Page 20 of The Boss
“Do you have the boss’s permission to leave?”
Anger swelled in his gut, and Conall gnashed his teeth together so tightly he could hear them grinding. “I’m not your boss’s whore,” he growled.
The door of the grand dining hall opened, and Killough stepped out, a dark look passing across his face. “Come to me, Conall.”
It was the third time he’d heard Killough call him by his name, and a cold feeling swept through him. He didn’t like his given name on Killough’s lips. It almost sounded like a threat.
Conall breathed harshly and anxiety took over, each step toward Killough feeling like his last. Would he have his throat slit like Harold? When he reached him, Conall dropped his gaze to Killough’s feet. He didn’t apologize, because fuck that. If he was going to die, he’d have some dignity left.
Killough grasped his chin tightly, hauling his head up so he looked him in the eyes. “There’s the disobedience of a bad pet, and then there’s rebellion against your boss. Youwilllearn the difference. When I tell you to put on this collar, you will, and if you ever try to leave this mansion without my permission again, I will show you what happens, and you will not like the punishment. Am I clear?”
Conall inhaled deeply and nodded.
“Speak.”
“Yes.” It came out choked. Conall glanced at the men beside the door. One of them had a smug smile on his lips, but he didn’t look at them. “Yes, sir,” he said again, louder.
“Good.” Killough held out the collar again, and Conall shifted closer. He let Killough slip it around his neck, and when he clasped it closed, it felt like a cell door being locked. He was imprisoned and there was nothing he could do. This was all Terrance’s fault. How could Conall have been so stupid to let his brother convince him to do this?
“It’s for your own safety,” Killough whispered gravely. Conall hadn’t seen him so serious since he’d first laid eyes on him.
Conall nodded.
“Come, pet, let’s get dressed.”
An hour or so later, Conall was sitting in the limo next to Killough again. Fionn and another man, probably a bodyguard, sat on the seats opposite. Fionn had a glass of champagne gripped in his hand and took a sip.
“Don’t get drunk, nephew,” Killough warned lowly.
Fionn nodded. “I won’t, uncle.”
The guard sat tall in the seat, his suit tight against his bulging muscles. He stared intently out the window. He looked oddly familiar to Conall, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“Do I know you?” he finally asked.
All three men, including the guard, looked at Conall carefully. The guard answered with a small head tilt. “Yes, sir.”
“How?” Conall sat forward. He wore dark jeans and a Henley shirt, similar to the one Fionn had worn this morning, except Conall’s was black. Sneakers covered his feet. Killough had told him not to get used to the clothes, though.
“You’ll be wearing leather pants soon enough, pet.”
The thought had made him shiver again, and fuck if Conall thought he might have been getting a cold or something because how could someone shiver so much? It was annoying as hell.
The guard straightened his shoulders and glanced at Killough, as though seeking permission.
Killough waved his hand, curiosity passing across his face.
“We went to the same high school, sir.”
Recognition dawned on Conall and he clicked his fingers in the guard’s direction. Of course they did. He didn’t know how he could have forgotten this guy. He had shorter pale blond hair these days, unlike the shoulder-length locks he once had. He’d also filled out a lot more, and his face had hardened over the years, unlike the flushed baby cheeks he once had. “You were the school’s quarterback. The girls gushed over you.”
The guard chuckled, before he realized what he was doing and wiped the smile off his face. “Yes, sir.”
“Sorry, I didn’t really like football. I don’t remember your name.”
“Ronan, sir. Ronan O’Keefe.”
“Yes, that’s it. I’m…” Conall trailed off. Ronan probably already knew who he was. The boss’s whore. Pet. Whatever Killough wanted to call it. “Conall. I’m not sure if you remember, but my name is Conall Morrissey.”
