time.

"After."

"After what?"

But then Cian's hands start moving and I smile. "Oh, that. Yes, after." Definitely after.

CIAN

Eoin takes Anna to visit Ini before Connor arrives. She promises not to stay long, but it's still hard to let her go. I don't tell her that.

She knows anyway and sends me a selfie from the car of her smiling. Then another from the elevator in the apartment building, this one she's got her top up and she's flashing me her tits with a mischievous grin. Eoin had better be facing the other direction and no one else be on that elevator with her.

A text follows the selfie.

Anna:Eoin faced the wall and we were alone on th elevator. Winky face emoji.

My girl knows me well. The last selfie is from outside Ini's apartment. In this one, Anna is blowing me a kiss.

She's so fucking perfect for me.

I watch her on the spycam on her phone, but the selfies settle the beast prowling inside me in a way just watching her can't right now. They tell me we are connected. That her focus is on me like mine is on her, even when we're with other people.

I'm watching her talk to Ini when a loud knock sounds on my door before it opens.

"It's me."

Looking up from my spot on the sectional I meet my cousin's gaze. His eyes reflect both wariness and determination. He's not wearing the sling the Butcher gave him after patching him up, but he's moving stiffly.