“And you will watch your mouth, Agent Marlow,” she says thinly, her eyes blazing. “Or I might just differ to the very wise suggestion of my captain here.” She nods at Liam, who glares at the blubbering, whimpering Marlow and taps a finger against his gun as the men from before drag him off.
“Anton?”
Liam glances up at Connor and shakes his head grimly. “Didn’t get barbecued, if that’s what you’re hoping. We snagged a few of their guys, but Anton and Oleg were spotted escaping.”
“And we’re gonna hunt them down like fucking dogs, believe me,” Damien says fiercely, his gorgeous blue eyes flashing in the fire light.
Aela sighs, her shoulders slumping. “So much for a peace agreement.”
The three guys nod grimly as she shakes her head. “This is a war, isn’t it.”
“Anton knew what he was doing when he sent Oleg and his nephew to sabotage that meeting,” Liam says gruffly. “He called down the thunder, and now he can reap the fucking whirlwind.”
There’s a hand on my arm, and I glance up, falling right into Connor’s eyes.
“Give us a minute,” he growls at the others before he pulls me aside.
“I think you should go.”
I frown. “Excuse me?”
“Run away, princess,” he says, his face pained, his jaw tight. “I pulled you into this, kicking and fucking screaming if I remember correctly, and against your will.”
“Connor-”
“No, Sierra,” his eyes flash. “I-” he looks away, his face flickering orange in the light from the building engulfed in flames before he turns back to me. “I meant every. Fucking. Word I said back there, but I can’t bring you into this. I can’t, and I won’t.”
My hands slide up his arms, my lip catching between my teeth as I move closer against him, my eyes dragging up to his.
“But you already did.”
He shakes his head. “I never should have-”
“And I’m glad you did,” I say softly.
His eyes search mine, his jaw tight and his chest heaving.
“You don’t know what you’re signing up for.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Sierra-”
“I know I’m signing up for the first man to ever make me feel. I know something about you makes everything make sense. I know something clicks when I’m with you.” I swallow, feeling my heart thundering in my chest. “I know the pieces fit together when you’re a part of me.”
His arms circle me, pulling me tight. “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.”
His eyes search mine, his lips so close to mine.
“I need to ask you something important,” he says quietly.
I nod solemnly, my eyes never leaving his.
“Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?”
I laugh, punching his chest as he cracks up and hauls me tight against him, kissing the top of my head.
“Have you?” I grin up at him, seeing that spark in his dark eyes - the same glint from that first night, across the shadowed crowd at the Rusty Duck, but this time, I understand the look.
This time, I understand the pain, and the history, and the passion in that look, and I understand the man it’s attached to.
“Well if I’d known it was this fun, I’d have gone out and kidnapped a pretty girl like you years ago.”
My jaw drops as he grins at me, and I punch his arm again before he pulls me tight, tilts my head back, and kisses me.
Fiercely.
“Hey, princess.”
“Yes, criminal?”
Connor grins. “Everything I said before? About you leaving?”
I raise a brow.
“Try it and I’ll just have to come tie you up all over again.”
“Yes, please,” I breathe as he swoops me up into him, his lips searing to mine and stealing my breath away.
Stealing my heart away.
He’s good at that.
Epilogue
Connor
The ferry heaves gently under our feet with the tide. It’s a huge fucking boat, and it’s not much of a pitch, but it’s just enough to pull her body back against me.
My eyes scan the water ahead of us, the sky cloudy, the ocean grey.
My kinda day, truth be told.
The huge boat rumbles forward, and as the mist clears a little, I finally get a glimpse of our destination, way off on the horizon.
Shelter Harbor - Sierra’s clean, wholesome, white picket fence hometown, where we’re heading for dinner at her parent’s house. Oh, and where I’ll be meeting them for the first time.
Me - the Boston Southie street kid, heading to Shelter fucking Harbor for family dinner with Sierra’s clean-cut, loving, wholesome parents.
And two brothers.