Did she have to wear that dress when we’d be in the fucking car all damn day? The damn thing was practically indecent, barely skimming the tops of smooth porcelain thighs, the white dress hugged her tits and was only held up by two tiny white strings. One flick of my wrists and she would be bared for me. She looked both the prim and proper school girl and the virginal whore all at once. And it messed with my head. She was Seamus’ daughter, not some piece of tail I take what I need from and move on.

I wanted to take it all—more than I wanted anything right now—but I also wanted to give her more pleasure than she’d ever known. Dammit. And the worst of it? Fiona had no idea just how tempting a picture she made. But I noticed. So did every asshole we encountered with a cock, at the gas station, the grocery store, drugstore. The restaurant we stopped for breakfast. They all stared at her, imagined doing unspeakably dirty things to her and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

“Do we really need to go out of town to stay safe? I have classes. Tests and projects to complete. This is my last semester.”

I groaned and clenched my jaw to keep from snapping at her. Did she not get that the Red ‘Rocks didn’t give a damn about her summer session?

“I heard you the other five hundred times Fi. Did the dagger stuck in the hood of your car yesterday not clue you in to how fucking serious this is?” I had to shake my head. Had I ever been that young and naïve? Of course not. Life had handed me and Seamus nothing but a bowl of shit. Shitty parents. Shitty neighborhoods. Shitty opportunities. That’s how we ended up here, the most powerful Irish criminal organization in Boston. That’s why Fiona was now in danger and under my protection. “Look I know you’ve never given a right fuck about the family business but-,”

She reeled back against the passenger door like I slapped her.

“How dare you say that to me! If I hadn’t taken over the books and the management of Cerulean Shipping you would all be behind bars Keane. Federal bars. The kind that keep you locked up all but one hour a day.” Arms crossed, she pointedly turned away from me, staring out the window at the nothingness that whipped by. I felt the tension as it rolled off her, the steam coming off her almost visible. “Contrary to what you think Keane, I do appreciate everything Dad has done for me. But you’re right, I don’t want any part of that life. I hate that when I get a call or a visitor after eleven, that I automatically prepare myself to hear that the only family I have left is gone.”

Exhaling a frustrated breath, I wanted to apologize because she was right. About everything. It had been Fi who’d negotiated real contracts with big name firms. And she was solely responsible for making Cerulean Shipping profitable on its own, instead of just a legit way to wash dirty money. But that didn’t change anything.

“Whether you want it or not Fi, you are part of this world. I’m sorry, but-,”

“No, don’t apologize. You’re not sorry, and I don’t need you to be. At least now I know what you really think of me.”

“You’ve no fucking clue what I think Fiona.” If she did, she would run miles in the opposite direction.

She didn’t respond. Didn’t argue. With a grunt, she slid on oversized sunglasses to shield her eyes and shoved a pair of those damn near-invisible buds into her ears, seconds before tiny music blared out of them. Ignoring me.

Fuck. I’d hurt her feelings, the last thing I wanted to do to her. But at least she wasn’t crying. I couldn’t fucking stand the sound of a woman crying, not after years of hearing my ma cry after my father’s drunken tirades that ended with one of us beaten and bloody. I preferred my women like this, feisty and strong. If she wasn’t naked and screaming my name, then I wanted them to have some fight in them. And Fi, she was full of fight.

I couldn’t help but smile. As much as Seamus tried to shelter her, Fiona was smart and strong. Most women either feared me or wanted to fuck me, a few fell into both categories. Fi didn’t fear me, but there were times, like yesterday before we’d left to pack, that I thought she felt this thing between us too.

Even if there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it.

I couldn’t think of anything but the miles of legs on display as the car ate up the road, carrying us to a safe house far outside the city. No one but me and Seamus knew about this place, which is the only reason I would dare stray so far from the city right now. The place was more than rustic, but we had enough supplies to last for two weeks.

If Fiona didn’t kill me first.