16

I made oatmeal for breakfast with some cut-up fruit and a drizzle of honey. After downing another cup of sweetened coffee, I pulled out the ingredients for the cupcakes.
Aofie, do you know if you guys have a stereo ? It’d be fun to listen to some music while we bake.
I don’t know. I have to ask Fiona or my daid.
Your dad left this morning pretty early.
She frowned. He didn’t stop by my room and kiss me good morning.
Ah shit. It’s because he spent his morning with me, and something came up. I instantly felt terrible for taking the short time he had in his morning. I ran my fingers over her cheeks.
I’m sure something urgent came up, and he’ll be home early tonight, I told her, but her frown didn’t go away.
Her shoulders slumped. I didn’t see him yesterday, either.
I’m sorry, cara mia.
What’s wrong, Aofie ? Fiona asked, coming up to the counter.
She misses her father, I murmured.
Fiona pulled out her old flip phone and pressed the first number. Let’s see if he picks up.
He answered before the last ring, and Fiona handed Aofie the phone.
Hi, daid. You didn’t kiss me good morning.
Whatever he said to her must have been the correct answer because her frown vanished, and a smile took place.
Yes, I like that. Her feet swung over the counter cheerily, and something about seeing this girl happy made me happy. I’m with Elena. We’re going to decorate cupcakes, eat pizza, and watch movies. She said confidently and hummed in response to something he said. He wants to talk to you.
He did. Why ?
I felt my pulse skitter, and nervously, I took it from her hand. Hello.
I left so fast ; I never got to ask you if you needed anything.
His asking if I needed anything made it seem casual as if we were a normal couple. It was domestic, casual, and carefree. But, of course, we weren’t a normal couple, yet this man asked me if I needed anything. As if he’d stop by the nearest supermarket and buy me a carton of eggs if I needed it.
I don’t.
Okay, take care of Aofie for me.
I will.
Be good, mo ghra amhain. He murmured and then hung up before I could even begin to fathom how those words made me feel.
I handed Fiona her phone, and she looked at me smugly, but I acted like I couldn’t see it as I focused on Aofie.
You ready to have an amazing day ?
Aofie and I spent half the day baking and decorating cupcakes together. We made an enormous mess, but on the plus side, the cupcakes tasted amazing. We made over two dozen, and Fiona passed them out generously to the men guarding the house.
I saved two for Oisin and hid them in the oven for him. I didn’t know how to order pizza to the house or the process, so Fiona had one of the men head out to grab us some while the three of us gathered on the couch with too many pillows and blankets.
Fiona put us on Aofie’s favorite Disney movie, which happened to be Tangled, and we watched and snacked, and Aofie sang along to every song. It was weird to be enjoying my time at Oisin’s estate with his daughter and Fiona.
The guilt I should’ve felt wasn’t there, and for a moment, I didn’t think I wanted to leave this place. People would say Stockholm syndrome kicked in, but it wasn’t that.
I didn’t feel like a prisoner. It was the opposite. I felt free ; even though I was taken away from my family, I still felt this rush of liberty. I wasn’t being hurt or used or attacked. I felt happy, and this strange happiness burst through my chest and onto my face.
I couldn’t stop smiling, and it hurt. Oisin was determined that I was his wife and that he was my husband. The fact that he asked me before he left if I needed anything was normal and casual, something couples who lived together did.
I know we weren’t a normal couple, that we were married, albeit a forced marriage, but married nonetheless. He was doing his duty as my husband by asking me, redoing the kitchen, and by offering me those little touches and soft kisses whenever he got a chance.
I don’t know. He made me feel warm like a candle burning all night. The memory of how I rode his gun and came all over it flashed through my mind, and my core fluttered. It felt like all the water in my entire body pooled between my legs. Yes, I was turned on.
Women have needs too, and my need was apparently my Irish Mob husband. It would be a lie to think that I wasn’t attracted to him or that he didn’t make me feel things. Things I don’t think I’ve ever felt in my life.
It was as if he wanted to place me in a place of worship, a pedestal, and bow before me and offer me everything he could. Whatever woman told you she didn’t want to be worshipped and cherished by a man that was unhinged and obsessed with her was a fucking liar.
I needed to get out of my head and reevaluate my life because it wasn’t possible to want him. It didn’t make sense. Hell, nothing lately made sense.
Oisin
I know that face, Liam said with an exhale. Spit it out, cousin.
It’s something Elena said this morning. I ran a hand through my hair. She doesn’t want me to kill her brother, and she doesn’t want her brother to kill me.
Okay, and ?
I want to call Enzo and give him an offer. His sister’s safe return or thirty percent of all my distributions.
He scoffed and leaned over to reach for his glass cup.
He’d bargain for more, that greedy fuck.
I know. I sighed. I know this, but my wife has high hopes for her cunt of a brother. I just want to know if and when we go to war ; I have another good reason to kill him.
I have a feeling it was him that left those bruises on her arm. She didn’t say, but I knew it deep in my fucking gut. He laid his hands on her, and I don’t think anything could save him from me.
After meeting at the hospital and dealing with the fire’s aftermath, I arranged all the funerals and spoke with every family of the dead and those in intensive care. I gave them my number and told them that whatever they needed, all they had to do was call me.
It was emotional and exhausting and only fueled my anger to find out who did it. It didn’t take long to find the bastard who thought it would be a good idea to try me, but it wasn’t someone of importance.
Some Italian little fucker named Gio. He worked for Enzo, and it didn’t take long for him to spill everything. It was pathetic. You’d think Enzo or Jakob would be more innovative than sending in someone like this to try me, but it was fine.
They’d know who they were dealing with when receiving every piece of Gio. I had wanted to burn him alive and hear him screaming, but evidently, I enjoyed the way the ax slid and cut through his bones and skin.
It didn’t take him long to scream and pass out, but now that was done, I would deal with Enzo. Liam downed his drink and then proceeded to get me Enzo’s number by calling one of our friends on the force.
Ten minutes later, the number was dialed, and I was waiting for him to pick up. It didn’t take long for him to answer. I put him on speaker, wanting Liam to hear the conversation.
Enzo Morelli.
Who’s asking ?
You’re speaking with Oisin Callahan.
You fucking bastard. What do you want ? He really had the shortest temper I’d seen in my life.
I have a proposition for you. I drawled, and he got quiet.
I’m listening.
Of course, you are.
I offer you two choices. Your sister’s safe return or thirty percent from all my distributions. Choose one.
Make it forty-five percent, and you’ve got yourself a deal. He said.
Liam gave me a look, but I put my hand up, and his narrowed eyes fell on my phone screen.
Aren’t you curious whether your sister’s alive ?
Her fate was sealed when you took her. He decided. When can we meet to go over the details ?
Fucking bastard.
Never. I bit through my teeth. I’m going to enjoy fucking killing you. You greedy fucking prick. You chose money over your sister’s life ? You are a pathetic excuse of a man, and you’re a disgrace to the Morelli family. I spat and hung up before he could respond.
I didn’t want to hear his voice. I didn’t want him to call me again, so I threw the phone across the room, and it hit the wall and broke into pieces.
That motherfucker doesn’t know he just sealed his own fate. War is coming, cousin. Are you ready ? I stood up and extended my hand.
Always. He placed his hand over my forearm and gripped it tightly. Always, cousin.
We had a saying ; Nar a cuire Dia aon crich coir ort, which roughly translates to God does not grant you a proper end. Enzo Morelli wouldn’t know what hit him until he was eating bullet after fucking bullet.
He dares choose money over his flesh and blood. He’d pay for this choice with his own life. I’d make sure of it. Now that we had dealt with the arsonist, we had to retaliate. It was my favorite thing to do.
The Polish were known for their underground gambling and fighting rings. I sent a few of my men discretely to set up explosives in every single one, and then Igor sent his men to raid the shops they had as fronts.