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L eaving my little Darlin’ was getting harder and harder.

And not just because of my ever-present boner.

It was because of the uncertainty.

I didn’t like risking her finding out anything about the reasons I’d started to pursue her.

Okay fine, I say pursue, you say stalk.

But really, what was the difference?

All that mattered to me now was that Clementine was mine. I staked my claim last night. The second she wrapped those plump lips around my cock, I knew I was never letting her go.

The problem was getting the Group to understand, and that all hinged on the leaders. The guys who ran my teams.

But I was the fucking boss, and if anyone could change their minds about something, it was me.

Ten minutes later.

“I don’t understand,” Alvin said.

“Me neither, Boss,” Henry added.

“Just shut the fuck up and let the man talk,” Balor, one of the scariest fuckers in the bunch, and my little cousin, spoke up.

We held offices on the thirteen floor of a building in Downtown, not far from my little Darlin’. And it was there that I met my team.

The whole thing had been decorated by some distinguished interior designer my mother hired. The whole place was steel and wood, and the accents were all done in black and blue, just like our logo.

I kinda liked sending a reminder that anyone fucking with us would resemble that. Black and blue. It was pretty clear, or so I thought.

But Callahan Protection Group was small compared to some. And I was not done growing. Not done reclaiming what my asshole parent had cost us.

Only, I needed to find another way to do that, because fucking Clementine over was no longer acceptable.

I stood at the front of the boardroom and waited for the grumbling and complaining to die down.

This wasn’t everyone in management at the Callahan Protection Group. But it was everyone who knew and operated the darker side of my business. Half a dozen of my most trusted men.

So, not exactly the brains of the outfit. But they were definitely the brawn. The men and women they had under the commands were responsible for a lot of the field assignments we doled out. The kind of physical bodyguard work that put us on the map.

We hired everyone. Ex-cons. Ex-military. We weren’t prejudiced or racist or sexist.

Anyone who could prove themselves an asset was an instant hire. Of course, background checks were required. But there was also the threat that if you fucked with us, I’d bury you my fucking self.

Working with Liam O’Doyle had definitely put me closer to the type of clientele I wanted to acquire.

Yeah, I had money. And I was making more every day. But it was my reputation on the line.

The entire Callahan family reputation.

And the kind of money, the type of favors I needed to repay were too deep for my pockets alone.

I owed people. And those people wanted me to take Sigma down.

“Look, I made the decision. It’s done.”

“But what about the people we owe, Boss?” Arnold asked.

“They’ll be paid what they’re owed.”

“This is fucking bullshit!”

Lorne, my hotheaded uncle spat on the floor, causing my ire to rise. He was my father’s little brother, and he’d inherited the old man’s mean streak. And it was only getting worse with age.

“Are you questioning my word?” I asked, canting my head to the side.

I stared down at the sniveling piece of shit as he wiped his nose and shook his head.

“Nah, nephew. I ain’t questioning your word. Just your fucking brain. You’re thinking with your dick here!” he shouted.

“Back off, Lorne,” Balor growled.

There was no denying that he had no love for the Callahan side of his family tree. In fact, I was fairly certain my mismatch-eyed little cousin fucking hated the lot of us.

But family was family. At least, to me it was.

“Fuck you, you mongrel,” Lorne replied and slapped his hand down on the table.

Balor flicked his gaze to me, and I shook my head slightly, warning him off. This wasn’t the time to start a war.

But my asshole uncle didn’t understand that. He was too busy griping and complaining. He turned his attention to me.

“We’re so fucking close, boyo. And you’re gonna throw it away for some fat bitch!”

Did he just? This motherfucker.

That was all it took for me to let go of all restraints. For my inner fucking beast to rip free of the chain wound tightly around my control.

I gave no warning. I simply pounced.

My old man was a dick, but he’d tossed my sorry ass in a boxing ring the second I sprouted my first chest hair.

Oh, he’d beat the shit out of me those first few years. But eventually, I started winning.

I remembered those hard lessons as I connected my left hook with Lorne’s weathered fucking face. The sickening sound of his nose breaking was like music to my ears. And I didn’t stop there.

This piece of shit insulted my woman. My Darlin’. And that was not fucking okay.

“Easy,” Balor said, standing up and pushing against my chest. “Bro, take it easy!”

My chest was heaving and I spat on the prone form of my uncle before turning to Arnold.

“Get him to a fucking doctor. And let everyone know what happens when you talk about my woman,” I growled.

“Y-yes, Boss,” Arnold said wide-eyed.

I was still breathing hard when they shuffled out until only Balor remained. He walked over to the refreshment area on the far side of the room and grabbed a couple of Gatorades.

“I guess twenty years ago there would have been a high ball station in the back instead of fucking electrolytes,” he said and grinned in amusement as he uncapped the bright red drink.

“Yeah well, that shit kills ya,” I replied, and we both chuckled probably thinking what’s the difference.

“So, you got a new plan yet?” he asked.

“Not yet, but I’m working on it.”

“Hmm.”

Truth was, I had no idea what we were going to do.

The plan was to take down Sigma. Make their clients feel unsafe and pick them off one at a time.

Now, I was thinking bigger.

See, the cyber security software I’d just completed the patenting process on would only get renown if I could sell it to someone with eyes on them. But who?

“So, have you, uh, used the bug to see what your lady’s been doing?” Balor asked, and my gaze flicked to his mismatched one.

Balor was the brains behind the software. Sure, he was muscle. Family, too. I had some good hacking skills, but his were far better.

I knew this prick would only bring it up if he already started looking through Clementine’s computer.

I narrowed my eyes at Balor, but he just raised his eyebrows and shook his head slightly.

“Not yet. Why?”

“Nothing. Should ask her about Andrew, though.”

Every nerve-ending in my body seemed to send out signals of rage and pain.

I fucking shook with it.

Maybe it was because I was still amped up from punching my asshole uncle’s face in.

Or maybe it was simply because I hadn’t seen or heard from Clementine in almost ten hours.

“Who?” I asked, barely hanging on to my sanity.

Balor shook his head and stood up to leave.

Probably a good idea.

I grabbed my laptop and fired it up, fingers itching to search for whoever the fuck this Andrew person was.

No, we’d made no vows and said nothing about commitment. But still. Clementine was fucking mine.

If that maddeningly beautiful little minx thought for one minute that she could carry on with some other man while I was fucking her, she was out of her goddamn mind!

“Gonna set you straight, Darlin’. But first, who the fuck is Andrew?” I growled and started searching.