44. Jet
JET
Ileave Amal to reunite with Daniel and Allegra and close the door to Cassian’s office. Cassian pours two tumblers of whiskey and we sit. I sip as he studies me, a furrow between his brows.
“You’ve got a little spittle,” I say, gesturing to his collar.
He glances down, wipes at the spot. “Burping Seth.”
“Isn’t that Allegra’s job?”
“You try telling her that.”
“No thanks. I enjoy living.”
“Well, I am guessing you’ll be in the same situation as me with Amal someday.”
“My hands are full, for sure.”
I don’t know what he’s expecting from me, so I wait. He didn’t sanction my marriage to Amal, but all he has to do is accept it because I’m not letting her go.
“You love her?” he finally asks, surprising me.
I pretend to sip my drink while I process this very not-Cassian question. “Yeah. I do.”
“She feels the same?”
“She does.”
“Well, it’s a good start then, isn’t it?”
I study him, my stepbrother, one of the two men who know me best. “Yeah, it is.”
“That’s settled then. Allegra wants a ceremony she will witness. You’ll do it. You’ll agree to whatever they want.”
“Allegra already mentioned that and I figured that much already,” I say, and he chuckles.
Allegra first told me off, then told me we’d be having a proper wedding she would arrange.
I agreed because I saw Amal’s face at the mention of it.
I know she wants her family to witness it and honestly, I’d have suggested it myself if Allegra hadn’t.
Back in Edinburgh, I surprised Amal with my proposal and impromptu, some might say forced, wedding.
I really would like to do it right. Give her a proper ceremony.
Create the memory. Because she will only get married once.
“How’s your brother?” Cassian asks.
“Good. Back to business.”
After we left the island, Sev delivered the same footage Senna had sent him showing the murder of one of The Society men involved with my grandfather to the New York chapter of The Society. He suggested a mutually beneficial binding agreement to leave each other the fuck alone.
The New York chapter will oversee the investigation into the fire on the Isle of Elysium. It was a terrible tragedy that killed so many. But lighting so many candles with all that wood and those old tapestries, well, it was asking for trouble.
“He surprised me out there,” Cassian says.
“Sev’s always tried to protect me. I see it now. I see how far he went to do that.”
“We’re all trying to clean up messes we had no hand in creating. Amal going to be okay?”
“I think so. She’s strong.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“And a hell of a shot. I’m going to get her her own gun for a wedding present. Custom.”
“Weird,” Cassian says, and chuckles.
“Noticed Allegra wasn’t drinking wine at dinner,” I say, eyebrows raised.
Cassian smiles proudly. “What can I say?”
“You want another boy or a girl?”
“First, I want a football team. Then, a little princess or three. So all their brothers can look out for them. Although if they’re anything like my wife, they’ll be the ones doing the looking out.”
“We’ve married some strong women.”
On cue, there’s a knock on the door. “You guys coming? Frozen custard won’t be frozen pretty soon,” Allegra calls out.
“Coming,” Cassian says and we stand.
“Pretty decent life we have.”
“Can’t complain.” We swallow the last of our whiskeys and head to the door.
“Don’t mention the pregnancy yet,” Cassian tells me. “I’m sure she’s told Amal, but she’s nervous with the ones we lost so just wait.”
“No problem, brother.”
“Thank you, brother.”