Page 85 of The Apprentice
He chuckled. “Makes sense. Sloan’s a tactician. Everything he does is planned, and while he can’t account for everything, he’s quick on his feet when he needs to be.” He waved his hand toward the office door. “Aodhan is one of the best hit men in the world, maybe even better than Ardan—don’t tell him I said that.”
I laughed.
“Sloan can use him. Aodhan’s a loose cannon, but with the proper motivation, he can be...managed.”
“Maybe someone to watch over him?” I offered, remembering what I’d suggested to Sloan. “There are many men we can trust to keep an eye on him.”
“Not many who can keep up with him.” Daire frowned thoughtfully. “Aodhan is like a cheetah on cocaine. He’s always on the go, moving at a hundred miles per hour even when he’s standing still. He has enough energy for a thousand men.”
“We have a lot of men, I’m sure we can find someone.” I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck, and he curved his around my waist, dragging me against him. He swooped down for a kiss, and I closed my eyes, relishing the taste of his mouth against mine. Everything aboutthis, about us, felt just right. He loved me and wanted the world to know. I was enjoying every second of this new feeling. I didn’t want any of it to end.
“You are so beautiful, boy,” he whispered against my cheek. He traced my cheekbone with his mouth, dotting kisses across my skin until his teeth were nipping at the top of my ear. “I want to eat you up.”
“That can be arranged,” I murmured with a wide grin. “Any time, any place. I’m yours to feast on, Daddy.”
Daire chuckled hotly in my ear before he nibbled on my lobe. “You’re such a good boy. I couldn’t find a better boy than you.”
A shudder of pleasure danced down my spine, and a keen slipped from me before I could stop it. I flushed, but Daire’s chuckle deepened as he pulled back to cradle my face in his huge hands. He stroked his thumb over my cheekbone and tilted my chin up, peppering me with more kisses.
I didn’t know how long we stood there, kissing gently without any real rush, before the door to Sloan’s office opened again. I didn’t jump away like I might’ve once. Instead, I slowly broke our kiss. When I turned out of Daire’s arms, I was met with Aodhan’s amused face.
“Don’t stop on my account.” He smirked as he shut the door behind himself.
Daire grunted. “How did it go?”
Aodhan shrugged. “Looks like I’m going to be sticking around for a while.”
“You can get your own place,” Daire responded without missing a beat.
Aodhan laughed. “Yeah, whatever. I’ll be in and out of New York. I have a new partner.”
“Who?” I was curious who Sloan thought could match Aodhan. There hadn’t been much time between our conversation and him turning up here, which made me wonder if Sloan had already decided to pair Aodhan up with one of our men before I suggested it.
Aodhan crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “An Italian. Your ex, Kitten. Michele Scotti.”
“He’s not my ex. We never—” In the end, it didn’t matter. “Why an Italian?”
Why did Uncle choose Michele, of all people? How could we trust the Italians after they’d hidden the book from us? We still hadn’t heard from Elio.
“Apparently, I have a special assignment. The boss arranged something with Folliero. We have a common enemy.” He winked at me. “Too bad, huh? Will you miss me?”
“No.” I mirrored his posture and crossed my arms. “Stop calling me kitten.”
His laughter grew louder, and he bent his fingers, making a scratching gesture at Daire. “Rawr.”
Daire pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. “Aodhan, stop.”
Aodhan held up his hands, then made a zipping motion over his mouth. “I’m done. And now I have to go meet my new boyfriend.” His laughter was back, loud and boisterous—this wasn’t the same quiet man who’d been in the car with us. This was the real Aodhan. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” With a final wink, he stalked down the hallway like a man on a mission.
I watched him go with a frown as the door opened again. Sloan stuck his head out.
“Fionn, come in here for a moment. I want a word.”
A sharp shot of fear fired through me. I took a deep breath to center myself. With a small smile to Daire, I followed Sloan into his office and gently closed the door.
By the time I turned around, Sloan was already in the leather chair behind his desk. His hands rested on the solid wood in front of him. There wasn’t any tension on his face, and I took the relaxation as a sign that I wasn’t in any trouble.
I snagged the guest chair in front of his desk. “Did you get it figured out with Aodhan?”
