by KB Winters
Honest or not.
It was that flash of sassy fire in her, pushing and daring me that kept thoughts of her distracting me much longer than I should have allowed. But the fact that she gave herself to me right here in the hospital intrigued me. Ivy was sweet, that was for sure. Kind? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. But fucking in the hospital room where we could get caught? That was a whole next level of woman.
What the hell is wrong with me? I didn’t do girls for a second time around. They were easy come easy go. A dime a dozen. And Ivy didn’t even know about my bank account. She wasn’t a gold-digger. I wasn’t sure she even knew who the Connelly family was.
And while I was lost in thoughts about a girl, the fucking Milanos had snuck up on me in my hospital room. Threatening me, Shae Motherfucking Connelly. This was why I didn’t do relationships.
I picked up my phone and got my brother on speed dial. “I’m going to kill those Italian motherfuckers, E-dawg.”
The line was silent before a deep chuckle sounded, Eamon’s laugh. “Want to clarify which Italian motherfuckers or all of them?”
His teasing words knocked my anger down a notch or two but only because I knew my family had my back, so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I told him. “Fucking Frank and Gio showed up here. In my fucking room, Eamon. I thought you had eyes on them.”
“We do. Or at least we’re supposed to. I’ll talk to Rourke and see what the fuck happened. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Ivy came in and said something about the cops and those fuckers ran off like the bitches they are. I need to get out of here. I’m a sitting fucking duck here.”
That, more than anything else, was what their visit had driven home to me. I couldn’t stay here and stay safe long enough to give the Milano family every ounce of the payback they deserved.
“I’ll talk to Rourke and we’ll get some guys to protect you until the Doc says it’s okay to spring you.” I could hear the gears already turning in Eamon’s mind. I knew he was thinking of which guys to send to me and who to send after Frank and Gio.
“You should have fucking done that in the first place. Send Shamrock’s ass over here. That fucker is brutal as shit, and he always has the best stories. If I have to be stuck here, might as well be entertained.”
Eamon laughed. “And what about that cute little blonde?”
Shit. Ivy. “She’s cool but nothing more than a distraction.” Was that true? It didn’t feel true, but Eamon knew my stance on women and saying anything to contradict him would only lead to a conversation I didn’t want to have.
“Keep telling yourself that, brother. Be safe. I’ll get you some protection.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get on it.”
The idea that I, Shae Connelly, needed protection was laughable. I was a certified fucking badass who, thanks to Patrick, was also a little bit crazy. On the surface I seemed like a fun loving, laidback kind of guy, a personality that came naturally to me, but one I’d also cultivated over the years for just this reason. In all fairness, it was probably why the Milanos targeted me. But just below the surface was someone darker, more dangerous than any of them realized. I couldn’t wait to show them how wrong they were.
Thirty minutes later Rourke showed up with Shamrock’s big ginger ass right behind him, smirking. “Your pretty face looks like shit, Shae.”
I grinned and stroked my chin. “Still prettier than your ugly mug, Rock-man.”
“I’m here to keep it that way,” he offered seriously, scanning the room to check out all exits and potential weapons. “I’ll be out here so you two can talk.” Shamrock was a foot soldier in the family hierarchy, but we’d grown up together, and he was as much a brother as Eamon and Rourke. Although my father didn’t see him that way.
“Better brush up on your poker for later,” His deep laugh sounded as the heavy door closed behind him, leaving me and Rourke alone.
“How do you feel?” Rourke’s eyes were serious and tinged with worry. And anger.
“I feel like I got the shit kicked out of me, but I’m good. Just sore all over, but I’m hoping the doctor lets me go soon. I need to get the fuck out of here before things with the Milanos escalates.
“Don’t rush it, Shae. I know you want to get these assholes more than the rest of us at this point, but we’re already on the brink of war. We’ll need everyone to bring their a-game if it comes to that.”
That was Rourke, always thinking ten steps ahead of the rest of us. Some days I thought he was a sure bet to take over my dad’s role in the family, but Eamon thought like our father, acted like him too, which meant Rourke was destined to be his number two. His advisor.
Which left me, as always, the younger brother with no truly defined role. It didn’t bother me though. I liked doing a little bit of everything. It kept life from getting too boring, which it had a tendency to do.
“I’m still here aren’t I? If I was gonna leave, I’d have done it already, Rourke.”
“I know, man. Okay? I know. But I also know that everyone is ready to obliterate these motherfuckers. We have to be smart.”
I frowned at his words, specifically the odd tone I recognized, and I knew something was on his mind.
“What is it? Tell me what’s been going on.” It was the curse of being the youngest, I was always the last to know everything. From when Eamon fucked one of his teachers to when Rourke had nearly beat a man to death, I was always the last to know.
“It’s nothing man and it’s every fucking thing. The Milanos are making life difficult for us. They robbed one of our underground rooms and took us for just over a million bucks.”
“Which one?”
“Sapphire Skies.”
Shit, that was one of the first rooms I’d got up and running on my own. “Anyone hurt?” Rourke shook his head and a small measure of relief went through me. “That’s good. We got surveillance?”
“Worm is going through it now.”
Worm was the Connelly family computer nerd, named because he’d been a bookworm since he was old enough to read.
“He’ll find the details we need to confirm who did it, but we already know.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah.” Rourke raked both hands through his thick blond hair, looking more stressed than I’d seen him since Aunt Fiona was hurt. “The Onyx Room was raided. By the cops.”
I let out a low whistle. “They must be desperate to waste their money on one of the few cops we don’t own in Rocket.” It meant there was more to this story than we knew. “Can you have Worm look into Milano finances? I have a feeling this is about more than swinging dicks.”
“You think?”
Hell yeah, I did. “I do but I want to talk to Worm first. Who led the raid?”
“Markham. Reggie Markham from Vice.”
“I should have known. There’s always one eager bastard.” There was always that one officer who thought his shit didn’t stink, who thought he was too damn special to be bought. It rarely took them long to realize everyone had a price. And I meant everyone. “Where is he now?”
A slow, evil spread across Rourke’s face. “Carjacking late last night. My guess is he’s somewhere in this building. A pity, really.”
“A damn shame,” I shot back, smiling like a fool.
“Patrick isn’t happy, not about any of this.”
“I didn’t imagine he would be, at least I hoped not.” The old man was wound tightly and after all the drama of the past week he was probably ready to rip old Lorenzo Milano apart with his bare hands. “How is he otherwise?”
“Bloodthirsty. Foaming at the mouth. The usual,” Rourke smiled affectionately. “He wants you discharged as soon as possible.”
“That makes two of us. Doc said soon. and I’m feeling better, a little sore but nothing being here can help.” And this place had no Jameson on the menu, which put it squarely on the list of places I shouldn’t be.
“I hope it’s soon because Ma is threatening to come up her
e and take care of you.” Rourke grinned because none of us were exempt from the extreme mothering of Aunt Fiona. She would storm inside, clean the place from top to bottom, cook a weeks’ worth of meals and fatten us up before we even realized what happened. It was nice. Until she started in on us boys providing her with some grandbabies to spoil.
“I really wish you hadn’t said that,” I told him on a sigh. “Now I’m going to have to bribe or threaten the doc to get me out of here.” We shared a laugh at that because yeah, I was crazy, but I wasn’t out of my goddamn mind.
“Mr. Connelly,” the doctor said as he walked in with a smile. “You have company. Should I come back later?”
“That depends, Doc, are you here to tell me you’re giving me my freedom?”
He laughed. “I am. Your x-rays and scans look good, no lasting damage. You’ll hurt like hell for a while so I’ll give you a prescription for pain management before you leave. If you have any dizziness, headaches or nausea, get right back here. Okay?”
I would’ve agreed to just about anything at that moment so I nodded. “Whatever you say, Doc.”
“Great. I’ll write the order. It may be a couple of hours to get the discharge process underway. I want you to talk to the nurse about concussion watch and set up follow up appointments with my office, but you’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“Good.” I turned to Rourke with a smile. “Bring me a change of clothes?”
Rourke nodded and the doctor wrote out two prescriptions on his pad. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Connelly.”
“Will do.” Rourke and I both fell silent after the doctor left the room, deep in thoughts of how serious shit would get the minute I got out of here.
“Don’t even fucking think of doing something stupid, Shae.” Rourke’s voice was low and deep, cold and deadly. “You’ll get your chance, but we have to do this smart.”
“I would never do anything to put the family or our interests in jeopardy, asshole.” And fuck him for even thinking I would.
“I know, but I can see you right now and anger is radiating off you. I’m just telling you to take a few minutes and calm down. Come to the house and let Ma feed you, and then maybe go find a willing woman to bury your cock in so you can have a clear head tomorrow.”
Now that was an idea with some merit. It was too bad I didn’t manage to get Ivy’s phone number before she left my room earlier. Dammit. “You know Rourke, you may just be on to something. That’s an excellent idea.”
I didn’t know how yet but I would find Ivy.
“I’ll grab you something to wear and leave Shamrock here with you. Stay out of trouble.”
“I make no promises, Cuz.” Rourke rolled his eyes and stood, smoothing his slacks.
“See you in a bit. I’ll let Ma know that you’ll be ready to eat soon.”
“Tomorrow,” I shouted after him, drawing a curious look because I was screaming like a damn fool. “Tell her tomorrow I’ll be ready to eat everything in sight.”
He frowned. “You’ve been in the hospital for almost three days.”
I shrugged. “What can I say? Layla brought me some food earlier and I might have a date tonight.”
“All right. I’ll bring you some clothes.,” he replied with a look in his eye that made me chuckle.
Rourke was a mystery when it came to women. He never spoke of his lady friends, if there were any, and he never brought them around. Not that Eamon or I brought women around the family, but we had no problem talking about our conquests. Rourke always kept quiet about it.
That was a thought for another time. Now I had just a few hours to figure out how to find Ivy.
Chapter Eleven
Ivy
“You can just go on up, Miss. Really, visiting hours are for another hour and ten minutes.” The perky blonde nurse smiled up at me but her eyes were wary, like maybe I was some kind of hit and run stalker.
I flashed my sweetest non-threatening smile. “My brother’s friends are up there, and I don’t want to disturb them, plus I promised I’d stop mothering him. Only I can’t quite stop yet, so if you could just make sure he gets it?”
The wariness faded and her whole body went soft. “Yeah, sure, I can make sure he gets it.”
Thank goodness. “Thank you very much. And just so you know, the guys in with him? They’re all single.” Her eyes lit up as I thought they would, and she pulled the bag filled with delicious diner food closer to her.
“No problem at all. I’ll make sure he gets it.”
“Ian. Make sure Ian Anders gets it or else his friends might mob you for it.”
With one last wave, I turned and headed toward the nearest stairwell to make my way out of the hospital before Ian found out I’d showed up again. Of course he’d figure it out when the food was delivered, but he would be too grateful to say anything about it. The stairwell was about ten steps away when I felt eyes on me again.
I froze and glanced around the hallway for someone boring holes into the back of me, but no one paid any attention to me. It was the strangest damn feeling and honestly, it freaked me out a little so I turned left and decided to wait for the elevator. At least there were cameras inside the elevators, which didn’t guarantee my safety but it did increase my odds.
I was so busy turning my head left and right, up and down the hall, searching for a set of eyes that never made their presence known that I ran into a big, hot wall of muscle. Lean, hard muscle that felt vaguely familiar under my hands. “This is a nice surprise.”
Shae. I looked up into his smiling face, hands practically fisted in his shirt. A long sleeve maroon Henley and dark blue jeans that made him look tall and lean and sturdy. “Shae. Did you miss your stop?”
His laugh was deep and rumbling, his face still bruised, but some of his color had returned along with his good mood.
“As it so happens I was just looking for you, or your brother’s room. To get your number.” He flashed a boyish grin but the big redheaded mob boss looking guy laughed.
“Yeah?” My antenna went up. “Why?”
While I would have loved to spend more time with him, I knew exactly what kind of guy Shae was. Love ’em and leave ’em was written all over his charming smile and gorgeous face. I had no illusions that what we’d done, magnificent as it was, had been a one-time only deal.
“To call you. Spend some time with you.”
In my bed was more like it, but Ian’s words still had me feeling raw and vulnerable. I had a feeling Shae was just the distraction I needed. I lowered my antenna and said, “Anywhere specific?”
His smile spread, slow and seductive and, right there in front of the elevators and his friend, my panties grew wet.
“I have a few places in mind, but I’m a nice guy, you can choose the first place.”
Hell. Fucking. Yes. “Here’s my number, Shae,” I told him and pulled one of my business cards from my purse. “Call me when the doctor gives you the all clear.”
“Why do you think I was looking for your number? I’m free when you are.”
Spending the entire night wrapped up in Shae’s big sexy body, his thick cock making me feel better than anything had in a long time, sounded like a damn good time to me. And a hell of a lot better than Netflix and junk food.
“Need a ride somewhere?” I asked.
“That’s my line,” he replied and his friend snickered beside him, drawing a glare from Shae. “And I would love a ride,” he added with a raised eyebrow.
“Shae, wherever you go, I go.” The tall redheaded man looked like a teddy bear until that deadly serious look crossed his face. “If I don’t, Patrick will have my ass.”
“Don’t worry about it, Shamrock. I’ll let him know I’m going someplace safe. For the night.”
The man named Shamrock looked me over with a warm smile. “Where do you live?”
I blinked. “A house on East Clayton. Why?”
They both ignored me, staring at one another, silently communicating in that
way that lifelong friends tended to do in mixed company. Shamrock was insistent in his gaze, but Shae wore determination like a ten-thousand-dollar suit. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rock.”
Realizing he was beat, the big ginger stepped inside the elevator, and held it open for us.
“Thank you,” I whispered at his kind gesture.
“Sure, sweetheart.”
The elevator ride down to the lobby was quiet, but it wasn’t tense or oppressive. My thoughts were full of Shae and the things he would do to me, the things I would do to him and all the fun we would have tonight. Just for tonight. The doors slid open, and I turned to Shae.
“Did you need to refill your prescriptions before we go?”
He slipped his long fingers through his hair and sighed. “No,” he said at the same time Shamrock countered.
“Yeah, he does.”
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not,” I insisted and grabbed his arm, leading him toward the pharmacy near the exit.
“Just because you’re getting out of here doesn’t mean you’re better. Follow the doctor’s instructions or you’ll end up in here for a much longer stay.”
Shae blinked. Nodded. “Yes ma’am. You’re really hot when you’re being bossy, you know that?”
“Thanks. Go fill the prescriptions while Mr. Shamrock and I wait right here.”
Looking resigned and a little put out, he turned and went inside, smiling at the elderly, blushing pharmacist.
“Thanks for your help.” Mr. Shamrock said.
“No problem.” Shae and I weren’t friends, we were casual sex partners and that was it, but I still didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you seem like a nice girl and all.” That big strong man was nervous and that notion made me smile.