“What’s up?” I asked, zipping my suitcase.

“Don’t waste this opportunity to get to know Ronan.” She spoke quietly. “The universe has a funny way of working, and maybe this is how it’s chosen to bring you together. He seems like a good guy.”

“Yeah, he is.” I sighed. “Just as much as he always was.” And while I wasn’t sold on Sage’s theory about a matchmaking universe, I’d take advantage of our time together to find out if there really could be something between us.

We sorted out the last of our things and exited the apartment, not having to duck beneath the tape this time because either Ronan or Kade had torn it off. We all made our way downstairs. Sage and I embraced on the sidewalk.

“I’m sorry about all of this,” I muttered.

“It’s not your fault.” She squeezed tighter. “Stay safe. I know I have orders to check in, but I’d like it if you could do the same since you’re more likely to be in danger than me.”

“Of course.” I kissed her cheek. “Say hi to your grandparents for me.”

“I will.”

We broke apart and each went to our separate cars. She gave me a little wave as I climbed into Ronan’s vehicle. We pulled away from the curb, and moments later, she was out of sight. I relaxed into my seat, suddenly exhausted.

“Kade will keep her safe,” Ronan promised.

I curled cold fingertips into my palms. “He’d better.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Or he’ll answer to you?”

“Damn right.”

He chuckled. “You don’t curse much, do you? At least, not out loud.”

I huffed. “According to the law of Frank Lennox, ladies shouldn’t curse.”

He rolled his eyes. “One of the few things we disagreed on. I think ladies should be able to say whatever the hell they like, the same as men.”

I grinned and snuck a sidelong peek at him. “Agreed.” We drove in silence for a few minutes, but curiosity got the better of me. “Do you miss him?” I asked. “My dad, I mean.”

For a long moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then all of his breath left on a whoosh. “Every day.”

I could hear the pain in his voice. The grief. Somehow, it made me feel less alone. “Me too.”

“Frank was a special guy.” He clutched the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles whitening. “A true gentleman.”

I blinked, trying not to tear up. “He just had this way of talking to people as if what they had to say really mattered.”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “That was one of the things I liked best about him. He didn’t care who my parents were or how I’d been raised as long as I was good at my job.”

My heart skipped, and I held my breath, hoping he’d expand on his childhood. There was so much I didn’t know about him. But he stayed silent, and before long, we arrived at his penthouse, which was located in a forty-story apartment building with a glass façade within the Chicago Loop. The elevator ride to the top floor was fraught with tension. I glanced at Ronan, wanting to close the distance between us but not certain how. When we reached the top, we passed through a small foyer that separated the elevator from the penthouse. Ronan unlocked the door and let us into a spacious living area. I looked around, mentally comparing it to my own apartment, but there wasn’t even a comparison. Everything here was just so, from the expensive white leather chairs to the exquisite rugs and the art adorning the walls. Once upon a time I’d have fit in, but now, I was completely out of place.