Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“You’re alright, love,” Declan says, holding my hand. I know then that whatever happens, we’ll weather it together, even if he’s made a promise he can’t take back. Even if I have to forge a new destiny on my own—we’ll make it through.
We already have.
There was a time when I was the one at his bedside. Now we've switched places again.
Even at my sickest, I never saw so many doctors in my life. I thought we’d finally be able to rest.
“You’ll be alright,” the doctor says at my bedside. “The numbers are very good. We can tell you’ve had an infusion. You have a preexisting condition?”
“Aplastic anemia.” Declan stands beside me, holding my hand fiercely.
I swallow hard as Seamus’s shadow appears.
“She's pregnant,” Declan tells the doctor. “We need to make sure the baby's okay.”
Seamus stands in the doorway, watching us both curiously.
“You're doing great,” the doctor says. “We'll get an ultrasound, but I'd bet good money your baby's fine, with all those layers of protection.” She smiles. “Mam's body and skin, and uncles standing sentry.”
Seamus and Keenan share a look. I don't care. I don't care who knows what. I want to make sure the baby's okay.
“Get an ultrasound tech in here right away.” Declan isn’t playing either.
I'm holding my breath. He's holding my hand. In the hallway now, Seamus is making phone calls and sending texts as people are running by on stretchers. Declan says no one was seriously injured, but I want to see for myself.
And then, a few minutes later, we are looking at the kidney-bean shape of a baby with a heartbeat.
My eyes fill with tears.
Oh my god.
“Do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?” the technician asks.
“No,” Declan says, at the exact same moment I say, “Yes.”
We look at each other.
“Aye,” he says. “She's the one having the baby.”
“Good answer,” she says with a wink. “Alright, let’s see here. You’re far enough along, it should be an easy tell…” She smiles. “You’re having a baby boy.”
He bends and kisses me.
They finish the scan and check my vital signs. It seems I’m as good as gold.
“What happened back at the house?” I ask him.
“Esposito has custody of her. He’ll be back in touch.”
I sigh and shake my head. “So, not the alliance you’d planned with the Espositos, but it might work in everyone’s favor in the end?”
“Aye.”
Someone clears his throat. When I look up, Seamus and Keenan are standing in the doorway of the hospital room.
“Declan,” Seamus says, arms crossed over his chest. “A word.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
DECLAN
I close the door behind me and face the wall of McCarthy. I don’t fucking care what happens next. Bridget’s safe. Our baby’s safe. Nothing else matters.
Seamus eyes me, his face a mask. “Did I hear right? Her baby is yours?”
“Aye. Course it fuckin’ is.” I don't know whether he's going to hug me or punch me.
“How long have you known about this?”
“Fair bit.” I shove my hands in my pockets.
“Well.”
I stare at the two men who, between them, have managed every serious thing that's happened to this family for the last thirty years, and right now, they're both looking at me with expressions I can't quite read.
Uncle Keenan works through it first. “Seamus. Lorenzo Esposito revealed the impostor’s identity. Her name’s Shannon O’Brien, an informant for the Boston Irish. He's secured information. He's getting my son out of prison.” Then, with a smile, “Declan’s in love with a girl who saved my life. And”—his voice rising—“he's bringing another McCarthy lad into the ring.”
“Jesus Christ.” Seamus shakes his head.
“You’ll let him off whatever promise he made to you, son,” Keenan says, slapping Seamus’s back none too gently. Uncle Keenan’s never done anything gently in his life, and a heart condition hasn’t changed that. “It’s the right thing to do, and you know it.”
Seamus looks at me. “If I do this, you’ll never make me regret it.”
“Of course not.”
Uncle Keenan smiles, pushes himself off the wall, and takes off down the hall toward the cafeteria, whistling something under his breath, easy as a man who's just settled the whole thing. Which, knowing my uncle, he has.
Might say Keenan's gone a little soft in his old age. I love the bastard.
“Right,” Seamus says, shaking his head. “You heard the man.” He holds up the thumb drive. “This is the most important thing right now. Getting my brother out of prison. You take good care of that girl.” A pause. Something shifts in his face, the same shift I've seen once or twice when Seamus stops being Seamus the authority and becomes something closer to a person. “She's something special, isn't she?”
I swallow hard. “Aye.” I grin at him. I can hardly believe this is actually happening. I can’t help but needle Seamus. “Aren't you glad you didn't exile her along with the parents?”