My Irish Mafia King

Chapter 23

Twenty-Three

LUCY

I t’s the best sleep of my life, wrapping my arms around Killian’s solid body and pressing myself against him, his muscles, his bulk, his presence making me feel more protected than I ever have. I half wake a couple times just to sink my fingers deeper into his solid frame and reassure myself he’s still here.

In the morning, though, he’s gone. I smooth my hand over his side of the bed, hoping to find it warm, hoping he’s just gone to the en-suite for a shower. But it’s cool… and I don’t hear anybody in the bathroom.

I sit up, spotting a note on my bedside table.

Lucy, my perfect lucky charm, I’m sorry you’ve woken without me at your side. You looked so beautiful this morning when you were sleeping, so peaceful. I just watched you for a few minutes, finding it difficult to believe or accept how lucky I am. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Every day for the rest of our lives, I’m going to be the best thing that ever happened to you, too.

But that has to begin after I’ve handled Frank and Owen. I got a call early this morning, a tip about where they might be. It could be dangerous. I know I’m going to have to be hard and focused. That’s why I didn’t wake you. You bring out a side to me I never knew existed before we fell in…

I bite down when I see the word love crossed through.

I haven’t crossed that out because it’s not true, his letter goes on. But because I know I can’t declare that essential truth until I know we have a future together. There’s still too much risk, too much up in the air, for me to make this declaration. But you can read me better than anyone. You know how I feel about you.

“I love you too, you silly man,” I whisper, tears welling in my eyes.

I hope that we’ll be together soon, my angel, my treasure. Until then, stay safe for me.

I fold the letter up and then clasp it to my chest, knowing I’m going to treasure it forever.

Just after midday, I’m busying myself in the kitchen, making Irish scones like I was going to with Killian before the attack interrupted us. When my phone buzzes, I grab it quickly, then roll my eyes when I realize it’s just my timer.

“No news?” Anna says across the island.

“No,” I reply. “Except me being incredibly thankful that you’re doing this…”

She smiles, cradling Clover to her chest. “Do you seriously think I need an excuse to spend time with this munchkin? Try not to worry, Lucy. Soon, he’ll come back. You’ll be able to start your life together. I’m so happy for you.”

I want to agree, want to be happy, but I don’t want to tempt fate.

Once I’ve put the scones in the oven, the landline rings. Anna laughs when I turn to her. “Don’t look at me. If anyone’s answering that thing, it’s you. You’re his girlfriend… and I’ve got a feeling, pretty soon, you’re going to be a lot more than that.”

I roll my eyes, trying to act like her words are no big deal, but I can’t fake it. They mean a lot. Hope aches in me as I walk across the apartment and take the landline from the wall.

A lot more…

Fate will complete its circle. The storm will finally stop—the storm of the mob war, the fire, the threats, the danger—and we’ll be able to be together, properly and fully.

“Hello… Callahan residence,” I say, feeling silly.

“Hello, who is this?” a woman asks.

“Uh, Lucy,” I murmur. “I’m sorry, but Killian is out right now.”

“Wait, the Lucy?” the woman says, her tone growing immediately bubbly and happy. A smile spreads across my face.

“Um, yes?”

“My name is Nora,” she says. “I’m Killian’s mother, and I’ve wanted to meet you ever since he first mentioned you.”

“I’ve wanted to meet you too, Mrs?—”

“Nora, please,” she cuts in. “Would you mind if I put you on speaker so that his sister, Ellie, can hear you too?”

Before I can reply, Nora calls for Ellie. I laugh, leaning against the wall, a big grin on my face.

“Are you the Lucy?”

“Guilty as charged,” I say. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

“What are you doing at his apartment?” Ellie asks. “Have you moved in?”

“Uh, no,” I murmur.

But is the idea as silly as it should be? Once upon a time, not even that long ago, it would’ve seemed like madness. But after the fire, and with all our love-filled declarations, it doesn’t seem impossible anymore.

“My bakery burned down. My apartment was above it. Killian is letting me stay here for a while.”

“Of course he is,” Nora says. “He’s always been a kind, caring boy.”

“Has he finally asked you on a date?” Ellie asks.

“Ellie!” Nora snaps.

“It’s fine,” I say, chuckling again. “Yes, we’ve been on a date. We…” I stop. What can I say? Yes, possible future mother-in-law, we had amazing sex last night and then ate pizza. “We’re close,” I go on. “Closer than I’ve been with anybody else.”

“Killian has spoken a lot about you since he first started going to The Celtic Crust,” Nora says.

“We’re so sorry it burned down,” Ellie adds.

“Yes,” Nora continues. “That’s absolutely awful.”

“He spoke about me?” I ask, then add, “And, yeah, thanks. Me too. But I’ll rebuild. I promised my mom I’d never quit on that place, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“ That’s what he said about you,” Nora says.

“I don’t follow?”

“He said you were the most determined woman he’s ever met. When he heard about your mom passing and you taking on the bakery by yourself, you should’ve seen the look on his face… These past six months, Killian has been different.”

“Not just different, Mom,” Ellie says. “He transformed. He’s like an entirely new person. Don’t get me wrong; Killian was never mean.”

“Oh, no,” Nora agrees. “But he lacked a certain enthusiasm for life. He was slow to smile, and even when he did smile, sometimes it was like he was doing it for our benefit and not his own. But after visiting your bakery, he always had a skip in his step. You make him happy.”

“He makes me happy too,” I say, wiping my eyes when tears form. After the hotel, the showdown, then the reconnection and the lovemaking, my emotions are close to the surface.

“It’s just so nice to finally hear your voice,” Nora says.

“You could’ve come by the bakery,” I tell her.

“Killian forbade us,” she says, laughing ruefully.

“Really, why?”

“He didn’t want us to love you as much as he did,” Ellie says excitedly. “He didn’t want us to get attached, because…”

“Ellie,” Nora mutters.

“I know about… the other side of his life. I know he wanted to keep me out of it. But the not-so-funny thing is, that side of his life found me with no help from him. He’s the one who saved me…”

“You sound like you care about him,” Nora whispers.

“I do,” I tell her. “A lot. I’ve cared about him since…”

“Lucy?”

“I don’t say this to him. I don’t think he likes to think about me the first time we met, the real first time, when we were in Ireland and I was lost and he found me. But the truth is, I’ve cared about him since then. Lost, crying, thinking the world was ending… and then he appeared like a figure from a fairy tale, like something magical. He was my savior. In my innocent, obviously immature way, I cared so freaking much about him then.”

“It’s fate,” Ellie says. “I’ve been trying to tell Killian that since the start. What are the chances you’d reconnect after so many years? One in a million? Ten million? More? You were meant to find each other.”

“There was a time when I would’ve laughed at that,” I murmur.

“And now?”

“Now, it’s the truest thing I’ve ever heard. I…”

“What, Lucy?”

“I haven’t even said this to him yet, but I love him.”

“He loves you too,” Ellie says excitedly. “He’s been too scared to say it, but I think he loved you the moment he walked into your bakery.”

My heart swells as I think about his note. Love crossed out, because he can’t let himself feel it until he knows we’re going to live our happily ever after.