Epilogue
O NE MONTH LATER
Cadence slipped through the back door of the Harbour Locke Country Club. Technically, she could enter the place any way she wanted. Keiran, after all, had purchased this as his belated wedding gift to her.
But...it was still something she had a hard time wrapping her head around, and so she ended up tiptoeing around the place and...
"Good morning, Mrs. de Laigny."
Cadence quickly summoned a smile when a member caught sight of her. "G-Good morning."
Would she ever get used to people talking to her so... respectfully?
Cadence could only shake her head as she thought of how much life had changed in the past month. With Cadence now hands-on in managing the club, Gemma had been promoted to manager, and Bex, the club's chief of security (Cadence was quite happy about this, since she no longer had any reason to be jealous of the other woman).
Her parents, on the other hand, had been relocated with new identities after agreeing to testify against the Castellos. Moreover, they were also forbidden to have any contact with anyone from their former lives—including her.
It made her sad at times, but she could also see that maybe...it was for the best for now.
As Cadence passed the pro shop on her way to the offices, she caught sight of La Strega surveying the newest selection of golf clubs, and of course she had to drop in and say hi.
" Signora Marchetti, buongiorno ," she greeted the older woman with a smile. "I hope you're enjoying your stay in our club?"
"Indeed, I am. It is nice to get away from Boston once in a while, be an ordinary citizen."
Riiiight.
The matriarch arched a brow. "You do not believe it's possible for me to ordinary?"
"I'd really like to," she said earnestly.
"But?"
"For one thing—-" She gave the older woman a helpless look. "Your family is New England's most powerful mafia —-" Cadence caught the older woman wincing, and she hurriedly corrected herself. "I mean, famiglia. " She really had to remember that in this new world she lived in, the M-word was considered a terrible cliché.
"I may be famiglia, " the matriarch was saying, "but surely I do not look one?"
Hmm.
It was true that La Strega looked no different from all the other rich old women who were members of their country club, but—-
"You still have your pearl-studded revolver in your handbag, don't you?"
"Of course!"
"And you really think that's something any ordinary person would do?"
"Ah." The older woman's expression turned thoughtful. "So you want me to carry just an ordinary revolver, is that it?"
Cadence could only bite back a smile, knowing when to admit defeat. Anyway, it was really quite cute of La Strega to want to be ordinary.
A group of ladies started whispering as they walked past Cadence, and it was unfortunately quite easy for her to overhear what they were talking about.
Can you believe it?
They've been married for years!
Neither of them said a word!
It had been Keiran's idea to throw a lavish ball in the country club, and during his speech, he had casually greeted Cadence with a 'Happy third wedding anniversary, wife', and well, that was it...
They became an overnight sensation, or make that two weeks now and counting.
****
K EIRAN'S LIPS CURVED the moment he saw his wife heading down to join him in the parking lot next to the golf course.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Cadence confessed.
Her husband raised a brow. "What for?"
"Um..."
Keiran waited patiently.
"I missed you?"
He was a changed man, Keiran reminded himself. One of the promises he had made to God even before getting his wife back was that he would be a good man, and that included not swearing...even if his wife was very good at making him want to do exactly that with her unbearably sweet ways.
Cadence looked at her husband uncertainly. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, sweetheart."
Then why did he look like he was having trouble breathing? Or maybe...this was normal for someone who was famiglia? Were their wives not supposed to be this open about their feelings?
Cadence gnawed on her lip. Being married to a billionaire already took a lot of getting used to, but the part about Keiran being famiglia, well...
Keiran took his wife's hand in his once he was certain he had regained his composure. "Our new golf carts have just been delivered. I'm just about to test it..."
Cadence's face brightened. "Can I ride with you?"
"Of course."
"Yay!"
Keiran inhaled and exhaled.
His wife was still too easy to please, and Keiran found it both adorable and worrying. What if another man came along and learned to please his wife just as easily?
The golf course stretched before them, emerald green under the autumn sun. Few members were out playing today—most avoided the hours when they knew the new owners might be present. It suited Keiran perfectly. Privacy was becoming increasingly rare as the business expanded.
He helped Cadence into the passenger seat, his hand lingering on her waist longer than necessary. A month of having her back in his bed hadn't dulled his hunger for her. If anything, it had intensified it.
"Where are we going?" she asked as he slid behind the wheel.
"Everywhere," he answered. "Nowhere." He guided the cart down a small hill, away from the clubhouse. "Just wanted you to myself."
"Oh, Keiran."
She really had the sweetest husband in the world...
And the wickedest, Cadence realized just five minutes later, with Keiran cutting the engine so he could pull her across the console and onto his lap.
"K-Kei—-"
The rest of her words was lost in his kiss, and his hands busy sliding under her skirt.
A gasp escaped her as he found the edge of her underwear. "S-Someone might—-"
Oh!
He already had her positioned above him, and the next thing Cadence knew, he was slowly pulling her down on his throbbing length, and her senses reeled as the size of him had her walls straining in the most exquisitely delicious way.
"Ride me, wife."
W-Wife.
She just couldn't get enough of him calling her that, and a whimper slipped past her lips as she strove to obey him.
Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.
And——
Aaaaaah.
Keiran had found that special spot of hers, and with one flick—-
"Come for me, sweetheart."
She came apart around him with a cry muffled against her husband's shoulder, and Keiran was right behind her, his grip on her hips almost bruising as Keiran pulsed powerfully inside her.
****
L ATER THAT NIGHT, KEIRAN slipped from their bed, careful not to wake Cadence. She slept deeply these days, a far cry from the restless nights that had plagued her during their first weeks back together.
He padded silently to his study, closing the door with a soft click before turning on his computer.
"What are you doing?"
Keiran turned to find Cadence in the doorway, sleep-rumpled and beautiful in one of his t-shirts.
"You should be sleeping," he said, closing the laptop screen.
Pain flashed in her eyes. "Are you keeping secrets from me again?"
He whitened. "Cadence—-"
A smile burst on her lips. "I'm just kidding."
What the—-?
Cadence was about to laugh...when she realized her husband had yet to smile back.
Uh oh.
She tried to spin around and escape—-but of course she was too slow for her husband, and Cadence could only gasp as he had her laid out on his huge desk.
"You think that's funny, wife?"
Danger glinted in his eyes, but instead of feeling fear, her body ended up trembling in excitement while moisture grew between her legs.
"Keiran..."
Heat blazed from his eyes.
But before he could say another word or do anything else—-
Beep.
And both of them froze.
"Is that what I think it is?" Cadence whispered.
Keiran pulled her up, took a seat, and drew her back to his lap as he opened his laptop.
Two weeks ago, Giancarlo Marchetti had confided the truth to Keiran and Cadence. She was not the only half-sister of Viktor Biancardi, but their identities were only known to her brother and no one else.
Five days ago, Keiran had figured out a way to send out an anonymous invitation online, one that could only be deciphered by people who owed blood debts to Viktor.
And tonight—-someone had finally answered his message.
The End