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“It is!” The words burst out before I can stop them, my heart hammering angrily in my chest. I’d kept quiet and respectful until now, but something about Connor’s casual suggestion that I might have lied about my and Niall’s child tears something loose in me. “I’ve been with no one else! No one else has touched me, and I’ve never wanted anyone else to. My baby is Niall Flanagan’s, and—”
“Alright, alright—” Liam’s voice cuts through, almost soothing, with that same rolling burr as Niall’s. “It’s precaution, Isabella. With everything we’re putting on the line, what it will take to protect and support you—”
“Be that as it may.” Connor cuts his brother off, his voice slicing like a knife. “You’ve proven yourself more than untrustworthy, Isabella. Our men are at risk now, going to help your father because of your lies and your conniving. A great deal of how we all move forward hinges on the paternity of your child. If the baby is not Niall’s, then you will simply be cut loose. You’re here, in Boston, your freedom will be enough. You were saved from Gonzalez and Aguilar, our part will be finished. But if you indeed are the mother to a child belonging to one of the Kings, then you are tied to us, to Niall. Other steps are necessary to ensure your comfort and your safety. So yes, paternity tests will be necessary. If the baby is Niall’s, then a generous home, alimony, and child support will be arranged for you following your speedy divorce. You’ll want for nothing, and Niall will continue to support you and the child, with the full backing of the Kings.”
My eyes well with tears. I can’t help it, no matter how hard I try. I try to keep them from spilling over, but that’s a losing battle too, and Connor snorts as they start to roll down my cheeks.
“Enough with the act, girl,” he snaps. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you? You didn’t have to marry the man your father picked out for you. You’re free of all of that, and now you’ll be taken care of for the rest of your life, if what you’re saying is true. Honestly—” He shakes his head, laughing bitterly. “It’s a maneuver worthy of the Kings’ table. Perhaps you ought to have a place here, with such a cunning ability to manipulate.”
I clap my hand over my mouth, shoulders hunching as I stifle a sob. I feel Niall’s hand on my back as he steps forward.
“Connor—” His voice is sharp, angry, but mine rises over it as the words tumble out of me, sobbing and almost incoherent.
“You’re wrong,” I gasp out, one arm around my waist as I fight back a wave of nausea. “This isn’t what I wanted at all. None of this is. I never meant for any of this to happen, and I—” I choke on my tears, pulling away from Niall, shaking my head. “It all spun out of control. It was a mistake, but I—I nevermanipulatedanyone. I didn’t want to come here. I—”
I lose track of what I wanted to say, the words dissolving into harsh, tearing sobs as I spin on my heel. I can’t stand any of it any longer, not Connor’s angry judgmental glare, or the faint sympathy I see in Liam’s eyes, or the weight of Niall’s hand on my back, supporting me even though he doesn’t want me here either.
None of them do. I’m half a continent from home, and I’ve never been so alone.
I run out of the room, out of the building into the cold April air, sobbing.
5
NIALL
“What the bloody fucking hell do you think you’re playing at?”
I’m torn between following Isabella out of the room and punching Connor into the table, pummeling his face to a fine pulp. I’m leaning heavily towards the second, and I clench my fists as I glare at him, fury rising in me hot and fast. “Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to my wife like that?”
Connor bursts out laughing. “That’s fucking rich. Yourwife? You mean the woman you planned to annul your marriage to immediately—oh, I’m sorry, the woman you planned todivorce, since apparently even her lying her way into having your baby and securing your protection wasn’t enough for you to keep your cock out of her.”
“I swear to Christ and all the saints—” I grit my teeth, stalking forward until I’m almost nose to nose with him. “I will break every bloody tooth out of your mouth and rip your tongue out to follow if you speak about Isabella like that again.”
“Watch your mouth,” Connor hisses. “I’m the leader of the Kings, and your boss—”
“I don’t care if you’re God on his throne himself,” I growl. “I’ll do the same. And you won’t be my boss much longer, but nearly an equal, aye?Half-leader to the Kings, no less. And my best friend is standing next to you, so unless you want to start another war just so you can talk your shite about me and my wife—”
“Enough!” Liam steps forward, physically shoving the two of us apart with a hand on either of our arms. “This is going nowhere fast. The two of you fighting will accomplish nothing but more trouble for us all. Connor, you’re out of line—”
“I’mout of line?” Connor glares at his brother. “Not the man who put us in this position because he can’t go two bloody weeks without getting his dick wet?”
“I swear to Christ!” I lunge forward, ready to throw a punch, but Liam gets between us.
“Fuck, Niall, back down!” He glares at me. “I’ll deal with my brother. Go see to yourwife.” He narrows his eyes at me. “And don’t think I’m altogether pleased with this either, but I at least trust you wouldn’t have brought her here without assurance that she’s telling the truth about the baby, at least. As for the marriage part of it, I trust you to handle that as you will, once the paternity is established. And itwillbe established,” Liam adds firmly.
“I thought you said you trust me,” I bite out, and he lets out a sigh.
“I do, Niall. With my life, all these years, as you know well enough. But you also know every man at this table will want to see that proof. It’s not just Connor. Now go make sure Isabella hasn’t flung herself into traffic, and I’ll deal with my brother.”
“You bloody won’t,” Connor growls, but I’m already heading out of the room, even as I hear Liam dressing him down for the way he spoke to Isabella.
“You didn’t need to be so fucking harsh with her. She’s been through a lot—”
“Just because you see Anastasia in every woman in need of help—”
“This isn’t about that and you know it. Would a little empathy kill you?”
Their conversation fades into the background as I head for the doors. I’m worried about Isabella and her state of mind myself, my plans to put distance between us forgotten as I look for her with a rising fear in my chest. Connor was too harsh with her, and I don’t entirely know what state of mind she’s in. If he made her feel like too much of a burden—
