Chapter 20

Maxim

My Riley had been a very good girl the past few days, so when the Murphys called a family meeting and invited me to come along, I thought it was for nothing more than a few last-minute wedding details. When I walked into Murphy's Grill and Pub to see the serious look on all of their faces, I was quite taken aback.

I hadn't expected something like this.

"What's this all about?" I asked carefully and Ada leveled me with a slightly exasperated look. She was leaning against the bar as she sipped a glass of whiskey, her style impeccable as always. Her signature red lip was stark against her pale skin, which happened to match the little red buttons of her pantsuit.

"Maxim, we need to talk about Riley," she began, her eyes boring into mine with a mix of frustration, concern… and something emulative of pride? I wasn't certain, but I didn't like it.

"What's going on?" I began as I pulled back my shoulders and leveled her with a firm look of my own.

Kieran, the eldest and most imposing of the Murphy brothers, stood up, his expression stern and authoritative.

"Her name is Riley Murphy, not Riley O'Brien. She's our cousin."

Kieran stood up and strode over to me, a manila folder in his hand that he slapped down on the table. Hesitantly, I reached forward and opened the file, taking a minute to piece through it.

It was all there. Pictures. Records. Everything.

My Riley wasn't who she said she was.

Turns out, she was someone else.

I swallowed hard, staring down at the image of her face. For the briefest of moments, I traced the line of her cheek. From the file, it seemed like everything else she had told me had been true. She bounced from one orphanage to the next, then through a series of foster homes, all the while getting in trouble with the law.

Why would she tell me a fake name? Why hadn't she told me the truth?

I wasn't upset with her. I didn't care about her family history, or her dalliances with the law, or even the fact that she'd spent a little bit of time in juvenile detention for stealing a designer purse.

What I did care about was the fact that she had lied to me.

I took in a deep breath and stared down at those beautiful blue eyes of hers and decided something right then and there.

When I got home, she and I were going to have a very long discussion about what happens to naughty little girls who lie to their daddies.

One that she was most certainly not going to enjoy, at least at first.

"I didn't know," I finally replied softly, raising my eyes to meet each one of the Murphys in turn. "I wouldn't lie to you."

Cormac gazed back at me, his icy blue eyes assessing me carefully. "We have a responsibility to protect her. And you, you're… well, you're quite a bit older than her, aren't you?"

My jaw clenched at the insinuation, but before I could speak, Aidan, my son-in-law, chimed in next. "What are you thinking, Maxim? She's practically the same age as your daughter."

Connor and Caden, the identical twins, glanced at each other before Connor spoke up, his usual joviality tempered by the seriousness of the topic. "Look, we're just concerned."

Caden nodded in agreement, his gaze darkening. "We're trying to look out for her, and for you too."

"Oh, the whole lot of you, shut the fuck up. It's not like you guys would never take a younger girl and reform her with your cocks," Ada snapped and the whole room quieted down for a long moment. Her brothers' expressions turned sheepish.

Honestly, she was right. Every single one of her brothers had taken and married a younger woman, including Aidan, who'd married my daughter, Irina, and I hadn't given him as much shit as they were giving me. I had trusted in my daughter and now they needed to trust in me that I knew what was best for my little girl.

"I'd ask for your blessing, but I'm going to marry her either way," I said, my voice resolute.

I wasn't going to back down, no matter what they said. Riley's life depended on this, and I wasn't going to put her at risk.

"You're right, Ada," Kieran finally said, and the rest of his brothers nodded along with him.

"Tell them about the Orlovs," Ada demanded. It was clear that she was leading the room right now and I respected that.

She had always been a strong woman. I'm just glad she had found a man that could stand toe-to-toe with her. She needed that.

With a sigh, I nodded my head and opened my mouth, ready to explain the whole situation.

"Let me explain why I need to marry Riley. This whole thing began with Gregor Orlov. He was threatening to hurt her, and I wasn't about to let that happen. Things escalated, so I killed him. Now, the Orlov kingpin wants blood for Gregor's death, and marrying Riley is the best way to protect her. As my wife, they wouldn't dare touch her."

"You think marrying her will protect her? Why don't we just take the Orlovs down ourselves? We could eliminate them without even blinking," Kieran offered, his voice firm and just as unyielding as mine.

Cormac nodded in agreement. "We have the means to wipe them out. It would be easy."

"I agree with Kieran and Cormac. We should take out their leaders and seize their assets," Aidan dictated.

"Caden and I could place a few strategic blows to their operations," Connor spoke up.

"We could break into their vaults and hit ‘em where it hurts," Caden added.

Before I could respond, Ada held up a hand, her usual fiery spirit shining through. "Enough, all of you. There's no need to start a war when there's a simpler solution at hand." She turned to me, her expression softening. "You want to marry her, don't you?"

"I love her," I said with a curt nod, grateful for Ada's support. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and if that means taking her hand in marriage, then so be it."

Kieran watched me closely. "We'll support the wedding, but just remember, she's our family, Maxim. You hurt her, and you'll have all of us to answer to."

I met their eyes, one by one, ensuring they understood the sincerity of my intentions. "I love Riley, and I'll protect her with my life."

"Good," Kieran answered, and he looked around the room. "All those in favor for item number one?"

"Hear, hear," the six of them said in a chorus. Every single Murphy in that bar raised their glass and downed the rest of their drink before slamming it down on the tables.

It was settled then.

The Murphys had given their approval.

And soon, Riley would be mine.

Permanently.

Ada went around the bar and grabbed a bottle of Russian vodka for me. She poured me a healthy glass and passed it to me with a sly grin.

"Welcome to the family, Maxim. Again," she said as she poured herself a second drink.

"Thank you, Ada," I replied.

The rest of the meeting was filled with the plans for the wedding, but my attention was elsewhere.

I needed to get home to deal with my little girl, but I had a few stops to make along the way, one being the grocery store.

I smirked.

When I put Riley to bed tonight, she was going to be very sore, both inside and out.

But by the time I was through with her, she'd know that I loved her no matter what.