Loving the Ruthless Mafia Man

Longing

Chapter 4

Longing

Lia

Oliver left without another word, shutting me down before I could even attempt to speak. His temper was a storm I didn’t have the energy to weather, so I let him go.

I quickly said goodbye to Abby and Savannah, both of whom were visibly shocked when I told them I was heading back to Boston tonight. I promised to call as soon as I could and explain everything. Abby, true to form, couldn’t help but express her happiness that I was “leaving Oliver,” and for the sake of avoiding an argument, I didn’t tell her he was coming along.

When I arrived at my apartment, I packed light—just a carry-on and a small bag. I didn’t plan to stay long. A week at most. I’d spend the time with my aunt and uncle and try to understand why Uncle Seamus couldn’t share the reason for this sudden summons over the phone.

Our monthly calls had always been consistent. Uncle Seamus would check in, ask if I needed anything, why I wasn’t using the trust fund he had set up for me, and if I was happy. He had been the father figure I desperately needed, steady and supportive in every way. But the thought of him knowing the truth about my relationship with Oliver made my stomach churn. He would be so disappointed in me. More than that, if he ever found out Oliver had laid a hand on me, he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in his head.

That thought alone was why I didn’t want Oliver coming with me. Not because I feared for his safety—I wasn’t naive enough to think Uncle Seamus or Aiden would let that slide—but because Oliver had no idea what he was stepping into. He wasn’t built for the world my family lived in. He was a preppy British boy with a violent temper, but that wasn’t going to prepare him for the ruthlessness of the Irish Mafia. Family was everything in this world, and no one, no one, touched a mobster’s family without consequences.

As promised, a blacked-out SUV waited outside my building.

Three men stood by the vehicle.

Oliver was one of them, looking like he was about to explode. I had no idea what he could possibly be upset about now, but the tension in his stance made my stomach tighten.

The other two men, however, brought an entirely different reaction.

“Liam!” I exclaimed, breaking into a smile as I approached the first man.

He grinned and opened his arms, pulling me into a bear hug that lifted me off the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Little prodigy! It’s been too long,” he said, setting me down but giving me a quick once-over. His sharp gaze flickered to my wrist for the briefest moment, and I suddenly understood the tension. Aiden had sent Liam here for more than just escorting me. He’d sent him as a safeguard, likely with instructions to deal with Oliver if necessary.

Liam was Aiden’s personal bodyguard and wouldn’t ever leave his side. The unknown meaning behind Liam’s presence, gave me a odd sensation in the pit of my stomach.

“I’m not a prodigy,” I muttered.

Liam ignored me entirely, grabbing my bags and carrying them to the SUV.

I turned to the third man, who had been smiling initially but now wore a far more serious expression.

“Niall,” I greeted, keeping my tone neutral. Niall was Aiden’s third in command.

“Cordelia,” he replied, his voice cool and measured.

“It’s Lia,” I corrected, trying to inject some lightness into the moment.

He didn’t acknowledge my correction, his piercing gaze fixed on me. “You good?”

I nodded quickly. “Yup.”

“Good.” His expression softened ever so slightly. “Let’s go.”

I glanced back at Oliver, who was watching the interaction with a mix of confusion and suppressed anger. He had no idea who these men really were or the lengths they would go to if they deemed him a threat.

This wasn’t going to end the way he thought it would. Oliver had walked into a world he didn’t understand, and no amount of charm or arrogance was going to save him from the storm he had stepped into.

- - - -

The drive to the airstrip was tense but quiet.

The only interruptions came from Niall’s death glares directed at Oliver through the rearview mirror, particularly when Oliver grabbed my already bruised wrist in what I knew was meant to be a warning for later. I tried to ignore the dull ache and focus on anything but the inevitable confrontation that awaited me once we were alone.

I told myself I’d find a way to pacify him, to keep the situation from spiraling. I had to.

Oliver, of course, couldn’t keep his mouth shut for long. He tried to probe me about Aiden, his tone sharp and possessive, but Liam quickly silenced him with a glare that could have frozen hell itself.

It wasn’t just Liam’s look that stopped him—it was probably his own choice of words.

“Who the f**k does this Aiden guy think he is?” Oliver hissed, loud enough for everyone in the SUV to hear. “Just because he knows your uncle, he thinks he’s something special? This security is a joke too. What the hell’s going to happen to you—or him, for that matter? It’s just for show, right? I bet these fuckers haven’t protected anything before. They’re not even trained. Rude bastards, just like their master.”

Liam’s lips twitched, and I could feel the air shift as tension filled the car. Niall’s glare through the mirror sharpened, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the steering wheel. The temperature in the vehicle seemed to drop a degree.

Before either man could respond, I cut in, appalled.

“Oliver!” I snapped, glaring at him. “You don’t even know who the man is! And for the record, Niall and Liam were perfectly fine greeting me.”

“Of course they were,” Oliver retorted, his tone dripping with accusation. “Old friends of yours, right?”

I opened my mouth to argue but stopped myself. It wasn’t worth it. I knew nothing I said would change his mind once he’d decided what he believed.

Instead, I stayed silent, letting the weight of the moment settle in.

Oliver didn’t realize just how close he was to walking into a situation he couldn’t control. And if he kept up this attitude, he might not walk out of it at all.

Luckily, we arrived at the private airstrip quickly.

As we stepped out of the SUV, I noticed the fleeting look of awe on Oliver’s face before he schooled his expression. For all his arrogance, even he couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Your uncle is making bank,” Oliver commented, scanning the sleek jet before us. “A private jet for our comfort—he really wants to make an impression.”

Liam snorted as he grabbed my luggage from the trunk, handing it off to the attendant before tossing Oliver’s oversized suitcase and bag in the general direction of the plane, far less carefully.

Before Oliver could snap at Liam, I corrected him. “The jet actually belongs to Aiden.”

Oliver chuckled, but there was an edge to it. “That man can afford a private jet while working for your uncle?”

“No,” I replied, holding back a sigh. “He doesn’t work for my uncle. Aiden has his own global business. He and my uncle are partners in certain… projects.”

I hated that I felt the need to defend Aiden, the man who had once torn me apart. But I couldn’t let Oliver diminish him.

“Yeah?” Oliver said with a derisive laugh. “Like what?”

His tone grated on my nerves more than usual. Oliver wasn’t from a wealthy background himself, but he acted like he owned the world.

“He’s the CEO of Kavanagh Group. They own Kavanagh Construction and Kavanagh Hotels, among other things,” I replied evenly, keeping my voice neutral despite my growing irritation.

Oliver’s expression shifted, and I saw the flicker of realization in his eyes. He had once raved about a Kavanagh hotel he stayed at in Paris, going on and on about how luxurious it was. Now, that same admiration warred with the dislike he clearly felt for Aiden.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Niall smirking.

Oliver fell silent, the wheels in his mind clearly turning, and remained quiet as we boarded the jet. But his quiet wasn’t comforting—it made me nervous.

As I stepped onto the plane, my breath hitched.

I was about to slide into the seat furthest from Aiden when I felt a firm grip on my arm. Niall guided me toward the seat directly in front of Aiden, his silent insistence leaving no room for argument. Meanwhile, Liam directed Oliver to the furthest seat, taking the one directly across from him, his presence a not-so-subtle reminder of who was in charge.

I sat down stiffly, my pulse racing as I realized just how close I was to Aiden.

He remained as he was, seated comfortably with a file open in his hands, his emerald eyes scanning the pages with cool efficiency. He didn’t glance up, didn’t acknowledge me or anyone else.

His cold indifference hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

I hated how his presence unsettled me, how even now, after all these years, I couldn’t help but feel the sting of his aloofness. It was a stark reminder of why I had tried so hard to stay away.

Sitting this close to him felt suffocating, the unspoken tension pressing down on me like a weight. I had no idea what I’d done to deserve being placed here, but Niall and Liam weren’t leaving anything to chance.

And Aiden?

He didn’t need to say a word to control the entire room.

There was a time when I would have done anything for this man. When I had longed to be with him, to matter to him. I had done stupid, reckless things just to catch a glimpse of his affection.

But all I’d received in return was humiliation. He had berated me, embarrassed me, and crushed every foolish hope I’d ever had.

And now, here I was, sitting across from him again, feeling like the naive girl I’d tried so hard to leave behind.