Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
RILEY
The past couple of days have been exhausting.
Kieran has barely slept, juggling meetings, calls, and keeping Sullivan Investments, and by extension the entire family, stable while Sean’s men are still out there somewhere biding their time.
Ronan hasn’t left Ciara’s side since her contractions started again, and that leaves me to pick up whatever pieces I can without making things worse.
It’s the middle of the afternoon, and yet the house is unusually still.
Ciara and Ronan have barely left their bedroom, and Kieran left in the early hours of the morning, though to do what, I have no idea.
Brennan has been in and out a few times but hasn’t stayed long enough for us to exchange more than a few words.
After finally taking a shower and putting on some fresh clothes, I head downstairs to the kitchen where I find Elena moving efficiently between the counters, chopping fruit and arranging small plates of snacks for everyone.
“Need a hand?” I ask.
Elena looks up from her work and offers me an appreciative smile. “Always. Do you want to handle the fruit, or are you feeling brave enough for the cheese platter?”
I grin, rolling up my sleeves.
It’s become an odd sort of routine for us over the past few days, and I’ve appreciated the company.
“I’ll do the cheese this time.”
We move together in a quiet rhythm, and the mundane task of chopping food and cleaning dishes gives me something tangible to focus on. It takes my mind off Kieran and Oscar and the secret I’m carrying that could upend everything.
“You’ve been quiet,” Elena says after a moment as she stacks some crackers on a plate.
“I’m just…thinking.” I try to sound casual, though my stomach knots.
“It can’t be easy being the one holding everything together when the rest of them are running around in crisis mode.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m holding everything together.” I take a small bite of cheese.
It’s the first thing I’ve eaten all day, and the moment it hits my lips, my stomach lets out a huge growl that has both Elena and me laughing.
“You haven’t stopped all day,” Elena scolds. “You need to eat too.”
“I will, once I’ve taken this to Ciara.”
“I will hold you to that.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m aware.”
Grabbing the tray, I head upstairs to Ronan and Ciara’s room, where I find Ciara balanced on her yoga ball, gripping the side of the bed as she tries to breathe through a contraction.
Ronan kneels beside her, looking just as exhausted. The poor guy hasn’t left her side, and from the looks of it, neither one of them has gotten much sleep.
The doctor stopped by again this morning to inform them that Ciara is still not in active labor, so she could easily have a few days left before she even gives birth.
“I brought supplies.” I shut the door behind me with my foot.
Ciara looks up at me and offers me a tired smile. “You’re a saint.”
Beads of sweat cover her forehead, and her blonde hair sticks to her face, but despite the pain she must be in, she manages to smile.
I kneel beside her, letting her lean slightly against me as she takes small bites of food.
“You’ve got this.” I rub her back. “Just a few deep breaths, and we’ll get through each contraction.”
She sways slightly on the ball, letting out a slow breath. “This sucks. I’ve tried telling them to hurry up and get out, but they’re already not listening to me. I thought that’s not meant to happen until they’re teenagers.”
I chuckle under my breath. “You don’t get much more stubborn than a Sullivan.”
“This is all your fault,” she directs at Ronan. “We are never having sex again.”
Ronan tries his hardest not to smile as Ciara scowls at him.
I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing at the look on her face because normal Ciara is a force to be reckoned with, but Ciara, who is about to push two watermelons out of her body, is not someone I want to cross.
She pants after another contraction. “This is never-ending.”
“Well, at least you have me here to cheer you on. Or, at the very least, making sure you don’t topple over.”
“You’re not much of a cheerleader. If you want to help, reach up in there and break my waters so we can get this thing going already.”
“I’m more of a ‘stand by and offer moral support’ type,” I reach out to steady her. “Hold on, lean back against me if it helps.”
She hesitates, then eases back slightly, letting me take some of the weight.
My hands hover just behind her, ready to catch her if she slips.
Ciara groans as the next contraction hits, and I press gently on her lower back, helping her through it.
“That’s it, Ciara, you’re doing great.”
“I’m so proud of you, Tine Bhaeg,” Ronan murmurs.
Ciara leans into him and closes her eyes, and for the first time in days, there’s a look of peace on her face.
Seeing the two of them like this makes my heart ache because I know I could have that with Kieran if I just come clean. But every time I finally find the courage, I go and sabotage our relationship by doing things like meeting up with Oscar behind his back.
At some point, Kieran is going to decide he can’t trust me, and I’ll have no one to blame but myself.
Minutes pass like hours, and I stay by Ciara’s side, massaging her shoulders and offering her water as she sways back and forth on the ball.
“You’re doing amazing, you know that?”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. “Can you hand me another cracker?”
“Sure thing.” I grab the plate off the bedside table.
But as I pass the plate to Ciara and catch a waft of the salty smell, my stomach twists.
I press the back of my hand against my mouth as I’m suddenly hit with a wave of nausea.
Ronan notices immediately, narrowing his eyes as he sets down the water glass he was holding.
“Riley? Are you sick? Because if you are, you shouldn’t be in here. Ciara can’t afford to catch anything right now.”
“I’m fine,” I start, but I quickly clamp my mouth shut when bile starts to burn the back of my throat.
Before Ronan can quiz me further, Ciara jumps in.
“She’s fine, Ronan. It’s just the stress.”
Ronan hesitates, glancing between us, but finally, he lets it go. He crouches down beside Ciara, smoothing a hand over her hair.
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” she whispers.
When I catch Ronan’s eyes, I force a smile despite the lingering nausea.
Ciara doesn’t say a word, but the look she gives me is a silent reminder that I can’t keep hiding this.
The nausea is only going to get worse, and at some point, Kieran will notice and put two and two together.
If he finds out before I tell him, it will feel like betrayal.
Tonight has to be the night. No more stalling, no more excuses.
Before the sickness forces my hand, I need to sit him down, look him in the eye, and tell him the truth.
Tell him that I’m carrying his child.
My plan is simple. Make an enormous dinner for Kieran and then blurt out the life-changing news that he’s going to be a father when he’s in a food coma in the hopes of softening the blow.
If that doesn’t work, I put on the skimpiest dress that I could find.
Pregnancy has made my breasts so swollen that my bras are barely fitting, so I’m going without. And the dress I’ve chosen barely contains them, so if the food doesn’t put Kieran in a good mood, this dress certainly will.
What could go wrong?
I wipe my hands on a towel, feeling the faint stickiness of the chocolate torte batter cling to my fingers.
When the kitchen door swings open, Kieran appears, rubbing his eyes.
He looks exhausted, even more so than usual.
“You’re home.”
“Finally.” He offers me a smile as he walks over to me.
But then his eyes trail lower, and he pauses, his lips twitching.
“What?” I glance down.
That’s when I notice the streak of dried batter on my apron, and I can’t help but laugh.
I look up at him beneath my lashes. “I’ve been making you a feast. I thought you could use something nice tonight.”
“You’re not trying to outcook me, are you?” He narrows his eyes, but there’s a twinkle of amusement in them.
I shake my head, trying to act casual, but my stomach flips at the thought of the real reason behind tonight's dinner.
“Your title as stew king is safe. I just wanted to do something for you. You’ve had a lot on your plate lately.”
“It’s worth it.” He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him.
He leans in and offers me a soft, lingering kiss that has my pulse quickening.
His eyes sweep over my chest. “You know you could have just met me at the door in that sexy dress.”
“If only I’d known that earlier, then I wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble,” I tease, biting my lower lip.
“What are the odds of you letting me take you straight upstairs?”
“Zero. I’m not letting all of this food go to waste.”
He pulls me tighter against him so that I can feel how much he wants me.
My breath catches, and I squeeze my thighs together as he subtly rubs against me.
“Kieran,” I gasp.
“It would be perfect, refueling after a sex marathon.” He nuzzles my neck.
It really would, but no matter how badly my body aches for him, I need to stick to my plan.
“We should eat first,” I suggest.
“Or I could just eat you.” He nips at my neck with his teeth.
“You are so bad!” I laugh, pushing at his chest.
“And you are so damn sexy.”
It takes all of the willpower I have to step out of Kieran’s arms and finish plating up the meal.
We sit down at the table, surrounded by plates of steaming vegetables and pan-fried salmon.
Kieran keeps glancing between me and the food, raising his eyebrows every time he takes a bite.
“You really did all this?” he asks with his mouth full.
I grin. “Yes, just for you.”
“You’re making me nervous.” He laughs.
I force a smile despite the fluttering panic in my chest. “Don’t worry, I didn’t poison it.”
“I guess only time will tell.” He flashes me a wink.
Dinner passes in a blur of conversation, with Kieran doing most of the talking as I struggle to keep my food down, though I’m not sure if the nausea is from the pregnancy or nerves.
He eats slowly, savoring every bite, which only makes it worse.
I decided to share the news once I serve dessert, but at the rate Kieran is eating, it’s going to be hours until then.
I try to force myself to focus on him and not on the news I’m about to share, but it’s easier said than done.
He’s giving me nothing but compliments and smiles, and each one has my stomach knotting to the point of pain.
The second he puts down his fork after finishing his main course, I get to my feet and quickly clear away the plates before bringing over the rich chocolate torte I made for dessert.
“Are you trying to make me fat?”
“Honestly? Yes. Your ab muscles are quite frankly disgusting,” I reply stone-faced as I set the dessert down in the center of the table.
Kieran throws his head back and laughs. It’s the first genuine laugh I’ve heard him make in weeks, and I almost break down in sobs.
I didn’t realize how much I missed that sound.
“I knew you had a secret agenda.”
“Actually…” I begin, sliding back into my seat and reaching for the knife to cut Kieran a piece of torte. “There is something I need to talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
I can’t bring myself to smile as I hand over his plate.
Kieran frowns as concern flickers in his eyes. “Is it serious?”
“It is. It’s…really important.”
Just as the words start to form on my lips, his phone rings in his pocket.
I swallow a groan of frustration.
At this point, I’m starting to feel like that phone is the third wheel in our marriage.
“Shit. Sorry, little dove.” He pulls it out of his pocket and glances at the screen. “It’s Brennan. Let me just tell him I’ll call him back.”
I sit back in my seat, my dessert untouched on my plate, as Kieran answers the call.
But he doesn’t get a word in before his face falls, and I know immediately that this isn’t just a casual check-in.
He turns slightly away as he speaks quietly into the phone. “I’ll be there soon.”
My heart sinks. I try to keep my voice steady. “What’s going on?”
Kieran hangs up, his face tight with fury and exhaustion. “Sean ambushed the bar where a bunch of our men were drinking, post-shift. Several of them are dead.”
My stomach churns.
This war with Sean is escalating fast.
How long until Kieran and his men can no longer contain him?
Kieran runs a hand through his hair as he looks down at his untouched dessert. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
I swallow hard, forcing a smile, though my hands tremble slightly as I rest them on the table.
“I understand. You should go and take care of things. I’ll be fine.”
He studies me for a long moment. “You sure?”
There’s a hint of vulnerability in his voice that has my eyes pricking.
“I’m sure. You need to go. I’ll be here when you get back, and we can talk then.”
Kieran gets to his feet and comes around the table to press a kiss to my temple. When he pulls back, there’s something almost painfully tender in the way he looks at me.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” His fingers stroke my cheek.
But then he’s gone, leaving me with only the echoes of his footsteps and my own racing heartbeat.
My fingers grip the edge of the table, and I let out a slow breath.
He’ll come back safe. He has to. And when he does, I will tell him. I will. Because this secret is too heavy to bear any longer.
He deserves to know that a piece of him is growing inside me, a piece of the family that he is trying so hard to protect.