Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Aurora has been so excited about us going back to New York.
It’s going to break her when I tell her we have to leave again in about a week’s time.
But for now, I get to watch her face light up.
The jet has just landed, and we’re both ushered into the back of a waiting SUV, on the way to my parents’ house.
My house. I really should contact my father’s lawyer and make sure that everything is going to be transferred over.
Maybe I should just say fuck it and give it all to my mother.
She wants it more than I do. Probably needs it more too.
I haven’t seen her since that day she approached me about a funeral for my father.
I don’t care what she does. I won’t be going to it.
Considering his body doesn’t exist, I don’t know what she’d even be burying.
“You look really happy.” I squeeze Aurora’s hand.
“I’m always really happy when I’m with you,” she says.
“It’s okay to be happy about seeing your family, princess,” I tell her. I don’t need her to be this person, someone who only lives for me. Selfishly, there is a small part of me that would love to keep her all to myself, but I would never do that to her.
“I am, but I mean it, Connor. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy,” she says. “You know, I’ve never felt more pain than when you broke up with me. I didn’t think I’d survive. I drank myself stupid and slept in Dante’s pool house all weekend.”
“I’m sorry I did that.”
“I’m sorry I gave you no choice.”
“I was an asshole. You didn’t deserve that, Aurora.” I will forever regret how I treated her back then.
“Meh, you were kinda hot when you were mean. But maybe that’s just because no one has ever really told me no before you.” Aurora appears to consider her words. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re together now.”
“Always.” I bring our joined hands to my lips and kiss her knuckles.
“I’ve never been to your house before.” She smiles at me, and my brows draw down in confusion.
“You broke in.”
“That doesn’t count. I wasn’t invited and I’ve never been in your bed.” Her eyebrows waggle up and down.
“Don’t worry. You will get plenty of time in that bed this week.” I laugh.
“How mad were you? That morning you woke up and discovered what I did?”
“I wasn’t mad. I was terrified someone was going to catch you—or had caught you. I had to rush to delete all the CCTV footage,” I admit. “I didn’t even want to think about what my father would do to you if he ever got ahold of you.”
Aurora’s eyes darken. She knows all too well. Because the bastard did get his hands on her.
“I’m sorry.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her against me. “I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“You didn’t let it happen. It’s not your fault.”
“It is. I didn’t protect you. I failed you.” I kiss the top of her head. “It won’t happen again.”
“It’s okay. We’re okay. No one is going to break us, Connor. No one,” she says.
I really fucking hope she’s right. I hope she never lets her family talk sense into her, that she realizes I’m not even close to being good enough for her.
The rest of the ride to the house is silent.
Patty went back to Boston. His father was starting to have a coronary about him being gone so long.
Although they both now answer to me, there is still a level of respect.
I’ve always liked Patty’s father. Unlike mine, he wasn’t an ass.
He needs his son at home, and I can survive without Patty being my shadow.
The car pulls to a stop and I look up at the house to find that it feels almost foreign. Like it’s been a lifetime since I’ve been here.
I climb out and offer Aurora a hand. “Want the tour?”
“Sure.” She smiles and looks around. There are O’Malley men everywhere. “Are you sure it’s safe here? Are you sure these guys are Team Connor?”
“Team Connor?” I laugh as I guide her up the front steps. “I’m sure. I would never bring you here if I weren’t.”
The door opens and our house manager greets us with a huge smile. “Connor, darling, welcome home.” She takes my face between her hands and kisses each of my cheeks. Kathleen has worked for my parents for as long as I can remember and now she works for me.
“Kathleen, this is my wife, Auroa.” I gesture to my side. “Aurora, Kathleen is the house manager. Anything you need, she will make sure you have it.”
“Welcome, Mrs. O’Malley. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kathleen looks at the ground when she addresses Aurora, who smiles at the woman in return.
“Thank you, and you can call me Aurora, please.”
Kathleen nods. “Dinner will be ready in about an hour.” With that, she turns and walks away.
“She hates me,” Aurora whispers.
“No, she’s just nervous around new people. Always has been. Also, my mother was a bitch to her so she’s probably thinking you will be too.”
“Why would she continue working here if the conditions are horrendous?” Aurora asks.
“Because it’s better than the alternative.”
I turn to the right and take Aurora up the stairs. I don’t mention that the alternative would have been death, because Kathleen has seen and heard way too much to not work for the family—under my father’s rule anyway.
“You know, I was thinking… now that your brother’s dating a fed, you shacking up with an Irishman doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe your family will go easier on you about our relationship.”
“My family accepts you, Connor,” Aurora says.
“No, they don’t. They just don’t want to see you hurt. There is a difference. And I’m okay with that. I just want things to be easier for you.”
I don’t need her family’s approval. I haven’t heard from her uncle since I spoke to him on the phone. I’ve gotten bits and pieces of intel, mentioning random attacks happening against the Albanians, but no one knows who is doing them. My money is on the Valentinos.
I open the door to my bedroom and walk in behind Aurora. Everything is the same. My school blazer still hangs on the back of the chair.
Aurora walks over to it, brushing her fingers along the collar. “Do you miss school? I never thought I would. I hate school, but I miss the easiness of it all, the routine. And I miss the library.”
“You know, you could go back. Finish the year out.” I can’t. That isn’t an option for me anymore. I need to return to Ireland and find the last two of my father’s men. Otherwise I will always be looking over my shoulder, and I can’t live like that.
“You want to go back to school?” Aurora asks me.
“I want you to do what you want to do, princess. If going back to Ireland with me next week isn’t what you want, then stay here. Go to school,” I tell her.
“Are you trying to get rid of me, Connor O’Malley? Because that didn’t work out too well for you last time.” Aurora raises a single eyebrow at me.
“No, I just don’t want you to have regrets.
I don’t want us to get to a certain age and have you regret wasting your youth on me.
” I pull her against my chest. “Also, I didn’t say we wouldn’t still be us.
I just said if you wanted to stay, you could.
You are mine, Aurora. You will always be mine.
” My lips press against hers, and I walk her backwards towards the bed.
When the undersides of her knees hit the mattress, I push on her shoulders and follow her down. Aurora’s arms snake around my neck. “I like being yours.”
“Good.”
“But I also like you being mine,” she says.
“I love being yours.” My lips move down the side of her neck, stopping so that I can nibble on that little sensitive bit of skin that makes her shiver.
“Connor?”
“Mmm?” I mumble.
“I got my period this morning,” she says.
“I know.” I lift my head to look up at her. “Do you need something?”
“No, I just… Before we get carried away, you should know we can’t.”
“Aurora, a little bit of blood is never going to stop me,” I tell her.
I stand, pulling her up with me before leading her into the bathroom. There is something inside that pussy of mine that needs to be removed so I can replace it with my cock.