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Chapter Thirty-Five
RONAN
“You stick around and start working on a plan to get Sofia back and fast,” I tell Liam, and he nods. “Babe,” I call out to Olivia, who is standing with Cesare and his underboss, “Time to go,” I beckon and she comes over to me.
“Drive safe,” Liam tips his head, then spins and heads back to Cesare.
Olivia walks over to me, and I lean over to kiss her before holding the door of my car open for her to get in. It’s been a long night.
She lowers herself and climbs into the car. I close the door, circle the car, and climb into the driver’s seat.
I drop one hand from the steering wheel on her thigh and she places her palm on it, then flashes me a smile that I soak in before looking back on the road.
The trouble will never end, and Damien has little or nothing to do with it. It’s my life. It’s the life I live. The dangers are always there.
We will get Sofia back.
I squeeze gently on Olivia’s hand and then lift it to press a kiss on the back of it. I breathe, thankful that I have her and am taking her home. Thankful that it wasn’t her Damien had wanted.
I kiss her hand again, needing to put everything behind us but also knowing there is something I must do before I let the past go.
“I… uh…” I clear my throat, then take a left turn, “I know I messed up in high school, and I keep messing up, hurting you, and I’m sorry. But you know my life is dangerous, and you could get hurt.”
“Stop,” she clips, and I nod.
“Okay,” I throw my eyes to the side, feeling her glare. It’s better if we do this at home. It took years for me to get to this fucking point.
* * *
I set two cups of tea on the kitchen island and then put the kettle of water on the stove, feeling Olivia glowering behind me but I pretend to be devoted to trying to make us some tea.
She needs it. She is cold.
I toss the tea bags into the cups, “You want sugar?” I try not to look in her direction.
“I want you to look at me and start that bullshit talk again,” she fires, and I nod.
Fair enough.
“Listen to me,” I breathe, then strut over to her. “I’m sorry,” I let the words out plainly, to hell with trying to sound poetic, “I messed up then, and I shouldn’t have said what I said in the car the way I said it, but I was trying to…” I sigh. “I’m just fucking sorry, babe, for it all” I say, stroking her cheek.
I meant it when I told her she was going to get hurt. But I still want her to choose me and my life. And yet, I can’t force that on her. Being the boss means I’m usually the one to get targeted, and having her will mean someone will always come for her because they know she is my fucking heart.
“It’s just…” I swallow, “… if you ever want to leave because you can’t stand this life, I will let you go, as much as it would kill me. I won’t make the mistake of making decisions for you again or thinking I know what is best for you,” I stroke her cheek again, where the bastard hit her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all this because of me. I’m sorry, I’m truly…”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she says. “Stop apologizing or trying to make me back away, Ronan, because it won’t work.”
I nod, “I couldn’t stand it if anything were to happen to you, I would die.”
“It is a life with you that I cannot give up,” she brings her palms up to cup my face. “Ronan Gallagher, I know what torture feels like and it is a life without you.”
I shake my head, unsure I deserve to hear those words from her after what I’ve put her through.
“I never stopped loving you, I never stopped dreaming about you, and I never stopped wanting you for myself,” she strokes my face softly with her tender palms. “I cannot live without you. I don’t want to be in this world anymore if you are not for me and me alone, Ronan Gallagher, my Irish Prince Charming.” She gets teary at the same time the kettle starts whistling.
Her words, my goodness.
I scoop her off the floor as I kiss her.
