The Inside Man: A Dublin Nights Novel

by Sahin, Brittney

  “Part of me wonders if he’s just trying to worm his way back in your life since he’s so obsessed with you.” Holly’s comment, and my concern Luca may also be obsessed with Alessia, had chills dragging along my skin, and if I hadn’t already tossed back two drinks before now, my hand would already be curled at my side at the idea of Luca being free.

  “I don’t know. He’s sick, but that USB he gave us was a treasure trove of intel, and if he can provide more by once again inserting himself into their organization, it’s too hard to pass up.” Sebastian’s tone had evened out a touch.

  “Blackmail can be a dirty business,” Emilia began, eyes set on Holly, and I was all ears as to how she’d sell whatever she was about to spin to my sweet cousin, “but it will be beneficial in taking down many powerful Alliance members.”

  “You mean using the information Luca provided as blackmail?” Holly asked.

  Emilia nodded. “And by the time we plant him deeper inside their operation, we will have already begun weakening their powerful members before they even realize what hit them.”

  This was all mostly Luca’s idea, one he’d clearly cooked up as a backup plan and presented it to Sebastian and Maxim after coughing up blood from our fight. I refused to give the son of a bitch any credit, though.

  Luca had Sebastian sign an oath in his own damn blood to promise he wouldn’t be killed if he kept up his end of the bargain in taking down The Alliance. The Petrovs, minus the blood, made a similar deal.

  I wasn’t so sure that deal would last. And, well, I didn’t sign it.

  Luca may have always had plans for his plans for his fecking plans . . . but this time, we’d be ready for him. More prepared. A team of us to fight. And we wouldn’t let him fool us again.

  “Sorry about that.” Alessia returned to our circle, and I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb caressing her cheek in the process.

  A server materialized at our sides and offered champagne flutes. “Not drinking?” I asked when Holly waved off the glass, and Sebastian’s clutch of his wife appeared to tighten, his lips pressing into a line.

  “Are you pregnant?” Alessia lowered the flute from her lips, her eyes wide. “Am I going to be an aunt?”

  Holly peered at Sebastian, then faced us again. “It’s early, but yeah, I just found out a few days ago.” Tears pricked her eyes as her lower lip quivered, a smile breaking through.

  “Oh my God!” Alessia hugged Holly. Her brother next.

  “Congrats, man.” I clasped his palm and went in for a one-arm hug before embracing my cousin and whispering to her, “Congratulations.”

  “Congrats, Sweets,” Sean told her, adding his nickname for her. “Does this change anything, though?”

  Sebastian and Holly exchanged another quick look as I placed my palm on the small of Alessia’s back.

  “We’ll get extra protection to be on the safe side, but the hope is that we finish off The Alliance long before the baby is born.” Sebastian traded his champagne for bourbon a moment later. “We’re happy. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

  “Another Baby McGregor,” Sean said with a smile, and I side-eyed Alessia, my focus going to her abdomen. I wanted my baby inside of her. When this was all over and finished, damn did I want that woman to have my children. Lots and lots of them. “You two are next?” he asked, eyes on Alessia.

  “Unless you beat us to it,” I said without thinking, and Sean nearly choked on his champagne.

  He tipped his head off to the side, beckoning a word alone. I finished my drink, set the glass down on a nearby table, and followed Sean toward the bar.

  “About what you saw,” he started right away, “we didn’t have sex.”

  I brought a fist to my lips and cleared my throat. “Sure. It’s not my business as long as what happens between you two doesn’t interfere with the mission.”

  The mission? Who was I, Jack Ryan? Will Smith from Bad Boys? Or hell, maybe John Wick. I needed to catch Alessia up on a lot of movies, didn’t I? She missed some classics.

  And when Alessia pinned me with a sexy fecking stare from across the room, I sure as hell wasn’t thinking about movies anymore, or about whatever happened with Sean and Emilia. “You don’t need to explain.” I threw a hand to his shoulder, patted him twice, and took off for the woman I loved, unable to stop myself.

  “I need to borrow her. We’ll try and make it back,” I said, my hand now linked with Alessia’s. “Well, maybe.”

  “I thought you’d never steal me away,” she announced the second we were back in our room.

  I locked the door to prevent any interruptions like what had happened with Sean and Emilia, then removed my bow tie. Jacket next.

  “What do you want to do to me?” She worked at the pins in her hair and shook her locks, allowing them to fall free over her shoulders. “Have I been naughty?” Her tongue traced along her lower lip as I unbuckled my trousers and untucked my white dress shirt.

  “Really, really fecking naughty,” I announced, my vocal cords barely working as a rush of excitement filled me, the head of my cock bulging and pressing against my trousers.

  “Just the way you like me.” She allowed her dress to fall to the floor, wearing only a strip of red lace between her legs plus her strappy nude heels.

  “Keep the heels on,” I commanded while stalking toward where she stood in front of the bed, unbuttoning my shirt as I moved.

  I discarded my clothes and raked my eyes over her gorgeous figure, doing my best not to allow the scars on her body to interrupt my thoughts. No more dark places. I only wanted to focus on the future with her.

  Her fingertips skirted along the line of my recent wound that no longer required a bandage. We still had to be somewhat careful so we didn’t rip the stitches, but like hell would I follow the doctor’s orders and refrain from sex. No fecking way. I had to have this woman.

  “On your back.” She poked a nail at my chest and lifted her chin in confidence.

  I did as I was told, no problem taking orders from her. It only turned me on even more.

  Still in her shoes, as I’d requested, she rid herself of the thong, climbed onto the bed, and took my cock in her hands. In my current state, the safest way to have sex was for her to take charge, and damn did I love every time she sank down onto my cock and filled herself with me.

  It was pure bliss.

  She positioned her pussy lips onto the tip of my head as I took her tits in my hands and massaged her flesh. “Harder,” she rasped. I twisted and pinched her nipples, and she gasped and slid down onto my length, a groan ripping free from deep in my chest.

  My hands went to her hips, and I held on to her as she moved.

  “Give me everything you have,” I said, pushing up on my elbows to unite our lips in a hot kiss.

  “Always,” she promised, breaking her mouth from mine to find my eyes. “Forever and always.”

  Epilogue

  Alessia

  Dublin, Ireland – A Week Later

  “Best date and day of my life,” I told him as he took my hand, helping me into the horse-drawn-carriage ride to finish the daytime part of our make-up Valentine’s Day “first date” he’d promised.

  We’d gone all over the city, from Grafton to Trinity, to the Gravity Bar and more. Plus a few peaceful and serene sights on the outskirts of town. And tomorrow, we’d be heading to Galway for another romantic outing.

  I’d been to almost every place before today but experiencing the sites with Cole had brought it to another level. I wasn’t sure how much my heart would be able to take before exploding out of pure joy.

  We’d arrived home from Italy on Sunday and had been busy with work all week, so today—Saturday—had been the perfect day. Also, the weather was exceptionally fantastic. Uncharacteristically bright, sunny, and cloud-free. Warm for March as well. Mother Nature had known the significance of the day and had given us a break, so it would seem.

  “Best day for me, too.” Co
le pressed a kiss to my cheek and gripped my hand beneath the lightweight blanket on our laps as two horses trotted along in front of our driver, and we headed into Phoenix Park.

  I used to imagine myself running here while stuck in that prison, and here Cole and I were in a carriage. It was heaven. It was everything I never even knew I needed.

  “We have reservations at a restaurant on the lake in the park. Never eaten there before, but it’s supposed to have a perfect mix of Italian and Irish food,” Cole said after a few minutes of peaceful bliss just trotting along.

  “Italian and Irish.” I lightly chuckled. “Compatible.”

  “Like us.” He kissed me again, our tongues twining this time.

  The knife wound at his side was healing rather quickly, and he received permission from the doctor to have wild sex tonight. Take charge, all-the-kink-we-wanted sex. I was pretty sure Cole may have altered the doctor’s words, and most likely, coerced the doctor into signing off on sex as well.

  Of course, having sex every night with me on top had been quite amazing, but I did miss all the other positions. And great, now I was getting horny as hell in this carriage and kind of wanted to skip dinner and head back to the flat.

  I’d officially moved out of the hotel and now lived with Cole. He hadn’t unpacked or purchased furniture, so it was nice having the chance to do all of that together as a couple. It was a dream come true, actually.

  Most days, we were a normal couple, doing normal things. But two nights this past week, we were League leaders. We’d confronted criminals.

  He had my back. I had his. I knew he’d never let anything happen to me, but it was nice that he had faith in me, trusted my ass-kicking abilities. My strength. I didn’t owe Luca for that. I was indebted to all the strong people I’d encountered in the years leading to this moment.

  “You were totally right,” I said as we neared the Farmleigh House, which was at the north-west corner of the park. “This was what we both needed. Thank you.”

  “One stop before we head to dinner.” Cole shot me a cute but mischievous wink and helped me out of the carriage once we’d stopped.

  “This is gorgeous.” I eyed the Georgian-Victorian architecture, mesmerized by the serenity of it all, from the sunken gardens to the scenic lakeside walking area not far away.

  “Come with me.” He took my hand and started moving with quicker steps than I expected, taking me near the front entrance of the Farmleigh House.

  “You okay?” I asked with a laugh when he stopped walking to face me, a noticeable nervousness filling his eyes.

  He nodded, the gold around his stunning brown eyes seeming to bolden as he stared at me in what felt like absolute silence, the noise of the world fading away.

  “Cole?” I fidgeted with the belt of my lightweight cream-colored jacket I’d paired with my jeans and boots. I’d dressed fairly casually given we’d spent most of the day outside walking around. He had an equally casual look, wearing dark-washed denim and a black cashmere sweater. “What’s going on?” I was going to swallow my heart soon if he didn’t speak up.

  “I have a surprise for you.” The corners of his lips lifted slightly. “Your necklace. I got it back. Fixed the clasp.”

  My chest tightened. Gratitude surged through every part of my body.

  My hand went to my throat. I’d spent years in that prison longing for the feel of the chain, and when Cole had returned it to me upon my rescue, I’d never wanted to take it off. And, oh God, I had it back again.

  “Let me put it on you.” He twirled his finger, motioning for me to turn and lift my hair.

  I did as instructed, closing my eyes in anticipation.

  “I have to tell you something, and I don’t want you to be mad,” he said, and I was about to face him, but his hands went to my hips, a soft demand to remain facing away.

  “What is it?” I gulped.

  “I’ve had your necklace for a while now. Well, since the funeral in Russia.” He gave me a moment to process his words, and he removed his hands from my hips. “I was waiting for the right moment to give it back to you.” He paused as if clearing his throat with a hard gulp. “Keep your eyes closed.”

  At the feel of his hands near the nape of my neck, I let go of a deep breath of excitement. This was the right moment. The absolute perfect moment. I didn’t even care that he’d waited.

  “How does it feel?” he asked, his tone a touch deeper than normal.

  “Heavier than I remember.” I reached for the cross, and my eyes flashed open in surprise.

  The cross was there, but there was something else, too. A white gold diamond solitaire ring. A couple of carats in weight, at least.

  Hands on my shoulders, he directed me to turn my shocked body toward him. I blinked as he lowered to a knee and took my free hand in his as I kept the ring and cross clutched in my other hand.

  “I’ve known you since I was seventeen,” he said, his voice heavy and laden down by emotion. “You stole my heart with that sweet smile, and I knew from the moment I met you, I would always want to keep you safe. Protect you. Be with you. So, it was no surprise, I fell in love with you.” Liquid coated his eyes, and my body trembled. “Every moment we’ve spent together, every trip we took, every second of every day . . . I have loved you with my every breath, with everything I have. I have always loved you, and I always will.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “Will you marry me, Alessia Romano?”

  I sank to both my knees and let go of the necklace to cradle his cheek in my palm. “Yes,” I cried, borderline sobbed. “Yes, yes, yes.”

  His tongue skirted my lips, and he parted my mouth and took my tongue with his.

  “We can face anything together. We’re stronger together,” he said after pulling away, his hand settling on top of mine on his cheek. “Everything will be better than okay. You have my word.” He reached around to the back of my necklace and unhooked it to retrieve the ring.

  More happy tears flowed freely over my face. “Alessia McGregor,” I whispered. “You know how many times I wrote my name like that when I was younger?”

  He slid the gorgeous stone, so clear and beautiful, onto my ring finger. I stared at it, still in shock, as he clasped my necklace back in its rightful place.

  He helped me to my feet a moment later and took me into his arms, then guided my face toward his with his hand beneath my chin. “Probably not as many times as I dreamed about it.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to express your love for me back in New York.” I had to get the words out one more time before I was able to move on.

  The back of his hand raced along my cheek and down the side of my neck. “And I’m sorry I made you wait.” He snatched my hands and carried them both to his chest, to the beats of his heart. “But it’s time we move forward. Out of the past. And I promise I’ll never keep anything from you again.”

  “Same,” I whispered, feeling breathless. So in love. “From painful memories to amazing ones. You helped me become who I am today. You were my first and only crush. My one and always love. Six years of being away from you didn’t change how I felt. And nothing ever will.” I sniffled. “You’re my best friend.”

  He smiled and nipped my lip with his teeth. “And now you’ll be my wife, just as it was always meant to be.”

  Bonus Scene

  Holly

  Dublin, Ireland – Ten Days Ago

  “You’re sitting here, but your mind is elsewhere.” I eyed my brother as he sat across from my desk at our office. “You okay?”

  Sean remained staring at his mobile in his hand, his thoughts distant. More like on another planet.

  “Are you nervous about joining The League?” When Sebastian announced that my brother and Alessia were joining as League leaders, not to mention he was returning to his previous role . . . I’d been a bit floored.

  Not surprised about Sebastian rejoining, because the man I loved knew better and checked with me first before ever entertaining the idea, but Se
an? Alessia?

  And wow, what Luca put her through in that prison, it was horrifying. Unimaginable.

  “It’s not that. I’ll do what I need to do, you know that,” he finally spoke up. Clearly, something was on his mind, though, since he’d yet to look at me.

  “Okay.” I stood and rounded my desk. “Ethan do something in New York to worry you?”

  He lifted his eyes. “No. Ethan is Ethan. You know that.”

  I sat up on the edge of my desk off to his side and crossed my legs as he loosened the knot of his gray tie. “So?”

  “I just can’t get something out of my head, and it’s bugging the bloody hell out of me.” He tucked his mobile into the inside pocket of his jacket as if giving up on a call he’d been waiting for.

  “And?”

  “It’s ridiculous to even mention.” He stood and faced the wall of windows overlooking the bank of trees.

  “And I’m your sister. Tell me.”

  “Luca slept with Emilia,” he quickly blurted, not giving me time to get my bearings first.

  I uncrossed my legs, planted my heels to the ground, and found my ability to stand without my knees buckling at his words.

  Luca and Emilia. That was a visual I never wanted in my head. Not ever.

  “He mentioned it the day we brought him to Maxim, and I have no right to allow it to piss me the hell off, but it does.” He faced me. “Nothing is going on between us, but—”

  “But you want to kill him?” I finished so he didn’t have to say it, and his jaw tightened as he nodded. “It’s not exactly surprising to know you’re attracted to her. But you’re you. A player.” I didn’t know how to phrase my next words, but I’d try to be sensitive. “Emilia doesn’t seem like the kind of woman you want to abandon when the sun comes up.” I swallowed, hating to be oh-so-blunt. My brother was notorious for breaking hearts, and maybe Emilia would even break his, but what if she did fall for him, and he did screw it up—would she actually kill him?