Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
There isn’t a thing on God’s green earth that Ronan Fitzpatrick wouldn’t do to protect me.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ronan
I’ve just turned on the shower when there’s a knock at the front door.
Before I can even get my briefs back on, Sasha calls out as she walks down the hallway.
“I’ve got it.”
I call out to her and tell her not to answer, but I know it goes unheard through the wooden door. I’m right behind her and only half dressed when she opens the door to Crow. He blinks at her for a second, and relief washes over his face when he sees her standing there. Then his gaze moves to me, and immediately, I know this visit isn’t bearing good news of any sort.
“Sasha.” Crow dips his head at her. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
She doesn’t catch the strain in his eyes or shoulders, and I’m glad for it. But there’s still the potential for my lie coming unraveled, and I haven’t any idea what I’m supposed to do.
“What do ye need?” I bark at Crow.
Both him and Sasha look at me in surprise.
“I need a word with ye in private,” Crow answers, his gaze roving over my unkempt state.
He’s smirking now.
“Looks like I caught you two playing house,” he adds.
Sasha gives him a funny look and then glances in my direction.
“We can speak outside,” I tell him. “Just give me a moment and I’ll meet you out there.”
“I can wait here,” he says. “It’s fecking freezing out there this morning.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” I argue.
“Ronan?” Sasha walks towards me and rubs her hand over my arm. “It’s okay. I was going to hop in the shower anyway.”
I’m relieved when I don’t see any questions in her eyes. I’m not ready for her to leave. And I’m not sure now that I ever will be. She leans up on her toes and kisses me on the cheek, right in front of Crow. It’s only after she’s walking away that I’ve worked out it doesn’t bother me. Crow clears his throat, tearing my attention back to him.
“What’s she doing here, Fitz?”
“That’s not your concern,” I answer.
“What’s got your knickers all in a knot?” he asks. “It was an honest question. She was supposed to be leaving, last I heard.”
I glance down the hallway and gesture for him to sit down. He does. Daisy sniffs at him and he pats her on the head a couple of times before she jumps onto my lap.
“She’s just staying with me for a bit,” I tell him. “It’s not a big issue.”
“Ronan,” Crow says in a solemn voice. “I came here to tell ye that Andrei knows about her.”
“What?” My eyes snap up to his. “That’s not possible.”
“Anything’s possible,” he says. “And he does.”
“How do ye know this?” I ask.
He glances at the floor, and his eyes glaze over. “Someone attacked Jasmine after she left the club last night,” he explains. “And dumped her body in the alley for us to find this morning.”
He hands over his cell phone, and I stare at the photograph of the mangled dancer. The butcher has left his calling card all over her body, and even to someone such as myself it’s a shock of violence. I’ve no stomach for this sort of act being carried out on a woman. But the most disturbing thing about it, and the one I can’t look away from, are the words carved into her chest.
Where’s Sasha?
“She can’t know about this.” I shove the phone back towards Crow so I don’t have to see it. But I’m still thinking about it, and that won’t go away.
Crow tilts his head to the side and studies me for a moment. He reads the expression on my face clearly. This thing with Andrei has just taken on a whole new urgency that it never had before. And Crow thinks I’m going to do something stupid. He’s probably right.
“I’m going to find him,” I tell him.
“Ye’re not going anywhere alone,” Crow answers. “He’ll be expecting ye.”
“I always work alone.”
“This is not up for debate, Fitz.” He rises to his feet. “And if I were you, I’d reconsider telling Sasha.”
I take off my glasses and rub my tired eyes. “She already sort of knows.”
He looks down at me and nods. Crow knows me too well to have to ask why.
“See to it that Rory’s here to watch over her,” I tell him. “Conor can come with me.”
“Conor’s too green,” Crow argues.
“Which is why he won’t be staying here alone with Sasha.”
Crow looks set to argue, and it riles me. “I recall a time not too long ago that ye didn’t want to leave Mack’s care in Conor’s hands either.”
He smirks and shrugs, and I know I’ve won. Rory and I have a mutual respect for each other. I trust him. And if I have to leave Sasha alone with anyone who isn’t me or Crow, I’d rather it was him.