Epilogue
Joey
Cormac’s a never-ending wealth of surprises. The creative ways he found for us to make love when he got back from the mission left me speechless because I was breathless. The engagement ring he gave me a week later while we were on vacation in Malta blew me away. The speed at which we closed on our new house—five days after a cash offer was accepted—shocked me.
But nothing tops today.
Martha abruptly quit her job. She never officially reported me. She just threatened to. Since I still have an immaculate record with plenty of commendations, the Department of Social Services promoted me. I had a last-minute chance to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony in Queens, so I’m here to represent the Staten Island social workers.
I’d know that red hair in my sleep. The pair of emerald eyes watching me widen as I walk toward him.
What is my fiancé doing here?
“Joey, what’re you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same. I?—”
“Mr. Cormac, did you know the new building has a jungle gym inside ?”
A little boy of around seven grabs one of Cormac’s hands and tugs him toward the door that’s still blocked by the ribbon.
Mr. Cormac?
“Hi, Mr. Cormac.”
If that girl were over eighteen, she and I would have problems. She’s looking at my man like he’s her next meal. Cormac barely glances at her and nods as the little boy keeps tugging on his hand.
“Remy, we can’t go inside yet.”
“But I heard there’s a music room—with drums .”
“Whose bright idea was that?”
I mutter the question to no one in particular, but when Cormac’s face flushes, my eyebrows shoot up to my hair. A little girl of about five runs up and grabs Cormac’s other hand and tugs down on it while Remy keeps pulling him toward the door.
“ Se?or Cormac, ?puede darme un perdedor más tarde? ”
Perdedor ? Can he give her a loser later?
Now my brow furrows, and Cormac laughs. I’m the native Spanish speaker, but I don’t know what the little girl means. Is it New York Spanish?
“An underdog as in push her on the swing and run under it.”
“Oh.”
I wrack my brain for the right phrase. It’s been years since I’ve thought about that game. There isn’t a Spanish equivalent.
“ Dar un empujón por debajo. ” Give a push from below.
The girl looks up at me as if I interrupted a private conversation. It’s the same offended look the teenage girl gave me when Cormac basically ignored her. I can’t win with a five- or fifteen-year-old. Girls at neither age like me when I’m with Cormac.
“ No lo sé. ?Puedo ?” I don’t know. Can I?
“? Puedes por favor ?” Can you, please?
He grins as he corrects the girl’s manners, and it’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.
“ Está bien .” All right.
“ Gracias, se?or Cormac !” Thank you, Mr. Cormac.
“You’re very popular among the kindergarten crowd. I had no idea. What’re you doing here?”
“I—um—I?—”
He’s beet red. What on Earth?
“Mr. O’Rourke?”
I turn toward a voice I recognize. Five, fifteen, and now thirty-five. Fucking women flock to Cormac.
“Jocelyn?”
“Hi, Courtney. How’re you?”
“Fine. I didn’t know you knew Mr. O’Rourke. I got the email you were coming.”
“I’m Ms. Bracero’s fiancé.”
There’s something about the way he words that. He’s acknowledging my claim to him rather than the other way around. That he belongs to me and no one else. If Courtney was in doubt, he wraps his arm around my waist, his hand resting low on my hip. It’s an intimate gesture that’s possessive. I know—because he’s done it many times, and I’ve pointed it out—he doesn’t even notice what he’s doing. He always says that’s just where his hand belongs. There and between my thighs.
“I didn’t know you were involved with someone.”
Bitch, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Cormac’s chin rises, and the look he casts her is one only a billionaire or royalty can carry off. I discovered he’s WAY richer than I imagined when we talked about our finances and our future. Like he makes my family look impoverished in comparison, and we’re one of the wealthiest families in Latin America. Since he’s part of the family that leads the mob— the Irish—not just in NYC, but pretty much all of North America—he’s syndicate royalty.
“Why should you?”
Ouch .
I fight my face to keep from smirking. She and I have a past that involves us dating the same guy in grad school and not knowing it. I dumped the douche when I found out. He dumped her a week later when he no longer had the thrill of dating and fucking two girls. I’m glad I made him bag his dick up.
Courtney turns her nose up at me, and Cormac pulls me closer. I nearly lose my balance, so my hand flies up to his chest to brace myself. The sun catches my ring, which is almost obscenely large, and practically blinds her. He did that on purpose. I don’t mind and lean my head against his chest.
“The kids want to play. We should get started, Ms. Luciano.”
“Did you want to be part of the ceremony?”
For a moment, I think she’s speaking to me. I’m already supposed to be, but I realize she means Cormac, whose gaze hardens. Courtney nods and turns away.
“Cor?”
“ Cailín , I’ve been volunteering at the old center for six years. She figured out I was the silent benefactor of this new center about three months ago. She knows the terms of my donation were strict anonymity. She shouldn’t have asked that. It wasn’t out of politeness.”
“No, it wasn’t. She wants the hottest man alive standing next to her while she beams at the camera.”
“Hottest man alive, am I?”
“Yes, Daddy. The only ribbon you’ll be cutting is the one I might wrap myself in tonight.”
“I definitely can’t stand in front of a crowd now. I give in to the no boxer briefs this morning, and now you say shite that makes me hard as a plank.”
“I know.”
I try to dance away from him, but he pulls me in for a quick and appropriate peck on the cheek. But I feel his cock against my pussy. Fucking-a.
“Wait. You said you’ve been volunteering here for six years. Every year for the past six, a new center has opened in one of the outer boroughs, and it’s always been an anonymous donor.”
“I can’t take my money to the grave, and even with you to spoil and any kids we have, there will always be enough to give back to our communities. We both come from a world that’s all about taking. Sure, we give things to the people who depend on the organization. But that’s our duty. You give to families because you care about those people and believe they all deserve a chance for a stable life that provides for their kids. That generous heart made me fall in love with you. That and your iron will. Your banging body’s delicious, too. I want these families to have what we did. My parents didn’t use ill-gotten gains to provide for us. It’s always come from their legit businesses. My donations come solely from my legit ones. My time costs me nothing, so I volunteer whenever I can. I like kids.”
I hear someone call my name, but I ignore them. I wrap my arms around Cormac’s waist and stretch onto my toes. I can still only reach his jaw, which I kiss.
“You already have my whole heart, but you just made it grow. You fill every bit. I never imagined the mobster I pushed down a flight of stairs would be my knight in shining armor.”
“I knew that day I would marry you. I love you, cailín .”
“I’ve always been yours, Daddy. I love you.”