31. Sienna
THIRTY-ONE
SIENNA
Istood in the bathroom of our shared bedroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at me was barely recognizable.
There was a softness to my features, a strange brightness beneath my skin, as though I’d somehow acquired a glow-up simply by having Tyran back in my life. It was almost laughable, considering what had brought him to me and that he’d been back in my life for less than a week.
Nothing about our reunion had been even remotely normal. It had been complicated and tangled up in circumstances that were fucked up, if I was being honest.
And yet, somehow, I looked… different. Happier, perhaps. Or maybe just more alive.
I rested my palms against the cool marble countertop and leaned closer to the mirror, studying myself as though I might find an explanation in my own reflection.
There was none, but a single thought that dominated my entire day.
Tomorrow, I’m getting married.
The thought had followed me everywhere today.
It had been there when I woke up, hovering at the edge of my consciousness. It had followed me through breakfast, through every conversation, through every task. And it was only midday.
It felt surreal considering I hadn’t done anything for the wedding. Tyran procured a wedding dress, set up the details with the local church, and got Joseph and his wife to coordinate catering with some fancy Dublin startup that specialized in world cuisine.
The only thing that seemed to be up in the air was the guest list. He said whoever could attend would attend from his side, whatever that meant. I supposed the same was true for me.
And despite everything—the circumstances, the uncertainty, the questions I still hadn’t found answers to—I couldn’t seem to decide whether the thought of getting married terrified me or thrilled me.
Perhaps it was both.
Before I could dwell on it further, a loud commotion drifted up the stairs. The shouts of men. The crash of furniture.
I rushed out of the bathroom and the bedroom. I recognized one of the angry men’s voices and my stomach dropped as I ran out of the hallway and to the top of the stairs, only to freeze.
My stepfather and Kai stood among the Callahan brothers in the foyer, anger permeating the air and extinguishing all oxygen. Kristoff looked just as dominating and sharp as I remembered, except for his hair, which had slightly more grays.
And my best friend… He looked older too, harsher somehow.
I felt a pang in my chest for him, knowing everything he’d gone through.
I was there for some of it, but then I disappeared.
It made me feel like such a shitty friend, but I thought it was the safest thing not only for me, but also for him.
It was the reason my own mom and siblings didn’t have my exact location either.
My pulse tripped over itself while I watched Tyran get into Kai’s face, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him hard against the wall.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Kai pushed back, looking slightly disheveled. “She’s my best friend. I’m going to be here for her big day.”
“She’s your nothing,” Tyran growled, pulling out his gun.
“Now that’s not true,” Kristoff interjected, looking furiously at my future husband. “Sienna needs her family and her friends in her life.”
“She doesn’t need this fucking friend.” Tyran pressed his gun against Kai’s temple before I could blink.
My heart iced over and I stared wide-eyed.
“Next thing you’re going to say is that she doesn’t need her family either,” Kristoff snapped, producing his own gun. Since when did he carry a weapon? “You and your kind are parasites on society.”
Tyran’s brothers stepped in, pulling their own guns and pointing them at my stepfather and best friend.
This is going to be a bloody wedding.
“I’m going to give you a chance to rethink your words,” Kyran said calmly, but there were hard edges to his words. “Only because you’re Sienna’s father and about to be our family.”
Judging by Kristoff’s expression, he didn’t seem to give a fuck. It was a pure storm as he gestured at him with his gun.
“I know you’re forcing her to marry you,” he spat. “Even your older brother agrees… She shouldn’t be in your world.”
“I did, but I no longer do,” Aiden said calmly. He seemed to be the only one who wasn’t worked up over guns pointed all over the place. I guess it was just another day for him.
Kristoff’s gaze lifted and he paused, spotting me. His expression softened and he smiled.
“Come, Sienna. Your mom, brothers, and sisters are at the hotel close by.”
My hands were clammy. I took a step forward, eager to hug my stepfather and go see my family, but Tyran’s next words stopped me.
“Over. My. Dead. Body.”
Tyran’s voice was laced with darkness as he stepped in front of Kristoff, ignoring the fact he was now in the direct line of my stepfather’s pointed gun.
“That can be arranged,” Kristoff spat.
“In fact, it would be our pleasure,” Kai added.
Who the hell were these men? Did five years change them that much?
My heart beat so hard that it would soon beat out of my chest. My ears rang while tension bounced off the walls of the castle like a dark, formidable cloud threatening to thunder at any moment.
“Come, Sienna,” Kristoff repeated, but the look in Tyran’s eyes had me hesitating.
My hands grew clammy and I was ready to go to him, but I flicked a look at Tyran.
Darkness burned in his blue eyes, the hard edges promising violence. I didn’t think he would ever hurt my family or me. I just wasn’t sure the same would be true for Kai.
But it wasn’t only that which stopped me.
It was awareness.
Vulnerability and passion burning in Tyran’s eyes, calling to the deep part of me. Yes, he was forcing me to marry him, but he was also chasing my demons away. He was taking care of me.
I’d betrayed Tyran once already. I couldn’t do it again.
“I want to see them,” I breathed, the tension so still that I was surprised the men could hear me. “But I don’t want to leave Ty.” A sharp breath tore from Kristoff and surprise crossed his expression. “Maybe they can come here?” I added in a hopeful tone.
Before he could protest, Tyran said, “They’ll all be safe, and you can have a whole wing to yourself.” I smiled, but it was too soon. He pointed at Kai with his gun and continued, “Not this fucker, though.”
I never thought Tyran Callahan could be so jealous.