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“How does room service sound?”

Her laughter tickled over me again. “Maybe for breakfast,” she purred.

Fuck!

My hand had a mind of its own as it reached down to rub my hard cock through my dress pants. I barely had the restraintto keep me from lowering the zipper, and if I didn’t get off this phone with her soon, I would give up what little I had.

“How about Gallagher’s? Eight o’clock?”

“That sounds lovely. I’ll meet you there.”

“Let me pick you up.” I wanted every minute available with this woman.

“I think it’s best if I meet you there.” Another pause on her end had me waiting with bated breath to see what she would add. The wait wasn’t long, but felt like forever before she said, “If you’re a good boy, maybe I’ll let you bring me home in the morning.”

I heard a click, and I looked at the black screen. The woman had hung up on me. The smile that spread across my face was one of deviousness. She would pay for that after dinner.

There was no question she would be in my hotel room tonight. Whatever I had to say, whatever I had to promise. It was hers. For just one night.

My phone rang again, and it surprised me by how much I wanted it to be her calling me back to apologize. Not that it would have mattered. She’d sealed her fate when she disconnected the call without a goodbye.

Looking at the screen, I saw the boss’ name and groaned.

Should have known he wouldn’t let it go that I stayed in the city.

“Hello,” I answered.

“You stayed in the city to get your dick wet? You hate that city.”

“You haven’t seen this woman.”

“You get her name yet?” he asked, and I knew what he was doing.

“I did not. Her name doesn’t matter. It’s one night, and I have nothing on me.”

“It could still be a trap.” I imagined him leaning back in his chair, stroking his beard as he tried to think of a way to talk me out of staying. “A good Irish girl would be a better option.”

“A good Irish girl is looking for a husband and a family. That ship has sailed for me, and you know it.”

The disappearance of my sister devastated my parents. My mother cried for months nonstop until my father had her medicated. Even then, she was never the same. None of us were.

Children were a weakness. You became emotionally tied to them, and it opened up an avenue for your enemies to hurt you. When Darcy vanished, we believed one of our enemies had taken her. Not only was our father a captain, but she was the girlfriend of the boss’ son.

Eamon, of course, didn’t bat an eye. He believed she was a distraction for his son. One I considered he might have taken care of himself.

But knowing now that she had run. Yea, even she knew that her child made her vulnerable. She did what she had to do to keep him and herself safe. Just like Maddie.

“It doesn’t have to be that way. We’re stronger than our parents were.”

“That may be, but the situation is the same. Children are a risk. One that doesn’t match the reward.”

Sal was quiet for a few minutes. I knew he was thinking about his son. Though he may have forgiven Darcy and his mother for their deceit, I knew he still felt pain from the missed opportunities of watching his son grow into a man.

“What about Ty?”

The subject change didn’t shock me. Sal was a master at avoiding anything that resembled voicing his feelings.

“Someone in the city is helping him. They have to be. Tomorrow we’ll meet with Callum again and go through his men.”