Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
CARLY
“ Y ou’re a strong man,” I murmured as soon as Tommy left Brandon and I alone. “Powerful in your own right.”
“I am.”
I was glad he didn’t deny it since there was no point. He’d worked hard to gain the reputation he’d built within the DeLuca family. Earned the fear he instilled in others. He was unapologetic about who and what he was. It was part of what drew me towards him, the edge of danger he exuded while still managing to make me feel safe. It was quite the heady combination. Well, that, and the insane amount of chemistry which sizzled between us, even when we’d first met and he was acting like a complete bastard. But his strength and reputation were also one of the things that concerned me most when I thought about our future together.
“Taking over my da’s role as the head of the O’Reillys is going to be tough as hell. There will be some who will balk at following a woman, even if she’s the only one of them who had the balls to off big, bad Pat O’Reilly.” Sarcasm was thick in my tone since we both knew I wasn’t the one who’d killed my da. Then again, neither of us were in doubt that I would’ve, if given the chance, regardless of the regret it might have caused me in the future. It didn’t matter either way, because as far as my family and the rest of the dark world we inhabited knew, I was a bitch enough to have killed my own father.
“They can balk all they want. It’s not going to change a damn thing. Not with Nic behind you and me at your side,” he grumbled, pulling me onto his lap.
His confidence was astounding. I wished I had some of it. “And how’s that going to work exactly? If we get married right away, while I’m still finding my place, don’t you think it will make me look weak? Like I need to stand behind a man to lead my family?”
His fingers tightened on my hips as he turned me until I straddled his lap, my knees resting on the couch cushions on either side of his thighs. Once he had me exactly where he wanted me, he lowered his head until our noses were almost touching each other. When he spoke, I felt his lips move against mine. “First of all, there’s no need for you to find your place. You’re the boss of the O’Reillys. It’s over and done with, your place is already secured.”
“It’s not that simple,” I argued, my words swallowed by his mouth as he claimed mine in a punishing kiss. By the time he lifted his head, both our chests were heaving.
“I wasn’t done,” he rumbled, not giving me time to chime in before he continued. “Secondly, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You are marrying me. You’ll be saying your ‘I do’s’ this week, just like you agreed to in the back of the limo.”
“You mean what you seduced me into saying while you tortured me by not letting me come,” I mumbled irritably.
“And you enjoyed every damn second of my torture,” he answered smugly.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I wouldn’t say enjoy exactly.”
“You’re right, it’s not a strong enough word to describe the way your pussy squeezed my cock when you climaxed all over me.”
I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration, but since I was perched on his lap it wasn’t exactly an option. I lifted my left hand and pointed at my ring finger. “You seem to have skipped a step, Mr. Smartypants.”
“You’ll do well to never underestimate me, kitten,” he growled, dumping me onto my back on the couch cushions before stalking over to the suit jacket he’d tossed onto the chair. When he pulled a tiny black box from the inside pocket, my jaw dropped open.
“Where the hell did that come from?” I gasped, scrambling onto my feet, only to have Brandon tug me back down to a sitting position as he kneeled at my feet.
“The jewelry store,” he deadpanned. Using his thumb, he flipped open the lid of the box and I was struck silent in awe at the ring nestled inside.
“You got me a Claddagh?”
“I stumbled across them while I was searching for rings online,” he explained. “When I read about the meaning behind them, I knew it was exactly what I wanted.”
“Love,” I whispered, running my fingertip over the huge heart-shaped emerald nestled in the center of the ring. “Friendship,” I continued, staring at the hands on either side of the stone.
“And loyalty,” Brandon finished, referring to the crown. “Because you’ll have mine. Unconditionally, just like my love for you.”
“Oh, Brandon,” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks at his beautiful declaration. “I wish it were different, but your first loyalty has to be with Nic and the DeLucas. You’re his second. His enforcer. Even with the alliance, there’s bound to be times when you’ll be torn between what I want and what he needs.”
His thumb swept over my face, brushing the tears away. “And that brings me to my third point. You won’t be standing behind the DeLuca enforcer; you’ll be standing beside your husband. But behind your protector. Your enforcer. In order to get to you, everyone will go through me.”
“Mine?” What he was suggesting was unheard of. He wasn’t Irish, wasn’t part of the O’Reilly family, and was part of a family we’d been at war with for years. The alliance changed things, and so would our marriage, but it wasn’t going to alter the way our world worked overnight. “What does Nic have to say about this?”
“He supports it one-hundred-percent. So much so that he’s already selected my replacement.” His answer stunned me. My shock must have been evident because Brandon smiled down at me before he continued. “How could he not understand when he has Anna in his life? He’d make the same decision as me if our roles were reversed, and he’d have my full support. We’re family and he wants me to be happy.”
“But will you be happy? It means you’ll follow my lead, at least when it comes to business, and you’ll do it surrounded by men who won’t trust you because of you are.”
“I know I have what it takes to be the boss.” My heart fell at his answer, only to quickly leap again when he continued. “But it’s not what I want for myself. I’ll be your first line of defense, but the final word will be yours or ours. You’re the brains, kitten. I’m the brawn.” He winked and warmth infused me. “I was raised to be an enforcer, and I’m damn good at my job. I never once resented Nic for the role he was born to play in the DeLuca organization. He’s my family, and I love him. Supporting him, protecting him, and doing the things he couldn’t do himself made me happy. But you, Carly O’Reilly soon-to-be DeLuca, mean more to me than my cousin ever could. You’re my heart. My future. My everything. I’ll be damn proud to offer you my support and protection. To make sure you never come to harm. And to fucking do whatever needs to be done to make sure you and the family we build together thrives.”
“What in the hell did I ever do to deserve you?” I cried.
“You survived so I could find you.”
I knew he meant more than just surviving the last month or so while I was on the run and he searched for me, but my childhood was a place I never wanted to visit again. “It’s a damn shame the men underneath me won’t trust you.”
“No other man will ever be underneath you,” he growled.
“You know what I meant,” I huffed.
“It’s only fair they don’t trust me because I don’t trust them, especially not when it comes to your safety. There’s only one man I trust with you, and that’s me. So the decision’s a simple one. I need you safe, and you need to lead the O’Reillys. The only way we’ll accomplish both is as a team, with me by your side.”
When he put it that way, it was impossible to argue, even if this decision might get us both killed.
He lifted the ring from the box, and the diamonds lining the band glinted in the light. “I’ve never seen a Claddagh that was quite so fancy before.”
“You know us Italian mafia types. We like our flashy things,” he joked as he slid the ring onto my finger. “Plus, I want you to have the absolute best of everything.”
“I already have the best,” I whispered, leaning down to rest my lips against his. “I have you.”
“Then you’ll marry me this week?”
It was crazy, but I wanted be his wife. To live out my years by his side, raising a family together, even if we were stuck doing it in a world I’d desperately wanted to escape for so long. And I didn’t want to wait. Didn’t want to waste a single minute of the time we had together. “I don’t know, maybe you should try convincing me again,” I teased, pulling on his tie so he tumbled onto the couch with me, where he proved to be thoroughly persuasive. Twice.