60. Cian
Cian
M y life flashes before my eyes, but the images that linger aren’t those of my brutal past. Instead, I see Ravenna’s smiling face, hear her sweet laughter, feel her touch against my skin.
It’s not only the past that drifts through my mind, but the future too.
A future we’ll never have together. I see sunshine illuminating a field of flowers where Ravenna playfully chases two little red haired girls.
At that moment, I’m completely content. I know true happiness.
With a contented sigh, I let it all go. I found my peace. Now where the fuck is that white light that’s supposed to usher you into the afterlife? And why does my chest hurt so much?
The pain grows more acute.
Searing agony splits me wide open. Sound assaults my senses. I’m so fucking cold.
Then I’m coughing, emptying water from my lungs. I drag in one breath after another, the oxygen stings, burns, and causes my body to convulse in another coughing fit.
“Y-you’re a-a-alive.”
My gaze snaps up to find a drenched Ravenna beside me. She’s shaking, her teeth clattering so loudly I clearly hear them.
She’s alive.
“ Broc meala .” Sitting up, I pull her into my chest, wrapping my entire body around her small frame and hold her tight. I never want to let go of her again.
Clinging to each other, we shiver on a frozen river bank. The last thing I remember is being pushed into the water. Did they throw her in too?
“How did we survive?” I ask.
“I j-j-j—” Her teeth violently rattle. We need to get someplace warm.
Lifting her, I carry her up the bank to the street above. We’re in a quiet neighborhood.
Considering how much she’s shaking and the fact that I can’t feel my limbs, I’d say we need medical attention. Neither of us have a phone or ID on us. I’m not sure if I can trust any of my men. We’re kind of fucked.
What we really need is a safe house. Luckily, I know just the place.
I spot an older vehicle parked on the side of the road. Wrapping my fist in my sodden shirt, I punch out the back window and unlock the passenger door. I settle Ravenna into the seat before going around to the driver’s side. No alarm and easy to hot wire—my favorite kind of car.
As soon as it starts up, I crank the heat and speed toward the city.
“Are you okay?” I glance at my wife. “Ravenna?”
She nods, but I don’t like the blue tinge to her skin. She’s still shaking. We need to get her out of those wet clothes. I speed up.
New York really is the city that never sleeps, so there’s traffic even at—I look at the clock—three in the morning.
“Stay with me. We’re almost there,” I tell her, though she seems to be slipping in and out of consciousness.
By the time I pull up in front of The Manor in Manhattan, and park on the sidewalk, she’s out cold. I don’t bother to cut the engine before rounding the vehicle and gathering her into my arms.
The Manor’s staff meets me in the lobby. They take one look at us and a flurry of activity follows.
We’re checked into a suite where a medical team shortly joins us.
They carefully strip off our clothing and replace them with The Manor’s logo-embossed black flannel pajamas.
I’m given warm liquid to drink and a blanket.
They hook Ravenna up to an IV and place a heating pad on her chest before wrapping her in a comforter.
All through this, I never leave her side.
We’re settled together on the bed. The medical team diminishes to a single nurse who regularly checks in on Ravenna throughout the night. Worry coils through me.
As exhausted as I am, I can’t sleep. I spend the rest of the night watching Ravenna doze and hope she’ll be okay when she wakes up.
My near death experience rattled something free in me. I’ve gained a clarity of perspective I never thought possible. When I think of everything I’ve put Ravenna through, I want to go back and beat the shit out of my past self.
What the fuck had I been thinking? My priorities were in all the wrong places. My fears, my demons, much too powerful.
From now on, I’m going to do better. I silently make that vow to myself.
Somewhere around dawn, sleep claims me, only to be jolted awake, disoriented and sweaty. It’s too damn hot in here. I untangle myself from the blanket cocoon, then strip off my flannel shirt.
“Cian?”
I turn to Ravenna, surprised and delighted to find her awake. At some point the nurse removed her IV. I must have slept through that. One glance at the clock tells me it’s mid-afternoon.
I drop to my knees beside the bed. “Ravenna, how do you feel?”
She stretches, yawning. “Like I’ve slept for a million years. Where are we?”
“The Manor. The safest place in the city.” It’s a refuge for those in the underworld.
“Oh.” She sits up. “I’ve heard of this place. Arianna and Dimitri hid out here for a while once.”
I hum in acknowledgement. “What happened last night? I remember going into the river and that’s it. Did you escape Brendan or did he toss you in after me? How the fuck did we survive?”
She looks a little sheepish as she says, “I escaped and jumped in after you.”
“What?! Are you insane? You could have gotten yourself killed.” I suck in a deep breath, an attempt to calm down. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
She holds her head high, chin at that stubborn angle I love so much.
“I freed myself from the handcuffs. They pushed you into the river, so I jumped in after you. It was the only way to save you from drowning. Somehow, by God’s mercy, I found you in the water, dragged your heavy ass to the shore, and managed to get your cuffs off too.
Then I beat on your chest, and screamed at you, until you came back from the dead. I think that about sums it up.”
I’m so conflicted my head’s about to explode.
“First of all; don’t ever risk your life like that again.
Not for me, not for anyone.” When she opens her mouth to argue, I cut her off with a sharp look.
“Second; you’re one hell of a woman, broc meala , and I’m the luckiest man alive to be married to you. Thank you for saving my life.”
Her features soften. “You’re welcome. It seems like we saved each other last night, because I don’t remember how we got here.”
“I stole a car and drove us here. Not nearly as heroic as jumping into a half-frozen river in the middle of winter.” Drawing her close, I capture her lips with mine, overcome with gratitude and relief.
The bedside phone rings. Reaching over, I pick it up. “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but there are some people in the lobby who insist that you’re here and won’t go away.”
I tense. “Who?”
“Dimitri and Arianna Kozlov. Roman and Sophia De Luca. Blake and Ginevra Baron. If these people are not known to you, I will have them?—”
“Send them up.”
“Yes, sir. Right away.” The call ends.
“What’s up?” Ravenna asks.
“Your family found us.”
Her brow furrows. “Oh no, they must be worried sick! Gin’s probably been waiting to hear from me and when she didn’t, she sent out a search party.”
A few minutes later, a knock comes at the door. I answer it, and our quiet escape turns into a frenzy of greetings, questions, and explanations.
All of it going well enough until Ginevra blurts out, “Is the baby okay?”
What baby?
I follow Gin’s gaze to Ravenna. A slight blush appears on my wife’s cheeks.
“What baby?” I growl, and the room goes silent.
Ravenna glances around at everyone before her gaze settles on me. “Surprise, we’re having a baby.” A weak grin appears on her lips.
My fingers ball into fists. “And you knew about this before you jumped into that river?”
“I did.”
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I roar.
“I’m not letting this child grow up without a father!” she shouts back.
We stare at each other, neither willing to back down. I want to shake her for her recklessness. She didn’t only put her life in danger, but that of our unborn child.
Then it hits me. She’s pregnant. We’re starting a family. It’s a miracle.
I swallow hard. “We’re really having a baby?”
“Yes. I just found out. That’s part of the reason I went looking for you. I’m never letting you go. You’re my Irlandese . Forever and always.”
I don’t care that everyone’s watching us. I sweep Ravenna into my arms and kiss her until we’re both panting. I’ve never been this fucking elated in my entire life.
“We did it, we’re finally pregnant,” I whisper in awe.
She searches my eyes, a question in hers. “You’re not afraid that it’s another man’s child?”
“No.” I kiss her nose. “I’ll never doubt you again. I promise.”
“Aw, look,” Gin says. “They kissed and made up. I love happy endings.”
Roman, Blake, and Dimitri have formed their own huddle away from their wives. They catch my eye, and I already know what they’re thinking.
This isn’t over yet.
I can understand, and maybe even forgive Brendan for trying to kill me, but he put my wife and child in danger. That’s unforgivable. I’ll rip this city apart until I find him and end him.