AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She straightened to full height, her long legs tensing as she pulled herself together and shoved down the surge of emotion that made tears sting her eyes. Yavin moved to step toward her, and she spun on him. Their eyes clashed in a silent battle, her blue against his grey.
I'd thought Sadie was stubborn, but the fury in Aoife's eyes made me wonder if it was possible for her to be worse. Finally storming toward the door to Liam's office, she paused beside Yavin long enough to lean in and whisper something into his ear. He reached a hand up, gripping her chin in his hand harshly and running his thumb over her bottom lip. Aoife grabbed that thumb, yanking it backward until I knew the angle must have been painful for Yavin. Still, he only released her when he was ready, the quirk of a smile transforming his face as he held her eyes. When he finally let go, she strode out the open door, and the sound of breaking glass echoed through the foyer as she disappeared.
"What did she say?" I asked, trying to hold my chuckle down.
"She said I should plan to guard my cock while I sleep," Yavin answered. His face split into a smile that he quickly suppressed when his eyes met Liam's. I was sure talking about his cock in his first conversation with his future father-in-law was a no go for most people.
But Liam just shrugged his shoulders with a boisterous laugh. "We Irish are passionate. She's her father's daughter, so you should probably be prepared for an uphill battle where she's concerned. Are you certain you wish to commit to a lifetime with her? I'll not tolerate a divorce staining her soul."
"I'm certain," Yavin said simply, meeting Liam's eyes.
"Your funeral." Liam tapped his pen on the desk. "She'll be pure on your wedding night if that is your request. Tiernan was adamant, and I've made sure she's protected with a guard that understands explicit instructions for her to remain untouched. I know some of you youngsters don't want an inexperienced bride. If I loosened the reins a bit, I can assure you that Aoife would be spiteful enough to ensure she is not virginal." He winced as if the thought was appalling. "Should that be your wish."
Discomfort flashed over Yavin’s face, discussing his wedding night with his future father-in-law. For men like us who weren't born into the life, Liam's generation was a real mind fuck. "Nobody touches her," the younger man growled.
Liam's face split into a blinding smile in response. "Splendid."
"Good luck," Bryan hissed under his breath, making Ryker chuckle next to him. He'd have his work cut out for him, that was for sure.
"I'll have the contract drawn up and sent to Tease tomorrow to make it official. I promised she could finish school, so there is that minor delay to us celebrating your nuptials."
"When does she graduate?" Yavin asked, his voice going hoarse as he stared at the open door. Aoife yelled somewhere else in the house, her scream of annoyance echoing through the space. Liam's men only laughed as if it was a common occurrence.
"I assure you, as horrible of an impression as she's given with her behavior today, she's not spoiled. She takes her schoolwork seriously. She's a good girl. She just has this ridiculous notion that she should be able to fall in love. As if I did not love her mother simply because our marriage was arranged. Hopefully, you'll be able to change her opinion. I cannot blame her for being hesitant, given that Tiernan was not the right man for her."
"When, Liam?" Yavin asked again.
"Her graduation is May 8th. I originally had planned to combine her graduation party with her wedding, at Tiernan's insistence. She has begged for it to be held on a different day so she can say goodbye to the life she would have chosen for herself. So melodramatic, she is."
"May 9th," Yavin grunted. "I'll allow her to have that last day with her classmates, but I'll be accompanying her and showing my support. We'll marry the next day."
Liam's face softened for a moment, obviously pleased with the concession on his daughter's behalf. "I'm sure she will appreciate it, Son."
Yavin swallowed. Nerves. Emotion. All of it in that one action. With a father who'd abandoned him at a young age, I suspected it would take him some time before he adjusted to the term. To a male voice calling him his son.
He had less than three months before Aoife was his wife.
&nbs
p; I did not look forward to the conversation I needed to have with Matteo. If Sadie spending time with her friends and the risk of someone else telling him hadn't been enough, watching Yavin claim Aoife as his would have pushed me over the edge.
Sadie wasn't a dirty little secret that I wanted to hide away. She'd be my wife. She'd be the mother of my children one day.
All of that started with telling Matteo the truth and hoping he didn't kill me for it. Given his insistence that I not get involved with her in the first place, I didn't hold high hopes for surviving in one piece. Matteo didn't know Sadie, not really, despite all the time he'd spent with her because of Ivory's close relationship with her best friend. He hadn't bothered to see beneath the image she put forward and her admittedly over the top humor.
As Matteo shifted gears in the Aston and we made our way back to the estate, I drew in a deep breath. Did I tell him at the Estate? In the car where he could drive us off a cliff?
Choices, choices.
"How much trouble has she given you this far?" he asked, speeding around vehicles on the highway.
"Aside from trying to sneak out that first night, she's been fine. She puts up a front, but she's not stupid about it."
"Sadie's reckless. It's only a matter of time before she does something that puts herself in danger. Keep your guard up where she's concerned. I wouldn't be surprised if she was behaving well just to manipulate you into underestimating her," he grunted with a laugh. It was the first time I'd heard what came close to affection in his voice, as if Sadie had somehow wormed her way into his closed off soul.
"It doesn't matter much. Sadie knows I'm not going anywhere, and she's stuck with me," I answered. My finger tapped on the center console five times, taking comfort in knowing that the number brought Sadie solace. It made me feel oddly connected to her with such a simple action. "That's a permanent situation."
"War doesn't last forever, Enzo. Eventually she'll be able to go about her business without you in it," Matteo laughed. "I should think you know that better than anyone."
