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I look up and narrow my eyes at him. Mom invited him over for dinner, not me. I’m not in the mood for men at the moment.

I tried to call Ronan to explain things, but my calls have been going to voicemail. I refuse to call Kaye and ask about him. I’m not about to do this with this man.

If he doesn’t want to talk, he doesn’t have to. I have bigger fish to fry. For one, I need to find Bujar and get this LaSalle dude to give me permission to fuck Bujar’s Albanian ass up.

Unfortunately, it’s been harder to get in touch with LaSalle than I thought it would be. Shit’s been bubbling over with him and his people.

I’m patient. My time will come. After all, he wants to meet me before this roundtable that’s coming up in Ireland. Just the thought of Ireland makes me pound harder on the chicken breast before me.

“Okay, maybe I should come back another night,” Byron says.

“Nonsense,” Mom says as she appears. “Danny needs to spend more time with a handsome young man like yourself. How else am I supposed to get a son-in-law?”

I roll my eyes. This hasn’t been helping my mood in the least. While I’m pissed at Ronan, my mother has been trying to set me up. Byron is just her latest attempt in the last two months.

Poor Lyric. She even tried to recruit him. Little does she know that man has been in love with someone else for years.

This life takes so much from us. I don’t think he would regret if Uncle Dayton doesn’t hand his seat over to him. At least then he could be with the one he loves.

“Mom, I’m sure Byron has better things to do with his time.”

“And I don’t have as much time as we once thought. I would like to see you settle down before I’m out of time, you know.”

I groan and feel guilty. She’s been giving this same speech whenever I turn down the guys she’s been pushing on me. It gets me every time.

It’s the reason I broke down and called Ronan. I’ve been trying to think about how I can date him and keep him out of my business and my world. Right when I thought I had it figured out, he decides not to answer my calls.

I sigh. “Fine, Byron, you can stay. Could you set the table for me?”

“Of course.”

“He’s a nice boy, you know. I remember how close Dayton and your uncle used to be. I had a crush on his father back in the day.

“Freddie would have killed him and I wasn’t the type of girl he ended up dating, but Dayton was it back then,” Mom says and begins to chuckle to herself as a strange, distant look comes to her eyes.

“Mom, if you don’t sit yourself down,” I laugh and throw the dish towel at her.

Just like that, my guilt is forgotten, and I feel a little lighter. I’m not going to sweat Ronan. It’s time I get my head back in the game. I have moves to make.

“I always thought Anika would be married by now. You girls don’t understand what it’s like for a mother who wants to see her girls walk down the aisle. I’ve dreamed of helping you two with your veils and getting to throw your baby showers and answer your calls in the middle of the night about the baby’s colic,” Mom says with a look of longing on her face.

And… just that quick, the weight is back, and I feel like shit. I’m nowhere near getting married or having babies. Heck, do I even want children? Not with my lifestyle.

I’d tear someone’s fucking head off if they ever targeted my babies. Nope, my life doesn’t have room for children. There’s a strong pang in my chest as I think of how I’m failing my mother. My sister isn’t any better. That bitch is still MIA.

Fuck her.

CHAPTER22

Rare Auctions

Dean

One month later …

I chidemyself for the smile that comes to my lips as I lift the glass of champagne to take a sip. I glance around the room and wonder what Ronan is doing as I remember telling him about this auction. I had shared with him on one of our little dates how I wanted to come to bid on one of the rare books in the collection up for sale tonight.

I smile harder as I remember his promise to bring me and purchase the book for me. I quickly shut my thoughts down and settle into my booth. I can buy my own shit and I’m not going to pine after anyone who doesn’t want me.