Epilogue 1
EPILOGUE 1
A few weeks later
December 29th
Alfie Scott
“ D ada, up!” Kian demanded.
Finn took a swig of his pint before handing the glass over to Liam, and then he hauled his boy up on his shoulders. “You promise to sit still while Daddy plays the whistle?”
“Whoo!” was Kian’s excited response. He beamed at the crowd across the pub and waved to Emilia. “Momma, hi! Hi!”
I grinned and bent down to Ellie and Trip. “You remember what to say when we ask the question before the song?”
“I remember!” Ellie said proudly.
“Yeah.” Trip smirked and went back to sucking cocoa through a straw.
I kissed their foreheads, then gave West a smooch too.
“Enjoy the show,” I said against his lips.
He touched my cheek. “Second time seeing it, first time loving every minute.”
I smiled like the love-sick idiot I was then joined my mates on the little stage.
Liam handed me a microphone. Finn picked out a whistle from his case. Ted, some distant cousin who sounded like Josh Groban, threw back a shot of vodka. No tea and honey for that voice.
A few months ago, the four of us had performed this song at Mick’s back home in Philly. Life had looked a lot different then. It’d been filled with anxiety, hope, dread, and doubt.
Now… This pub looked a lot like Mick’s, proper Irish, only it was actually in Ireland. Killarney, the home of the O’Sheas. My daughter wore a dress that glittered, my boy had donned a bow tie, Colby was acting like he and the other teenagers hadn’t stolen beer, and my man was happy.
Kids ran between the tables, high on sugary mocktails and the New Year’s spirit. We were evidently celebrating the fuck out of life for three full days. We’d arrived the day before yesterday, and West and I hadn’t had a minute to ourselves. It was one event after another. Brunch at the pub, dinner at the pub, party at Emilia and Finn’s house, drinks at Shan and Kellan’s place…
Between Philly, Chicago, Boston, Dublin, Cork, and Killarney, about fifty or sixty relatives filled the pub. But thankfully, not all were invited to the private dinners. I mean, I was social and shit, but even I had limits.
Tonight was no private affair.
“Eric!” Finn called. “We’re waitin’ on your ass!”
Kellan cued up the song on the laptop. “Speaking of, how’s yours, Alfie?”
I scratched my eyebrow with my middle finger.
“Don’t make me leave the chat again,” Finn threatened. “You fuckers make me clench a lot.”
I laughed under my breath and spotted Eric emerging with his fiddle. For the special occasion and all. He hadn’t played with us last time, but he was apparently excellent with the fiddle.
Liam switched on his mic and stepped forward. “Everyone having a good time tonight?”
“Aye!”
“I’ve had better!” Kellan trolled.
“Barely any jet lag at all!” Oh, West was gonna be funny too.
“Hi, Daddy!” Ryan yelled.
I grinned and turned on my microphone too.
But first, Finn spoke into his. “Can we check to make sure Ryan’s soda doesn’t have booze in it?”
The audience laughed, and Ryan hid against Emilia’s dress, uncharacteristically shy. It would last about two seconds with that one.
“Aight—thanks for being here tonight, everyone,” Finn went on. Kian wanted down again, so Finn talked while he helped his boy off the stage. “Before we entertain you with our out-of-this-fuckin’-world musical talent, I wanna shake my cousin’s hand and…” He extended a hand to me, and I furrowed my brow, confused, and grasped his hand. He spoke again, and he didn’t let go of my hand. “And give him an official welcome to the Sons of Munster.”
Oh, fuck me. I swallowed, suddenly nervous. I hadn’t fucking expected this.
Kellan and maybe a dozen or so others whistled and applauded, but Finn wasn’t done.
“You have proven to be a loyal man I’m happy to call cousin and brother-in-arms,” he told me. “You’re the right amount of batshit for this family, you’re already a top earner, you’ve brought more kiddos into the fold for future corruption?—”
I exhaled a laugh and caught West shaking his head and mouthing, “Fuck no.”
Finn chuckled. “And lastly, your man’s become my dad’s favorite playmate.”
“Hear, hear!” Shan called out.
I laughed again and scrubbed a hand over my face.
“You’re one of us, Alfie.” Finn brought me in for a quick hug, and I was…fucking speechless. My heart had never felt so damn full.
I was a Son.
Liam pulled me in for a hug too, and he clapped me on my back. “Good to have you on board.”
I nodded once and cleared my throat. “Thanks, brother.” I wasn’t gonna get mushy in front of everyone, goddammit.
“And with that,” he said into the mic, “you do the honors. You know what to say.”
Or what to ask, right?
I blew out a breath and faced the crowd, where I immediately met West’s soft grin.
He of all people knew what this meant to me, and yet…his acceptance of it all meant even more.
I gave him a wink before lifting my mic. “Let’s hope I don’t fuck this up, eh?” One more deep breath to let the chuckles fade, and then I raised my voice, my stomach tightening with anticipation and excitement. “Who will answer Ireland’s call!”
“The Sons of Munster!” the crowd roared. Including Ellie, who screamed it at the top of her lungs.
The music started right away, with Eric filling in on the fiddle and Finn on the tin whistle. Shivers traveled through me, and I inhaled the atmosphere.
Standing side by side…
United as brothers.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Undefeatable against the dark.
We will answer Ireland’s call.
Was it just me, or did it look like West was giving away our kids? He had that look of a parent giving instructions. Ellie was nodding excitedly at whatever he was saying, and Emilia stood next to them, smiling happily. Colby and Trip were chuckling, though I had no idea about what. The music was getting louder as more guests with young children left—or sent their little ones off with babysitters and grandparents.
I finished my soda and set the glass on the bar, then made my way over to them.
Trip spotted me first and blinked sleepily. I hugged him to me and kissed the top of his head. Damn kid was growing taller by the minute.
“You tired, buddy?”
He nodded.
“Good thing we’re not going far.” I held him to me and rubbed his back.
Finn and Emilia’s house was literally next door to the pub, wall-to-wall. An old, two-story building in stone. It’d previously been six little apartments, but when Finn inherited the building from his grandparents, he’d turned the whole thing into their home away from home, with guest suites that included kitchenettes and bathrooms.
We were currently occupying one of them.
“West, if you’re giving away our kids, I want new ones,” I told him.
He looked away from Ellie and smirked. “Just for a couple of hours. I think you’ll live.”
Ah. Well, all right, then. Did he have something planned with Shan and Kellan?
“We’ll do a movie night in the living room,” Emilia said. “Extra cocoa for Ryan and Trip since they appear to be cocoa addicts.”
Trip glanced up at me and grinned sheepishly.
“With marshmallows, Auntie Emilia?” Ellie asked hopefully.
Emilia inclined her head, solemn. “Of course , sweetie. We are not animals. Whipped cream and chocolate syrup too.”
I wasn’t coming back until that sugar high had worn off. Christ.
While West wrapped things up with Emilia, Nessa came over to me and asked if I’d seen Liam and Luna, so I glanced around the pub, figuring they could be off to put the kids to bed.
“CJ was cranky, so my guess is you’ll find them at home,” I said.
“I already looked there.” She folded her arms over her chest and looked around. Maybe some thirty people were still here. “Anyway—” She turned back to me. “You know how overprotective Liam is and crap, so someone always needs to come with me when I go shopping.”
That was…truth with some modification. Liam wanted her to have an escort when she was far away from home. Like, Kellan usually kept an eye on her when she was in Philly. In Chicago, she had a driver for certain things. And here, she had to have a family member with her for outings where she was gone most of the day.
It was all related to who her father was. John Murray still had enemies both inside and outside the syndicate.
He sure as fuck wasn’t my dad.
“I’m not sure he’s over protective…” I hedged.
She laughed and patted me on the shoulder. “Oh, you’re wrong, big brother.”
I chuckled. That was so strange to hear—but it felt good too.
“Either way, everyone’s busy,” she said. “So, tag, you’re it. You and West may now accompany me to Cork tomorrow. I have to pick something up for Emilia. It’ll only be a few hours.”
Only a few hours? Gee, that was nothing. Fucking hell.
“Lucky us.” I smiled stiffly.
“I knew you’d love it! I’ll be ready at ten. Ciao.” She walked away with an entirely too satisfied grin.
Now I wanted to find Liam too. Motherfucker. How had this been dumped in my lap?
He was too fucking overprotective of that girl.
We’d lose two hours just driving between Cork and Killarney.
“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?” West came up to me, and he had our jackets.
“Uh, yeah. Looks like we’re taking Nessa to Cork tomorrow.” I buttoned up my parka, wondering what was so fucking important in Cork. And what it was that couldn’t be bought here in Killarney. “Don’t worry, I’ll try to get us out of it. If Liam wants a permanent babysitter on a grown woman, he should handle that himself.”
Huff.
“Or we could make a day out of it,” West suggested. “I’d love to see Cork. You could show me where you bartended in your backpacking days.”
Backpacking days was a stretch. I’d bought the cheapest ticket I could find, and I’d spent a few months in a hostel.
We could discuss it later during our pillow talk session after being cockblocked. Because we couldn’t very well have sex when the only thing separating our sleep alcove from the rest of our guest suite was a curtain.
In the meantime, we said our goodbyes to everyone, and West added a “See you soon” and “Be good to Aunt Emilia and Uncle Finn” to Ellie, Trip, and Colby.
After that, we stepped outside into the winter cold of southwest Ireland, where the winds were harsh and wet, except…not right now. It was kind of calm.
“Where are we going?” I asked. “Shan and Kellan are still inside.”
“I thought we could take a walk and enjoy a moment to ourselves.”
Awesome idea, despite the cold.
My eardrums needed a break.
I slipped my hand into his as we passed Finn and Emilia’s house, where dim lights glowed in the windows and a big wreath hung on the door. No front yard here. The door opened up right onto the sidewalk.
I couldn’t remember much from my brief visit here years ago, only that I loved the feel of the town. The old town center was like walking into the past. Each house had its own history, and the cobblestone streets had been walked on for hundreds of years.
Finn’s house was from the early 1800s.
“You were amazing on stage. I sent a video to Giulia— not including the war cry for the Sons of Munster.”
I smirked to myself and kissed his shoulder. West and I were…scheming.
Step one, start uploading more family photos on Instagram, an app Mom had downloaded—with assistance—in order to catch updates about Trip and Ellie. Not to mention her siblings’ children. Most recently, I’d uploaded a photo of Liam, Nessa, and me. Liam and I were flanking li’l Nessa outside the pub. In short, make Mom see how West and I viewed them. Not as mobsters but as family members.
Step two, wait for Mom’s resolve to shatter.
We’d already seen some results. Over Christmas, she’d asked about Finn and Emilia’s kids. Liam’s too. And she’d expressed wanting to see more of Colby, now that he was part of the family.
“Speaking of, how is the latest Son faring this fine evening?” West asked.
“He’s faring very well.” I squeezed his hand. “But you know it’s mostly you, right? For as happy as they make me, it’s getting back together with you that’s made me the luckiest bastard alive.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You don’t have to say that, baby. Unlike my family, the two you come from know how to make others feel welcome and included. And…when a family does that, the man who could’ve potentially worried he might become an outsider relaxes and begins to consider them family too.”
Fuck me, he always knew what to say. I stopped right there on the sidewalk and pulled him down for a hard kiss.
It was true, wasn’t it? He really did consider my family his as well. Both of them. After all, he was often the one proposing dinners and get-togethers. He was as social as I was; he was just replacing banquets and garden parties with pub nights and barbecues.
Now that it was too cold for him and Shan to play golf, they usually met up for lunch once or twice a week, and they never came home without an idea for something we could do together. A trip, an exhibit, some social function, trying a new restaurant, catching a concert.
I slowed down the kiss and nuzzled our noses together. “I love you. Wanna get a room at that hotel in the square?”
He smiled against my lips and shook his head minutely. “I have something better in mind.”
Better than sex?
I fucking doubted it.
He grabbed my hand again, and he ushered me around a corner, down a narrow side street where the cobblestones were more uneven than on the main road. The old streetlamps cast a burning glow on the low buildings, each one its own color. Rustic yellow, deep blue, muted red, moss green.
We passed a bike repair shop and a corner pub, both of which looked like they’d be out of business decades ago. But when the businesses bore the name O’Shea, it was safe to assume they had money coming in from elsewhere.
“It’s too cold for outdoor sex.” I threw that out there.
“We’re in agreement,” he confirmed.
Then he dug out a set of keys and stopped outside the blue building. It couldn’t be more than ten feet wide, two stories high, and it was smashed against two three-story buildings in green and red.
I scratched my forehead and tilted my head. “Did you rent a house?”
I didn’t know why else we’d be here, and he was literally unlocking the white-painted door. These houses were old .
He tossed me a soft smirk over his shoulder before pushing the door open. “I didn’t rent it.”
Whoa. Was he saying he’d bought it?
No fucking way.
He stopped in the doorway, and his smirk turned a little devious. “By the way, I paid in cash with Shan’s help. Your cash. And then transferred the amount to our joint account. So consider that money laundered.”
I lit up like a Christmas tree. “You absolute criminal, I’ve never loved you more.”
He chuckled and tugged me inside the tiny entryway. He flicked on the lights too, and I was utterly fucking charmed.
The place smelled like paint, so it must’ve been fixed up recently. You could still tell the house had a lot of history, but I did appreciate walls that didn’t have paint chipping off.
He opened the door to our left, revealing a small bathroom.
“There’s one upstairs too,” he murmured.
Next, the kitchen to the right. I shrugged out of my jacket and kicked off my shoes.
The floorboards creaked underneath my feet.
Small, cozy kitchen with a wooden countertop, gas stove, green-painted cupboards, modest fridge and freezer, and a round table that seated two. Someone had placed two flowerpots in the window, possibly the real estate agent since they were new.
At the back of the house was a living room, unfurnished aside from a rocking chair in the corner.
“I know what we can buy in Cork if we go there,” West said.
I couldn’t fucking believe him.
“When did this happen?” I asked.
“Just a few weeks ago, but I got the keys this morning,” he replied. “I went ahead and had beds delivered, though. We have everything we need upstairs so we can move in tonight. Shan and Emilia orchestrated it. Beds, linens, some toiletries. There are three small bedrooms.”
Oh yeah, we were doing that. I didn’t care it was almost eleven PM; this was where we were sleeping tonight, the whole family.
A rush of emotions washed over me, and I just shook my head and pinched my lips together. Could I propose? I needed to propose. I’d promised to leave it up to him, but I had nothing else to show him how much I fucking loved him.
“Is my little mobster speechless?” He closed the distance between us and smiled as he brushed his lips to mine. “Let’s create new memories here.”
New memories.
That was fucking it. That was a sign. I knew which memory we could create right now.
Heat rose to the surface, and I fidgeted with the collar of his shirt as I kissed him back.
“Can you please just fucking marry me already?” I blurted out.
Splendid. Well fucking done.
Oh God. He froze, and I was a goddamn idiot. I had to solve this somehow. He deserved a better proposal! I wasn’t even down on one knee—oh shit. Yeah. So I promptly dropped to one knee, and I clutched his hand.
“Yeah, that coulda been a lot smoother,” I said. Was I fucking blushing? My ears felt hot, my face felt hot, I felt hot. “I just—I don’t wanna wait until you drop another grand-gesture bomb on my unprepared ass, because I can’t fucking measure up in that department?—”
“Okay, that’s enough.” His voice was gentle but firm, and he’d recovered from his frozen state. “Alfie, you measure up every single day. Every time you research a new dinner spot, you do so with me in mind. Every time you remind me to put on sunscreen, you measure up. The texts you send me in the middle of the day show me how often I’m on your mind. How much you’ve opened up and how much you share with me reveal that you always want me on the inside of things. You measure up whenever you send cannoli to my office and make sure my car is washed once a month.” He tugged my hand, and I swallowed hard and rose to my feet again. “You make my life so much easier, baby. All those little things that you do on a daily basis…? They’re each a grand gesture to me.”
I rubbed my forehead and let out a breath. Funny how he just took all the anxiety away. But that was who he was, wasn’t it? He’d always had that effect on me.
“Now, I…” He released a breath too, and he cleared his throat. “I don’t know what to do about your proposal?—”
“That’s still legit,” I was quick to say. “It’s time, papi. I want you to be my husband again. I miss it so fucking much.”
He smiled softly—and a little ruefully. “So do I. That’s why I was looking forward to dropping my next grand-gesture bomb on your sweet ass.” He pulled a hand out of his pocket, and my eyes widened. Holy shite. He had two rings on his index finger. “I was about thirty seconds away from the drop zone.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and shook my head. “I’m a dumbass.”
“No. You’re blunt, impatient, and sweet as hell. I love that about you.” He removed my hand from my face and took one of the rings. “Will you marry me, Alfie?”
The magic words. I couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin if I tried to, and my vision blurred a little.
“As soon as possible, I say very impatiently,” I murmured.
He slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed me hard.
I was so done for. I locked my arms around his neck and pressed myself impossibly close to him. I’d say we’d successfully created our first memory in this house, and it’d be pretty fucking hard to top it. Jesus Christ, it had to be illegal to be this blissed out.