Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
AIDEN
Things had shifted for the better between Raven and me over the past week, even as my brothers and I quietly planned the infiltration of Duncan Lyons’s castle in Glasgow.
Despite the pull to return to New York City, we couldn’t leave yet. I’d made a promise to Raven, and I was intent on keeping it. It felt like a crucial moment and an important first step toward our future together.
A rhythm settled between us, steady and comforting.
Every morning, she rose with me, no matter how many times I told her she didn’t have to.
The doctor had cleared her for one cup of coffee a day, and she relished it, sipping it slowly to prolong her treat while she watched me dress.
She’d chat softly about her plans for the day while I buttoned my shirt or tied my shoes.
I knew what came next and smiled when I straightened, seeing her extended hand with the cup of coffee for me. I took it from her, the mug still hot, and the two of us walked from our bedroom to my home office, where my brothers already waited.
“See you at lunch,” she murmured, blushing as she lifted on her toes and pressed a light kiss to my lips. It was silly, but when she initiated the kiss, I felt like a goddamn superhero.
I snaked my hand around her waist and kissed her hard. Once she was panting, I released her. “Have fun painting.”
I watched her head off to her world of color and canvas.
My brothers and I had converted one of the guest rooms into a makeshift art studio for her.
It had good light and excellent ventilation.
It wasn’t as extravagant as the one in my penthouse back home, but I didn’t say that.
I’d decided to keep it a surprise once we rescued her mother and returned home.
Once she disappeared into her studio, I shut the door and headed for my desk.
“Watching you two is like watching some rom-com,” Kyran grumbled, but there was no bite to his words. “It makes me sick.”
“Can you at least provide popcorn?” Tyran suggested teasingly.
I took a seat behind the desk, ignoring their jabs. “Do we have the layout of the castle?”
He nodded. “It won’t be easy.”
“But it’ll be fun,” Kyran remarked wryly. “Hell, maybe we even get to bomb a room or two.”
I rolled my eyes. “No explosives. We don’t know who else lives there, and I want to keep casualties to a minimum.”
Kyran scoffed. “Duncan wasn’t worried about that shit when he blew up Raven’s mother’s apartment.”
Once my brothers learned of her reason to fake her death, their stance toward her shifted and they slowly embraced her as one of the family. After all, as my wife, she was part of our family, and I knew they’d protect her with their lives.
“We’re not him,” I said. “Now, were we able to secure contacts to assist us in getting into Scotland without flagging him?”
“Yes, we have it all lined up for next week. Luca offered to help.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s best we do this ourselves. Besides, he and Margaret have plenty of shit to work through without this.”
“That’s what I told him too,” Kyran piped. “So just the three of us, then.”
“Like the three musketeers,” I muttered.
“Oh yippee,” Tyran retorted wryly. “One for all and all for one. It’s good we’re in France.”
“It won’t work when we land in Scotland,” Kyran sneered.
“God help me with you two.” I shoved my hand through my hair, leaning back in the chair. “Tyran, send me the layout of the castle and the route once firmed up. Kyran, have you followed up with that missing shipment?”
He shot me an exasperated look. “I’ll give you two guesses at what went wrong.”
Only one was needed, and Tyran and I said in unison, “Lyons.”
“We captured the culprit and he’s alive,” Kyran continued. “And he’s going to help us use some old pirate caves to get inside the castle without being spotted.”
I sat up straight. “Why in the fuck didn’t you start with that?”
He grinned. “Icing on the cake and shit.”
For the next few hours, we laid out plan A and B, but I had high hopes that plan A would pan out.
Tyran glanced at the time and shot up. “Lunchtime.”
He didn’t even wait for us, just headed for the door. It had become a ritual. Raven, my brothers, and I made time to meet in the kitchen for lunch every day.
But the evenings were my favorite.
The penthouse fell into a hush, so removed from the pulse of Paris. The city glowed with flickering lights while the Eiffel Tower towered over the rooftops, all of which we had the pleasure of viewing from the living room windows.
The world slowed down in those hours, leaving Raven and me to rediscover each other in the quiet.
It reminded me of the beginning, but just like I told my wife, there was no use living in the past. We had to move forward.
Each day she’d share little pieces of her life. She made it easy to listen and learn more about her. We’d sit close at the kitchen counter or sometimes curled on the couch, her legs draped over mine, her head tilted back in laughter. Like tonight.
She was recounting a chaotic adventure that involved breaking into a bookstore to rearrange the shelves, all so her friend Athena’s romance novels could be front and center for her birthday.
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, hands moving animatedly.
“And we succeeded,” she said proudly. “Of course we forgot the boxes outside, but Kyran brought them in through the front door. Did he tell you he hit his tailbone against the erotica shelf?”
I laughed, picturing the scene.
“He never told me that,” I said, shaking my head. “It must have been too big a hit for his ego.”
She grinned, leaning into me. “It was a really good day.”
“I wish I could’ve been there.”
“I promise you, going forward, we’ll share those moments. Or, if nothing else, you’ll be there to save me from trouble.”
I wrapped my arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You got it.”
She sighed. “Although, with the little one on the way, I suspect my wild days are behind me. Hopefully, he or she takes after you.”
I chuckled. “If they don’t, I’ll be there to save them too. After all, that’s my job.”