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“The Gallaghers were the strongest mafia family in the city. That night, we secured the gambling hall, thinking everything had gone according to plan. We didn’t know that there had been a Gallagher who had been shot and killed there at the time.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I replied.
“No. The Gallaghers came to collect their blood debt. Cormac, Finn, and Nora were on their way to a local charity function when they attacked. We think they meant to kill Finn and Cormac as revenge, but Nora ended up getting shot instead. She died in their arms so quickly that there wasn’t even enough time to get her to a hospital. To this day, Cormac carries the guilt of her death. He promised her before he died that your father and he would see to it that you were safe and protected from the dangers of the mafia life.”
“That’s why my dad brought me to Seattle,” I said softly, the puzzle pieces of my life finally fitting together.
“He wanted to take you as far away from it as possible. He asked for my permission, and I gave it without a second thought. When word spread of his death, Cormac felt it was his duty to look after you. All of us did,” he answered quietly.
The waitress returned and slid the dessert and drinks in front of us. I sipped at the wine and poked at the decadent chocolate cake. I wasn’t hungry, but it tasted just as good as it did the other day and that in and of itself was comforting.
“I’ve known Cormac for a while. He really cares for you. I could see it written all over his face when he first introduced you to us,” Leah assured me, reaching over the table to grasp my hand and giving it a little squeeze.
“This all feels like a lot,” I answered, staring down at the picture on the table. I reached and turned it toward me, losing myself for a second in my mother’s kind eyes.
“I know it is. We were able to keep you safe from our world for as long as we could, but with your father’s death, it seemed the only remaining solution was to bring you to Boston with us,” Kieran explained.
“I appreciate everything your family has done for me, but I need some time to process all this,” I murmured.
“Do you want to go back to Cormac’s? I’m sure you could stay with us for a few days if you needed someplace to gather your thoughts,” Leah asked. I shook my head.
“It’s a very kind offer, but I think I would rather be someplace by myself for a little while,” I answered quietly. I went to push myself up from the table, but Kieran’s gentle grasp closed around my wrist.
“Sit down for a little while longer and finish your dessert. When you’re done, Leah and I will see you safely to a hotel nearby. You’ll have it all to yourself, and you’ll be safe. All you need is to give the front desk my name and they will take care of you,” he offered.
Hesitantly, I sat back down.
“The only thing I will not allow is for you to sleep on the streets, not if I can do something about it,” he added, his tone carrying much of the firm weight that Cormac’s had.
“It would make me feel better too if we at least knew you were safe at night,” Leah said. Her green eyes searched mine, carrying with them genuine concern.
“Are you sure?” I asked, feeling a bit uncertain.
“It would make the two of us feel much better if you took my offer,” he pressed resolutely.
“Okay. Thank you,” I murmured, feeling relieved to have somewhere to escape to after all the upheaval that came with today’s discovery. I took a few more bites of my cake and Kieran kissed Leah’s cheek, leaving the two of us to talk for a little while longer while we ate and sipped at our drinks.
“I wasn’t always a part of the Murphy family either,” she admitted softly, her smile gently disarming.
“You seem so comfortable with them. I wouldn’t have been able to tell if you hadn’t told me.”
“Sometimes they can be a little hardheaded, but they mean well,” she giggled.
“I just wish he hadn’t hidden that from me. It makes it hard especially because things have… well… developed… between us,” I admitted shyly.
“You like him,” she challenged, her eyes sparkling.
“Yeah. I’ve never really met anyone like him,” I confessed.
I blushed, thinking about the first time he’d taken down my panties and spanked me. From that moment on, it was like the two of us had been on a crash course destined for one another. Right now, I wasn’t certain if I should stay or go, and I needed time to figure that out.
“The Murphy men are a special breed,” she answered, staring longingly over at Kieran who was working behind the bar. He was singing a tune under his breath, and she sighed happily.
“Listen, my best advice is to let yourself trust him. Once I did that with Kieran, everything else fell into place. They’re used to a world of danger, betrayals, and lies, but nothing means more to them than family. Cormac will figure that out. Just give him time and take as much as you need for yourself,” she continued.
“Yeah, I think that’s the best idea,” I agreed.
After that, Leah easily turned the conversation to her expected due date. She told me all about the woes of late term pregnancy and the time passed easily. When we were finished, Kieran came over and slid some cash over to me.
