Marry me? Take over? What the fuck? I didn’t know which to respond to first. I decided the whole—I mentally cringed—marriage thing could wait and be dealt with when I was alone with Brandon.
“Takes over?” I repeated. He couldn’t possibly mean... “What am I taking over?”
“You’re going to be the new head of the O’Reillys, Carly.”
I reached out blindly to grab Brandon’s free hand and squeeze it. “What? No! That’s impossible!” Being with Brandon meant being a part of this life, and I accepted that. I didn’t want anything to do with my family’s organization though. “No one would follow me, they are all loyal to my da.”
“Anything’s possible with the DeLucas behind you,” he informed me with unwavering confidence. “We’ll make sure your father eats a bullet, and soon. In return, you’re going to step into his shoes and fill the void he’ll leave behind, keeping my town safe from the assholes who might otherwise think it’s the perfect opportunity to grab power.”
Chapter 7
Brandon
Carly looked shell-shocked, and though she was putting on a strong front, I could see she was on the precipice of falling apart. Using the hand on her neck, I tucked her in close to my side. It was a testament to her emotional state that she allowed herself to be vulnerable in front anyone, much less Nic.
“Let’s put this discussion on hold while we concentrate on tracking down her dad,” I suggested.
Nic studied Carly for a moment and seemed to come to the same conclusion. She needed time to process. He looked to me. “You know it has to be this way.” I jerked my head in the affirmative. “I’ll let you deal with helping her understand that.”
Lifting my chin in farewell, I started to guide Carly from the office when Nic called my name. I stopped and glanced back over my shoulder with a raised brow.
“You’ll take care of the other...?” He trailed off, well aware I knew what he was referring to. I glared at him, the thought of him even thinking about my woman and sex, no matter how platonic and well intentioned, pissed me the fuck off. Not to mention, our relationship was nobody else’s business. Understanding my expression, he held up his hands in surrender, but the smirk on his face still made me want to rearrange it into a grimace of pain. I pushed my violent intentions away, knowing my focus needed to remain on Carly, and took her home.
She was quiet on the short drive back to the house. I circled the block twice, then found a spot on the street to parallel park but waited to get out until I saw Paul, one of my guys, give the all clear from his vehicle across the street. Carly started to open her door, but I held her back with my hand on her bicep.
She looked at me with surprise, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I know you’ll protect me Bran, but I’m not an infant, I can open my own damn door.”
I slowly perused her body, my eyes lingering on her chest and lips, before meeting her gaze. “Trust me, kitten. There is no possibility of me mistaking you for anything other than a woman.” She was fighting to keep her indignation, but the spark in her green eyes and the subtle flush of her skin, told me how my words truly affected her. “Also, my mother taught all of her boys to respect women, so how about you let me be the gentleman my mother raised me to be?”
Her jaw dropped a little in surprise and she simply nodded. I got out and rounded the car, opening the door and helping her out. She watched me with a bit of wonder, and I laughed. “You’re looking at me like I’m the main attraction at the zoo.”
She blushed and dropped her eyes to the ground. “I thought that was just something they did in the movies.”
It really hit me then, the extent to which Carly’s life had been a volatile mix of being sheltered and seeing and experiencing things most people were never exposed to. Things she shouldn’t have had to endure.
I cradled her face in my hands, lifting her head so I could see into her eyes. “Don’t hide from me, and don’t ever be embarrassed, kitten. It’s my job to show you what it’s like to be loved and respected. Your history just means the bar is set really low.” She chuckled, and I kissed her before saying, “Lucky for me, it means I’ll blow your mind.” I winked at her, and she laughed as I tucked her into my side once again and headed to the front door.
When we entered the apartment, she stiffened and stepped away from me, causing me to glance around with alarm. I didn’t see anything except Carly marching into the living room, and then turning to face me. She was suddenly enraged, and it reminded me of the last time she stood before me in this state. Except, she had been very, very naked.