Ruthless Arrangement (Underworld Kings)

“That’s business and nothing you should get involved in,” he says, leaning back away from his plate, realizing this isn’t a regular breakfast conversation. He’s waving off my concerns as if what I’m feeling doesn’t even matter. I can’t allow him to do that. I cross my arms against my chest. I don’t bother hiding the fact I’m upset with him.

“I’m already involved because the man I love is miserable. It hurts him to have to go back there. I will not have him hurting anymore, Ryan.”

Instead of the defensiveness I expected to see, a smile comes to Ryan’s face.

“You love my son?” he asks, clearly surprised. “I guess that would explain the strange conversation of him thankful for E-Z being here to help you clean your hair but adding lots of death threats if he ever did it again.”

“Oh God, he did that?”

“Yep,” Ryan says with a grin.

“I do love him, Ryan. I love him with every fiber of my being.” I didn’t mean to profess it so boldly, but it feels right.

“Good. I want this for my son. I remember love, and I miss it,” he confesses like it's painful to remember. “I loved Killian’s mother. She made my heart race, and after she died, it felt like it froze over, never to thaw.”

I soften at his words, seeing the pain on his face. I can’t imagine going through that and isolating your only son in the process of it all.

“I’m sorry you were forced to suffer that kind of pain,” I murmur, reaching over and patting his hand, “But you have more love now. You have your son.”

“I actually feel like there is hope my son and I will be close finally,” he acknowledges.

“You will. Plus, if you would hurry and get him out of jail, you will have grandchildren to love and spoil.”

“I will?” he questions with a loving grin.

“Yes, because at this point, I’m hellbent on filling Killian’s world with happiness and surrounding him with people who love him.”

“I’ll work harder on it,” he says, nodding.

“Working on it isn’t good enough, Ryan. You need to get it done.”

“You’re starting to sound like Killian and me.”

“Well, I should. My name is O’Leary now.”

Ryan gets up and walks around the table to me, leaning down to kiss my forehead. “You forgot one thing.” He smiles down at me as I try to think of what it might be. “You forgot that I now have you to love, too, Belle. You’re the perfect daughter, and I couldn’t ask for more.”

I feel hot tears spring to my eyes as I get up and hug him. “If I had the chance to choose a dad, I’m pretty sure I would pick you.”

“Pretty sure, huh?” he asks, pulling out of the hug to look down at me, his eyes dancing with laughter.

“Yeah, it depends on how soon you can get my husband out of jail.” His laughter fills the room.

“Come have some breakfast.” He sits back in his seat, pulling his plate closer. “We will make a plan while Killian and E-Z are gone.”

Mavis chooses that moment to walk in with a plate full of waffles and bacon with a side of syrup. Since the attack at my work, she’s been spoiling me.

“Now that you’re talking sense, I’ll help because I want my boy home, too,” she says.

Ryan looks at Mavis, “Your boy?”

“I’ve been taking care of him longer than I can remember. Killian is my family.”

Ryan gives her a big grin, “It would seem my son has a way of attracting good women into his life. I may need to take some lessons.” At the compliment, Mavis’s cheeks turn bright red. I think I see some sparks between them and put that away to possibly play matchmaker later. Ryan needs someone to bring that sparkle to his eyes.

CHAPTER 40

KILLIAN

I’ve been gone from home for almost twenty-four hours, and it definitely has me on edge. I didn't expect to spend my time out of jail doing this shit. I planned on being home—with my wife. I look around the expensive apartment with a small kitchen decked out in granite and one bedroom with a king-sized bed, knowing we're almost finished setting it up. We had to get something that was ritzy as fuck. We wanted to make it look like Bones was spending the money he got away with. With his name on the lease, it will be the perfect addition to the plan to make him the scapegoat with Orla’s family.

E-Z and I flew to Phoenix on the family jet—just us, a pilot, and three dead bodies. We rented an apartment here when Bones showed his face. It’s located next to his usual stomping grounds. He really thought he got away with everything. The plan is to leave this place looking like he was keeping everything from the heist, including the items for himself, and that Orla and her nephews were in on it from the beginning.