Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
"I should've taken it sooner," I tell him, leading Lucy around the table and into the seat at my side. "Champagne?"
"Sure," Lucy says. "That sounds good."
I gesture for a waiter. People go on with their conversations, but I'm aware of them glancing over at us, waiting for me to stand and make the speech that will signify I'm taking the crown. I loop my arm around Lucy's shoulder and lean in, whispering in her ear, "People are looking at you, Lucy... with the respect of a queen. Look into their eyes; you can see how much they respect you, fear you, even. They know the power you have."
"It's a nice change from being judged," she admits.
"It's not just the fact you're with me, either," I reply. "Everyone has heard the recording. They know what you did for this Family. They know how brave you are."
When I stand up, the music cuts off, and everybody turns to me. A silent anticipation falls over the room, everybody staring. In their eyes, I see a mixture of awe and fear.
The legend has spread: storming the estate, taking Frank and Owen alone, taking a bullet.
"We're here this evening because I am taking the Callahan crown," I say, looking the men in the eyes steadily. "For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with it. I was content to let supposedly good and trustworthy men run the Family, but I was wrong about them. Things are going to be different now. This is a new kingdom, with a new king... and queen."
I turn to my woman, take her hand, and guide her to her feet. She wraps her arm around my waist and shuffles close.
"By now, you've all either seen or heard about what happened between me and the traitors who tried to tear this Family apart. I took a bullet to claim my crown. By now, you've all heard the recording in which Owen Doyle admitted to orchestrating my father and my grandfather's deaths. None of that would’ve been possible without Lucy, my woman, my muse, my treasure, my lucky charm."
I pick up my glass of champagne.
"I propose a toast... to the future of the Family and to my queen."
Everybody raises their glasses. I look down at my woman and see that she's smiling up at me. For a moment, everything else falls away, the surroundings melting to nothing, and I see a lost kid with honey-colored eyes, looking at me as if I have all the answers.
But that's not right. She was always the one with the answers.
Twenty-Seven
LUCY
"These are even better than mine," I say, sitting on a quaint old bench in a cute Irish village as a light rain falls, and I swallow a delicious scone.
"Let's not go too far," Killian says, grinning as he takes a bite. "Yours are perfect."
"When we come home," Nora says, "you'll have to make us some, dear. I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about."
I smile at Ellie. "Maybe Ellie can make us all a delicious dinner, and I can handle the dessert."
She grins. "That sounds like a deal."
For a minute, we eat in comfortable silence. It's been a week since the swearing-in, and life has gotten better every single day. My man makes me feel like I belong, whether we're in bed, at a restaurant, or at a mob party. One afternoon, we went to The Celtic Crust together, donning overalls and helping the workmen clear the last of the rubble.
The rebuilding has begun... the future is looking brighter.
"Shall we walk back to the house soon?" Nora says. "Not to sound like a crabby old crone, but I could use a nap."
"You're not crabby or old," I say, touching her hand.
When she smiles at me... okay, no, it's not like having a mom again. No one can ever replace the woman I lost—the woman who raised me alone after our escape from Dad, the woman who died too soon. But it's close. It's similar. It's beautiful.
"Let's do it," Killian replies. "Lucy needs to rest up for later."
I tilt my head at him. He's got a secretive smirk on his lips, his eyes echoing the same. His hair looks almost silver with the rain glistening through it. He wraps his arm around me.
"Am I missing something?" I ask.
He leans down, kissing me gently on the forehead. As usual, I feel the hunger emanating through him as he struggles to hold himself back, remain civilized, but he's always respectful in front of his mom and sister. "You don't want to ruin the surprise..."
I look at Nora and then Ellie. "Why do I feel like everybody's in on this secret, huh?"
They laugh. Ellie mimes sealing her lips shut. "No comment."
The four of us leave the village and walk across the lush green landscape toward their property, the mountains a constant idyllic backdrop. At the house, when we’re alone in the bedroom, Killian tells me, “Wear walking boots… and something comfortable to hike in.”