Chapter 22
Isabelle
He pauses right in the doorway the next morning, seeing I’m still in the bedroom. “I thought you’d already be eating breakfast.”
I raise my eyebrows. “A night away wasn’t enough time to avoid me?”
Rian swallows, rubbing a hand down his face. “I slept in the guestroom a few doors over. I wasn’t far, but I wanted to see if you were still upset before trying to talk to you.”
My eyes lower, grabbing the sweater and pulling it over my head. “I’m not the one who has a problem communicating,” I mutter, shoving my feet into my slippers and then glaring at him.
He steps closer, holding up his hands in surrender. “You’re right. Last night, I was a damn bastard. You told me something personal, and I used it against you, but Isabelle…you’re refusing to listen to what I’m saying. I’m just trying to protect you.”
“From what?” I appreciate his apology, especially if there is some truth to his words. Part of me wants to return to the restaurant specifically for my father, instead of opting to continue my education elsewhere with potentially better instructors.
I stay where I am as he moves closer, his hands tugging at my elbows and uncrossing my arms so he can pull me into his chest. The tension from the restless night melts away at his fresh scent, and I wrap my arms around his waist.
“From everything. You’re mine, Isabelle. My enemies are your enemies. And I need you to trust that I’m doing what I must to protect you,” he says, his hand moving to my stomach. “Protect our family.”
I’m not pregnant yet, but I get his point. It could be any day now that I will officially be carrying the heir of the Irish Mafia. I groan into his chest, hating how much he’s right.
Tilting my head back, I blink up at him. “I just want to cook.”
His lips pull into a smile, and he leans down, kissing me gently. “And you can, but I need you to wait until I say it’s safe for you to do so if you’re determined for it to be there, okay?”
I nod, and he kisses me again, deepening it this time. His hand falls to my ass, lifting me enough for my legs to wrap around his waist as I tangle my fingers in his hair. He carries me to the bed, setting me down gently before climbing over me, his fingers tugging at my leggings. I pull away from him, staring into his crystal blue eyes as my heart hammers away.
“I didn’t like sleeping alone.”
Rian’s pupils dilate at my confession, and I feel his heartbeat quicken under my hands as I slide them down his chest to drag his shirt off. I want to feel his skin, I missed the warmth of him beside me.
“You missed me last night?”
I blow out a bated breath and counter, “Did you miss me?”
He nods. “Every moment, but I fucked up and I wanted to give you space.”
Giving him a soft smile, I trace his jaw. “Maybe you make me feel less lonely, even when I’m mad at you.”
His throat bobs as he swallows. “Then next time I’ll stay.”
There’s no doubt there will be a next time, Rian and I are both too stubborn for there not to be. But I’m beginning to understand that perhaps that’s exactly what draws us together, what wraps around us in a fiery hold and makes us unable to let go.
Just as he kisses me again, a shout from down the hall has us pulling away. He groans into my neck and rolls off me.
“Who is that?” I ask, adjusting my clothes.
He stands, holding out his hand to pull me off the bed. “I brought a guest for you, as a kind of apology.”
“A guest?”
* * *
The very pregnant woman squashes me as her arms wrap around me and I stand there stunned. “Don’t strangle my wife,” Rian teases as the woman pulls aways.
She scoffs and rests her hands on my shoulders, squeezing lightly. “Maybe your wife is more capable than you think and you should let her leave your little bubble.”
I smile. “I like her.”
Rian shakes his head and nods at the burly man standing next to him. “This is Declan and his wife, Aoife.”
“Oh! Yes, the boys told me about you,” I say, warmly.
Aoife rolls her eyes. “I’m sure not nice things either. I won’t even ask.”
Declan pulls her into his chest, kisses her temple, and his hand falls to her rounded belly. “They're just scared of ya, chicken. They don’t get it like I do.”
She looks up, the adoration in her eyes making me give them privacy as she kisses him once.
Rian clears his throat. “Dec and I need to go over some security measures for the house. Figured it would be a good time to introduce you two.”
I nod and mouth thank you to him. Declan lets go of Aoife, patting her on the butt before leaving us in the kitchen.
“Did you want anything to eat or drink?”
She shakes her head. “No, the little one has me going to the bathroom every five minutes. I don’t like to encourage him to press on my bladder more.”
A pang of want stings in my heart and my hand rubs at my flat stomach before I drop it. My period came last week, but I didn’t think we would conceive in the first month of being married. I didn’t realize how much I actually want a baby until I spent three days bleeding, confirming it wasn’t in the cards this time.
“Do you mind the sitting room? Or did you want to go somewhere else?”
“His mother’s sitting room?” Aoife asks, her eyebrow raising with curiosity.
I nod, putting my hands in my pockets. “I can see why she liked it. The wide windows give such a comforting light.”
She smiles. “I’d love to. I haven’t been there since I was a little girl.”
We walk in silence and settle in the oversized chairs, staring at each other in awkward tension.
I clear my throat. “Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer, but I don’t have the courage to ask anyone else.”
Aoife watches me warily and shrugs one shoulder. “You can ask, but I won’t guarantee I’ll answer.”
Blowing out a rigid breath, I fidget with my fingers in my lap. “How’d Rian’s mother die?”
“Oh.” Aoife glances away from me, staring out the windows with a somber look. “Car accident. She was recovering at home from her injuries and we didn’t catch the infection in time.”
I frown, sad that it was probably something preventable, and I bet they all blame themselves. “Was the accident…truly an accident?”
Aoife blinks and looks back at me with furrowed eyebrows. “As far as I know. I think if it wasn’t, Rian and his father would have started a war on her behalf.”
“Thanks for telling me. Anytime someone brings her up, it’s usually a happy memory, and I don’t want to disturb them by asking,” I say.
She nods. “I get it. She was the brightness in the dark reality of our world. I think when she died, a little piece of them all died too. The shine in Declan’s eyes dulled a little.”
“Rian makes it seem like she was basically all of their mother.”
Aoife tilts her head, a small smile on her face. “She was. They’re brothers in all ways but blood. Most of them are sons of the women working the underground brothels. Rian’s mother took them in when no one wanted them. They all grew up together.”
My mouth drops open. “So when he said they all lived here…he meant that literally. That they were all adopted.”
“I don’t think Liam ever made it official. Rian is his only heir, but they are all his sons.”
I sink into the chair in stunned silence. “I really thought he was just exaggerating.”
Aoife laughs. “No. The only one missing is Aisling. Those twins were trouble that only Liam and Elodie wanted to wrangle.”
“I’ve heard bits and pieces about Aisling, but she seems like a myth at this point.”
“I think she’s somewhere in Japan right now, working with Yakuza,” Aoife says absentmindedly, as if it’s not the most forthcoming information I’ve gotten in weeks.
I don’t want to draw any attention to her slip, so I ask instead, “And what about you?”
“My father was one of Liam’s closest captains, I think that’s the Famiglia equivalent. We don’t really have titles here, just higher respect for certain family names.”
“So you were just around a lot?”
Aoife giggles, rubbing at her belly and sighs. “I think they thought having a girl around would guide Aisling to different activities. But she didn’t really want anything to do with me, considering I seemed to be the one who got all the boys in line.”
I smile. “A mother hen and all her chicks?”
“A mama bear and all her cubs,” she teases. Her eyes roam over me and her smile falls a bit. “How are you settling in?”
“Fine, I guess.” My eyebrows knit together, realizing this is the first time anyone has ever asked me that. “I feel a little lost. I’d accepted the fact that I’ll be his wife, but I’m still not sure what that entails.”
“Anything you want it to. The boys aren’t much for social events, so I don’t think you’ll have to worry about planning many parties or dinners. To be honest, they’d probably just be happy to have an excuse to stay home.” Aoife waves her hand around fondly.
A reminder of how large the house is and how many people stay with us on a daily basis.
I nod, absentmindedly. “I wanted to be a chef.”
“You don’t anymore?”
“I do, I think…I’m not sure. I loved learning at my father’s restaurant, but Rian won’t let me return to it and I’m just…here.”
She worries her lip, staring at me with a pitying look. “I assume your father’s restaurant is in New York?”
I frown, then nod, already knowing what she’s gonna say.
Aoife grimaces. “Yeah. I’m sorry, babe. But anything outside of Jersey isn’t gonna happen.”
“Not even in Manhattan? Everyone has businesses there.”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure about that. You’d have to discuss those logistics with Rian, but I know most of the men aren’t a fan of traveling to Manhattan, regardless of the rules in place.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Like they don’t trust it?”
“I guess…a neutral portion of a city in the center of someone’s territory? Not the brightest idea, but Declan says it’s to confuse the feds and all the legal businesses everyone has fronted nowadays.”
“Declan talks to you about business?” Granted they’ve been together since they were kids, so that level of trust doesn’t seem unwarranted.
She presses her lips together, watching my face carefully. “Most men talk a little business with their wives, you know? Most of what they keep from us is for our safety. If we’re ever kidnapped, the less we know the better.”
“Oh, do you get kidnapped often?”
A snort escapes her before her hand covers her mouth and her shoulders shake with laughter. “To be honest, it’s one of those gotta be prepared for the worst type of things.”
“I doubt Rian and I will reach that level of trust. I’ll always be the daughter of the enemy,” I say with a defeated sigh. The more time I spend with him and the boys, the less I think of them as the deadly mercenaries everyone seems afraid of. But I don’t know if we’ll be at a point where he sees me and doesn’t see Italian.
Aoife shakes her head. “I’ve never seen Rian so smitten. I wouldn’t sell yourself short.”
She rubs at her belly and I smile.
“Are you excited for the baby?”
She blows out a long breath. “Yes, no, kind of…I’m so nervous, but I’m excited. It doesn’t feel real yet.”
“And Declan?”
Aoife grins. “He’s so excited. He’s always wanted a big family, to carry on the legacy so he says.”
“And if it’s a girl?”
Her eyebrows raise. “I bet he’ll hope she has an affinity for computer skills, but if she wants to join, nothing will stop her.”
“Right, of course. Sorry, I asked the boys the same question and already got told about how sexist it was when apparently Aisling is some elite super soldier. I’m just used to the Famiglia and their…”
“Misogyny?”
I laugh. “Yeah. To be fair, Luca is trying to instill some new values. The traditionalists just make it harder.”
“Isn’t Luca the one who brought a whole binder of virgins to Rian?”
My mouth slams shut and I press my lips together tighter, then give her a sharp nod. She’s right, he’s no different than any other Made Man.
Aoife smiles, reaching over to grasp my hand. “Anyway, enough about the boring men. Tell me more about yourself.”