Epilogue

Epilogue

Posie – (One Year Later)~

Though Killian had wanted to get married immediately, I hadn’t been ready. Even if I hadn’t had the call center to get up and running, I’d had to learn how to be a real girlfriend for the first time in my life. I’d had to learn how to make myself vulnerable to someone outside my family and that had taken a while.

However, now, looking around at all the people here, I felt good about where I was in life. Were things perfect? Hell no. Killian still dabbled in his little hobby, and I still had issues in the bedroom, but Killian and I were happy.

We were happy.

While our ceremony had been an intimate one, my family was a big one, so there were people everywhere, having a good time.

“I’m probably not going to stop calling you Mrs. Warrick for a while,” Killian joked, and it brought a smile to my face.

“That works for me,” I quipped. “I like being called Mrs. Warrick.”

Just then, two of his guests approached us, and it was hard not to feel uncomfortable at their approach. Though things were no longer tense or uncomfortable between Killian and my family, I still wasn’t super close to his. His parents and sister, yeah; his other family, not so much.

“Congratulations,” the man said, reaching out to shake Killian’s hand. The reception was underway, so now it was our time to mingle.

“Yes, congratulations,” the woman echoed, and it was hard not to stare at them. They both had these eerie yellow eyes that reminded me of demons rising up from Hell. Uncle Ace’s eyes were amber, but a normal amber. This pair did not have normal, common, amber-colored eyes.

“Posie, I’d like you to meet Vincent Fiore and Mattia Vitale,” Killian said after kissing the beautiful woman on the cheek.

Though they weren’t Benettis by blood, I knew enough to know that these two might as well be. Like us, their family might not all be connected by blood, but they were connected by loyalty. I also knew that they were here to represent their family’s attendance.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” I automatically replied, and I was shocked when Vincent kissed my cheek and Mattia gave me a hug.

“Welcome to the family,” Mattia said, and that further surprised me. It was crazy how…welcoming they were, considering that they hardly knew me.

“I’m not sure that it’s a family that I want to be welcomed into,” I muttered, and my eyes widened when I realized that I’d said that out loud.

Vincent started chuckling. “How very astute of you.”

“I’m sorry,” I quickly rushed out. “That was rude-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mattia said easily. “We get it.”

“You know what would solve all this awkwardness?” We all looked at Killian. “If we went medieval and arranged some marriages between the third-generation Benettis and third-generation Reeds, Marlows, McIntires, and McCellans.” Was he insane? “We’d all be one perfect, happy, little family then.”

“That’s enough to give any man nightmares,” Vincent said, but he was smiling as he said it.

Killian was also all smiles. “At any rate, thanks for coming.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it,” Mattia replied. Then, looking over at me, she said, “If you ever need anything, just let us know.”

“Uh…uhm…th…thanks,” I stammered, my heart beating solidly in my chest.

When the pair went off to mingle, I looked up at Killian and he was still smiling. “That wasn’t so bad, right? Meeting Vincent Fiore and The Holy Ghost.”

My eyes widened. “What? She’s…? Mattia is…”

“I should have introduced her as Mattia Mancini Vitale,” he said. “As you can tell from their eyes, they’re related. Cousins, actually.”

I eyed him. “You were…you were kidding right? About marrying off the third generation?”

“I was,” he chuckled softly. “I just…I still don’t like it when you’re wary around me.”

“It could be worse,” I teased. “I could be married to a banker right now, bored out of my mind.”

Killian wrapped his arms around me. “Like I would have ever let that happen.”

The End.