Chapter Thirty-Eight
RIAN
She loves me.
She loves me.
She fucking loves me.
The words are still ricocheting through my skull as I stride into the Beckett building on Monday morning, with Callaghan at my side.
Truth is, I don’t really need to be here.
Elixir’s launch is done; the numbers will speak for themselves.
I could just as easily check in from the apartment, where Rebekka is working on her laptop in my bed.
But I can’t dodge my brothers any longer.
They’ve been ringing incessantly all weekend—every one of them desperate for an update after Friday night.
I didn’t deny loving Rebekka to them in Wicklow, but Sean is the only one who knows the true extent of my feelings for her, and the length of time I’ve felt that way.
But I’m going to have to confess to them all because I have a feeling I’m going to need them.
It’s not a conversation I should have in front of her.
Not when she finally let herself exhale.
Not when she finally told me she loves me.
Now it’s time to face the music.
My brothers all know Anthony is an asshole, but what I need to know is if they’ll stand by me through the fallout. Because if I take his wife, it’s going to be fucking biblical.
The marble foyer gleams as we step inside.
A huge portrait of my grandfather hangs in a gilded frame by the reception desk.
Callaghan scans the room already two steps ahead.
I don’t need him here, there’s always four of Killian’s guys outside the building, but his presence steadies me.
The De Courcys are a powerful family—not as powerful as ours—and when Rebekka does decide to leave Anthony, he won’t take this lying down.
There’s no telling how ugly it could get.
My PA, Amy, is perched at her desk, neat blonde bob framing her sharp face, headset already in place. Efficient as ever. She straightens when she spots me and flashes a small smile.
‘Morning, Amy,’ I say, shrugging out of my coat.
‘Morning, Mr Beckett,’ she replies, eyes flicking to Callaghan before darting back to me. ‘Congratulations on Friday night.’
I freeze for a second, then realise she’s referring to the opening of Elixir, and not Rebekka’s legs, and thankfully, her heart.
‘Thank you. It was quite the night.’
Callaghan smirks beside me, lips twitching.
I fire him a warning look. ‘Amy, I need you to arrange a meeting upstairs in the boardroom. Ten o’clock. All my brothers.’ My tone leaves no room for negotiation.
She hesitates for a fraction of a second, then nods briskly. ‘Of course. Shall I include Scarlett as well?’
‘Yes.’ As Rebekka’s friend, she will want the best for her, and the best is getting away from Anthony. Whatever it takes.
‘Understood.’ Her long manicured nails thrum over the keyboard.
I turn away before she can ask anything else, pressing my thumb and forefinger to my brow. I don’t even know exactly what I’m going to say when we’re all sitting around that table. Only that I need to get them all onside before Anthony makes his move.
Callaghan falls into step beside me as we head towards the lifts. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t need to. His silence is a buffer, letting me sort the chaos in my head.
Anthony’s betrayal wasn’t just a knife in Rebekka’s back. It was a public declaration of war, and he made that move in my club. My family saw it all. They saw me take her upstairs. They saw me leave with her. There’s no going back now.
And I don’t want to.
The boardroom smells of polish and old money. Twelve high-backed chairs surround a dark walnut table. Floor-to-ceiling windows display views of Grafton Street. Pale winter sunlight spills in across the thick, plush carpet.
I don’t sit.
I can’t.
Instead, I pace the length of the room like a caged animal, every step echoing in the silence.
My pulse is erratic, a leftover mix of memories of Rebekka in my bed, on my kitchen table, my couch and everywhere else I took her this weekend.
If I’m going to keep her, it’ll be the fight of my life.
I know him. Anthony will come after me physically, financially, socially.
There’s a good chance he’ll target my family too.
Which is why I need them to take me seriously for once. Stop treating me like the family joker. Because I’m no longer prepared to behave like one to cover up what I truly want in this life. And what I want is her.
The door opens. Sean steps in first, calm, composed, his suit immaculate as if he walked out of a portrait. His deep brown eyes lock on mine, sharp and knowing, and he shuts the door behind him with a soft click.
‘You look like a man who hasn’t slept in days.’ His voice is low, almost wry.
I bite back one of my usual one-liners. If I want them to start taking me seriously, I’ll have to start behaving more seriously. ‘I haven’t—for a lot of reasons,’ I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
He studies me for a beat, reading me the way only Sean can. ‘That was quite the statement on Friday, claiming Rebekka in front of our family… and half of Dublin. You were the topic of the dinner table yesterday.’
‘I bet.’ I grimace. Our parents are traditional, maybe not as traditional as the De Courcys.
They wouldn’t force us into a marriage that we truly didn’t want, but they really do believe in the value of marriage.
Which is why I’m almost ashamed to tell them I’m in love with a married woman.
Much less my former friend’s wife. I don’t know how they’ll take the news, but it’s a risk I have to take. She’s worth it and more.
‘You know I love her, Sean.’ I stop pacing, lean both palms against the table, and meet his stare. ‘She told me she loves me.’ The words still taste unreal, like I’m tempting fate by repeating them out loud.
Sean’s expression doesn’t flicker much, but I know him well enough to catch the subtle shift—softened eyes, a long exhale. ‘That’s a dangerous truth, Rian.’
‘It’s the only truth I give a damn about,’ I fire back.
He steps closer, resting a hand on the back of one of the chairs. ‘Do you understand what this means? You’re not just admitting to an affair; you’re declaring war on Anthony. And the De Courcys don’t fight clean.’
‘I don’t give a shit if they fight with machine guns,’ I snap. ‘He humiliated her in my club, Sean. He’s been humiliating her for years. I’m not standing by anymore. He doesn’t love her. He never did. And he sure as fuck doesn’t deserve her.’
Sean tilts his head, watching me carefully. ‘So you’re calling in the family. You want us behind you.’
‘Exactly. And if I can’t get every one of you onside, I’m fucked before I start.’
For a moment he just studies me, weighing something in that calculating mind of his. Then he nods once, slow but definite. ‘Even our parents have your back on this. They said so yesterday. Mother loves Rebekka.’
Relief punches through my chest, quick and sharp. ‘What’s not to love?’
The door swings open again. Heavy footsteps. Caelon’s laugh booms down the corridor long before he appears. James strides in first, followed by Killian and then Caelon. Scarlett is right on James’s heels with her Chanel tote slung over her arm.
‘Baby Beckett,’ Scarlett greets me warmly. That name has to go. ‘We missed you at lunch yesterday.’
‘He was eating a different type of delicacy.’ James winks. I deadpan. Not in the mood for jokes today. They all take their usual seats without needing to be asked.
Caelon snorts. ‘Rian, I knew you were wild, but man, a fling with your friend’s wife is playing with fire. Even if said friend is a total twat.’
I stay standing, pacing at the head of the table like a man about to deliver bad news to shareholders. Maybe I am.
‘Can we talk about Rian’s love life later over a drink? I’ve got meetings all morning. What’s all this about?’ James prompts, adjusting his cufflinks like he’s already bracing for battle.
Sean glances at me, giving me the floor. Bastard wants me to say it out loud.
‘It’s about Friday night. You all saw what happened,’ I begin, voice rougher than I’d like. ‘Anthony humiliated Rebekka in front of half of Dublin. And yeah—’My throat works‘—I claimed her as mine. Upstairs. Afterwards. She came home with me. She’s still with me.’
No one looks shocked.
Scarlett folds her arms across her chest, eyes glittering. ‘Good. About bloody time someone showed her what she’s worth.’
‘Rebekka’s worth everything,’ I admit. ‘We’re in love. We have been since the night we met—at her engagement party.’
A silence drops, heavy as stone. James whistles low, Caelon leans back in his chair, Killian mutters a curse under his breath.
‘And if Anthony comes for her—when he comes for her—I need to know if you’re all standing with me. Because it’s going to be barbaric.’
James sits forwards straightening his spine.
‘I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to give a shit about her.
I don’t get why they didn’t divorce years ago.
It was a bad match from the start. He doesn’t spend any time with her.
He’s always off with other women.’ James’s eyes drift to Scarlett. ‘It’s hardly a marriage at all.’
‘He won’t divorce her.’ I fold my arms across my chest. ‘When she married Anthony, their families drew up clauses. If she files for divorce, he gets Remington Publishing Ireland. It’s worth five times what the De Courcys invested.
And she’s paid them back twice over for their investment in the New York branch, but they won’t let go. ’
‘Shit,’ James mutters, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
‘And if he divorces her?’ Sean presses.
‘She gets his shares in the bank. Marianne De Courcy made sure neither side could walk away easily.’
I blow out a breath. ‘It’s not just that though.
I know Anthony. He doesn’t want Rebekka; he’s resented her from the day they got married, but he’ll resent her happiness equally as much.
Even if we find a way where they can both keep their own assets, he’s not going to just roll over.
Especially not when he realises she’s with me.
’ I roll up my shirt sleeves. ‘Which is why I need to know you’re with me. ’
‘Course we are,’ Killian says immediately. His bluntness is a comfort.
Relief rushes through my chest.
James sighs. ‘Rian, I love you. You’re my youngest brother, but I have to ask you this.
How serious are you really about Rebekka?
You say you love her, you’ve loved her for years, but you’ve never even had a proper girlfriend before.
You can’t seem to commit to a woman for more than a weekend.
Are you one hundred percent sure what you have is worth breaking up a marriage for?
I know Anthony’s a prick and he treats her like shit, but if you do this, if you shack up with her properly, you will sever ties between our family and theirs that will never be repaired. Are you sure it’s worth it?’
I suck in a breath, glancing around at each of my brothers, and then Scarlett.
I’m half expecting that stupid blush to creep into my cheeks again, but for some reason, now I’m owning my feelings, it doesn’t.
‘I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.
I love her. I’ve loved her from the minute I met her.
And I will love her until I fucking die.
That’s why I can’t stick with a woman for more than a weekend.
Because none of them are her. No one even came close. ’
‘Fuck.’ Realisation dawns on Caelon’s face. ‘Did you know about this?’ He turns to Sean.
‘Yes.’ He nods grimly.
Silence falls; everyone appears to be gathering their thoughts.
‘Right. You’re our brother. Of course we’re with you,’ James says. ‘But we do this properly. Double everyone’s security detail.’ He looks at Killian. ‘No solo trips, not even to the bloody corner shop.’
‘I’ll get hold of Jenkins,’ James adds, pulling out his phone. He’s the best solicitor in the country. ‘If there’s a contract, we’ll find the cracks.’
‘Rebekka has had it looked over. It’s airtight.’ I grimace.
‘Airtight,’ James says grimly. ‘Nothing’s ever completely airtight.
We keep our heads down, we get the best advice, and we play the long game.
’ He fixes me with his big-brother stare.
‘No more parading her around Elixir, Rian. Not yet. Give us a couple of weeks to make sure everything is bulletproof.’
The thought of hiding her makes my chest tighten.
But James is right.
Scarlett leans forward, her voice softer but steely. ‘She’s already been through hell. If keeping things quiet for a while keeps her safe, then do it. This isn’t about ego. It’s about protecting her.’
I nod, jaw clenched. ‘Fine. We’ll keep a low profile. But understand this—Anthony knows she’s with the Becketts. He doesn’t know she’s with me. That won’t last forever.’
‘Then we make sure when he finds out,’ Sean says calmly. ‘When we’re ready.’
Callaghan, silent until now, shifts at the wall, arms folded. ‘You’ll want her investments locked down. Accounts too. If De Courcy plays dirty, it’ll be through money first.’
James nods. ‘I’ll see to it.’
The room hums with resolve. My brothers, my sister-in-law, all of them circling the wagons around me and Rebekka. Around us.
For the first time since Friday night, my pulse steadies.
Whatever’s coming, we won’t be facing it alone.