Chapter 50: Two Months Later

FIONN

TWO MONTHS LATER

When the Russians invite you to a party, you don’t say no.

While Amara gets ready in the bathroom, I check my phone for the text I’ve been waiting for from one of my men.

Cahal

It’s done, sir. Both are busy indefinitely.

That brings a smile to my face. Amara never has to know I was involved. That I ordered the hit on Lloyd and Desdemona while they were in prison. A lot of bad things happen in those places.

Tynan was right, after all. But sometimes it’s not a tree.

As soon as the door opens, she struts out, taking my breath away in a knee-length pink-floral-and-white dress that hugs her growing belly.

“My God, I’m a lucky son of a bitch.”

She holds out her hand for mine, and I grab it, lowering my palm over her stomach.

“I can’t wait to meet our baby,” I tell her, my mouth dropping to kiss her there.

“Me either.” She sighs. “Though I’m not all that excited about this weight gain.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, because I love this ass.” I grab her backside and push her into my stiff dick.

She shakes her head. “Come on, let’s go before we’re late.”

Letting out a laugh, I follow my beautiful wife, my fingers slicing through hers as we climb down the stairs, our daughter waiting for us.

Tonight should be fun. Konstantin’s throwing Dinara’s brother a tenth birthday party.

I’m sure it’s going to get crazy, especially with Cillian and Dinara being in the same room together.

AMARA

This isn’t just a party; it’s an affair. Balloon twisters, fire blowers, a magic show. Women in old-fashioned gowns and wigs walk around with trays filled with pastries wrapped around their midsections like walking dessert tables. There’s even a popular singer they hired who is performing on a stage while hundreds dance.

“This is crazy,” I whisper as we head to find Konstantin to say hello.

“This is how they party.”

When we lock eyes with Konstantin, he approaches.

“Ahh, there you two are. And, Mrs. Quinn, may I just say how ravishing you look tonight?”

“Hey,” Fionn snaps. “Keep those eyes to yourself.”

“Oh, my friend, love looks good on you.” He clasps him on the shoulder.

“And what about you, Konstantin?” I ask. “No special lady in your life?”

“You amuse me, daragaya.” He chuckles dryly. “No, I prefer my life to be a little less complicated, at least in that aspect.” He smirks.

“It isn’t that bad,” Fionn throws in. “I’m sure even a man like you could get used to someone actually tolerating him.”

“Ha! You’re a comedian, I see.” He slaps a hand across his back. “Why don’t you go get something to eat? Your family has already arrived.”

He points to a table at the left corner of the outdoor area he had transformed with tents, a dance floor, and more tables than I can count. We head over there, the whole gang greeting us.

“Some party, huh?” Elara says, glancing at Adora and Brody, who are watching a man swallowing fire.

“Wanna go with them, baby?” I ask Fia, who nods.

When Brody sees her, he waves, and she goes running.

“Where’s Cillian?” Fionn asks, pulling out a chair for me.

“He was here a few minutes ago.” Patrick looks around. “Not sure where he went.”

As my eyes scan the area, I catch sight of Cillian with a beautiful woman with long black hair.

“Isn’t that your brother?” I whisper to Fionn, and he follows my line of vision.

“It is. And it seems like he hasn’t wasted any time arguing with Dinara.” He chuckles. “The woman he won’t admit he’s obsessed with.”

I continue to watch them as she digs her finger into his chest, and when he grabs her wrist and smirks, she slaps him.

“Wow!” I say. “What do you think he did?”

“Knowing him, a lot of things,” he scoffs.

“Well, she doesn’t look happy to see him. That’s for sure.”

“She never is. It’s a game they both play. Except they don’t know they’re playing it.”

Someone clinks their glass and the voices dim, the music instantly stopping when Konstantin stands in the center of the dance floor.

“My dear friends and family. It is a pleasure to welcome you all into my home. To share my food and my hospitality with each one of you for our dear Gregory’s birthday is a gift to me.” His eyes go to the boy, who stands across from him, dark hair and eyes like his sister’s. “Come, come.”

Konstantin waves him over, and he walks over to stand beside him.

“Gregory and his two sisters, Tatiana and Dinara, mean a lot to me. I’m sure they know how much I love them. And it’s why today is a special day. Not only because our dear Gregory is practically a man, but because today, I announce something else special to me. Something that I have planned for a very long time.”

“Shit,” Fionn mutters, glancing at Cillian and Dinara, both of whom stare in horror at Konstantin, and I don’t know why.

“What’s going on?” I ask, but Konstantin starts again.

“Tatiana, may I please ask you to come here with me?”

A gorgeous, tall young woman who looks like a spitting image of Dinara comes strutting down in her short black minidress.

“My Tatiana turned eighteen not too long ago, and I wanted to find her a suitable match who would provide her with the same care I have provided her for these past years. And who better than you, Cillian Quinn, wouldn’t you say?”

“Oh shit,” Fionn mutters, looking over at Tynan, who doesn’t look thrilled.

“What the hell is he doing?” Patrick whispers. “Is he trying to start a war?”

Cillian curls a fist, while Dinara stomps forward toward her cousin.

“Are you crazy?! What are you doing?” she shouts at Konstantin.

“Is this a problem?”

Her face flushes from pure anger. “Of course it’s a problem! You know how I feel about him! How much I despise the man!”

Every one of the guests stares with shock, like they’re watching a bomb go off.

“Of course I know that, but Tatiana doesn’t have to hate him. Right, my darling?” He glances at the sister, who nods sheepishly.

This is even worse than my own complicated family history.

“So, what do you say, Cillian? Will you accept this marriage arrangement so we can finally unite our two families?”

“Over my fucking dead body,” he growls. “I’ll never marry her. Or her .”

His glare lands on Dinara.

“Ha!” She marches to him. “You think I’d ever want you? Maybe you think you’re some prize every woman wants to be with.”

“You once thought so.” A cocky half-smile momentarily appears on his face.

“I’m not that girl anymore. You’re nothing to me, Cillian Quinn. Nothing!”

He snaps his teeth while her chest flies up and down.

“Nothing, huh?” He takes a step forward while she hikes up her chin.

“That’s right.”

“Say it again.” He takes another step, while I wait to see what happens next.

“You’re. Nothing.”

As she flips around to march away, he grabs her around the back of her head and kisses her.

People gasp as she fights him, but that only lasts seconds, because no matter what she just said, she’s crazy about him too. It’s obvious from the way she melts into him. The way her tense hands start to release the lapel of his jacket, holding it gently now.

“Let’s raise a toast to the new happy couple. Dinara and Cillian!” Konstantin takes a shot one of his men hands him, then everyone is clinking glasses and cheering.

What the hell just happened?

Dinara and Cillian pull away, both horrified at what they just did, staring at Konstantin with shock and rage.

“So, this is normal?” I ask Fionn.

He laughs.

“Never mind.”

“My brother has been denying that this is gonna happen for a long time, but he can’t run from it now. If he tries, I don’t know if any of us will be ready for the war he’ll throw us into.”

“A war?” My pulse hammers.

“We have a long, complicated history with the Russians, and it’s in both our interests that we maintain our truce.”

“Oh…”

I will never understand any of this, but I’ve accepted it because the alternative means I lose him, and I can’t live in a world where he isn’t mine.

The music starts, and everyone returns to whatever they were doing, dancing and eating.

“Cillian may pop a vein,” Tynan says. “I think I’m gonna go talk to him.”

“Alright.” Fionn takes my hand. “I’m gonna go dance with my wife. What do you say, Mrs. Quinn?”

“I think I’d like that.”

He helps me up and takes me to the dance floor, his arms clasped around the small of my back, mine looping around his neck as we sway to a slow song while Fia spins around in circles, her pink tulle dress twirling with her.

And for a moment, I remember. I remember the pain of growing up. The fear of the future with a mother who never quite wanted me.

And I let it all go.

Because the woman I’ve become, she’s everything I always wanted to be. I’m finally happy. Finally home.

And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here, with the people who matter most.

THE END