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I want to plant my fist in his jaw, for speaking of Marika that way. But I know well enough that this is how things are—the way things have always gone, among these men. Doing them differently in any way will take time.
But it still gnaws at me, to think of forcing a child on her.
It was just nerves, she said. What other choice is there but to believe her?
Finn is waiting for me outside, when the meeting is over. Unlike Chicago, the Dublin Kings don’t welcome him into the meetings, and he’s leaning against the stone wall outside in his leather jacket, tucked tightly in against the chill of the day. He looks up as soon as he hears my footsteps, giving me an easy smile.
My right hand, and the only man I feel I can truly trust.
“I imagine that was no good time,” he says with a laugh, straightening. “They’re pissed you took the girl instead of wiping out the family, aye?”
I nod. He’s smart enough he could have been a King himself, if he had the bloodline. Unfortunately, Finn’s family are a long line of enforcers for those who lead, not leaders themselves. It occurs to me to wonder if he’s heard about what they did in Boston, elevating men who were not from a Kings’ bloodline to the table. It’s not something I think I’d do in Chicago, not even for Finn. But then again, there’s always the possibility of change.
“They’re pissed about it, alright.” I glance at the cigarette Finn is smoking with slight nostalgia. Years ago, I smoked and kicked the habit with the wisdom of getting older, and finding one’s mortality a little closer. At times like these, I find myself wanting one. “But there’s not much they can do, aye? A marriage done is done.”
“Mm.” Finn nods, taking another drag off of his cigarette, and I can see that he wants to say something. He’s always been one I can trust to tell me straight out what I need to hear, and in return, he knows he can speak to me freely, with impunity. But today, he seems more hesitant to speak than I’m accustomed to.
“Say what’s on your mind, lad.” I lean against the wall next to him, looking out at the street. The snow of last night has turned to rain, melting away whatever might have fallen in the city, the cloudy skies heavy overhead. It’s a match for my mood.
Finn lets out a heavy sigh. “The Vasilev girl was a good choice, I think. I agree with you that peace is better than bloodshed, especially when it comes to dealing with the Vasilev Bratva.” He looks at me wryly. “You’re a powerful man, Theo. But Nikolai Vasilev is no one to take lightly. The table might think it would have been nothing, but I’m not so sure. Fractured as they were, Nikolai was still more well-liked than his father and feared regardless. I think it would not have been as quick to fall as they think.”
“I hear a ‘but’ somewhere in this conversation,” I murmur, watching the trail of smoke from Finn’s cigarette.
Finn glances sideways at me. “I wish there wasn’t,” he says ruefully. “But unfortunately, aye. I have some concerns, Theo.”
“About Marika?” That surprises me. Finn hasn’t spent much time around her, and he’s not the sort of man likely to put in his opinion about my wife, either—not on a personal level, anyway.
“In a way.” Finn lets out another of those long breaths, dropping his cigarette to the ground and crushing it out with the toe of his boot. “It’s that security her brother sent along.”
“I’m not pleased with it either. But in the same vein of keeping the peace, I thought it best to allow it the once.” I shrug. “If he tries to keep them with her past this trip, then I’ll be having some words with Vasilev.”
“I can understand that. It’s not so much the security as a whole, though—” Finn’s mouth twists a little, as if trying to think of how to say what’s on his mind.
“Just say it, lad.” I look at him. “I won’t come down on you for it.”
“Aye, I know. It’s just that it might be nothin’, and I don’t like to cause strife out of hand.” Finn shrugs. “It’s one of them. Tall blond lad—Adrik, I believe his name is. There’s something off about him. It feels like—” He pauses again, frowning. “Seems like he’s got his own agenda. Like he’s not really paying attention to what’s needed from the security as a whole, just what his own interests are. Problem is, I can’t really think of what those interests might be. Not sure what he might have up his sleeve.”
I frown, thinking of the bodyguard I’d seen on the plane, the one who saw me with Marika and seemed angry about it. He’d been blond—but so were plenty of the men on the security team Nikolai sent.
“It’s likely nothing to worry about.” I look at Finn, still considering. “I imagine a few of them, at the very least, aren’t pleased with being tasked to come here and watch her, working along with my security. But keep an eye out,” I add. “I trust your judgment—if you think there’s something a bit off, then watch him if you can. Tell me if you see anything in particular.”
Finn nods. “I’m not a man to rest on feelings,” he says slowly. “And from what I’ve seen of your new wife, she seems like a sweet lass—not that my opinion matters, aye?” he adds hastily. “But something feels wrong about all of this. I don’t often come to you with a thing without hard proof, but it worries me enough to say something.”
“And I appreciate it.” I step away from the wall, thinking of Marika and letting her know that I’ll be able to meet her soon. “I’ll be with her this evening—if you see anything out of the ordinary, let me know tomorrow.”
“I will.” Finn fishes in his pocket for his keys, turning to go—and then he pauses, looking back at me. “I’m sorry if this is out of line,” he says slowly. “But I think it needs to be said. I can see she makes you happy, Theo, and I’m glad for it. But you need to be careful.”
And then, without another word, he turns and walks to his rented motorcycle, leaving me to stand there and consider what he’s said.
Marika
The day out shopping turns out to be one of the better days I’ve had in a long time. It’s cold and rainy—making my first purchase is a crisp, designer tweed raincoat to slip on over my sweater dress—but I find myself enjoying the day out all the same. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on my own at all, and though I still have security following me at a discreet distance, it feels as if I have a sort of freedom that I’ve never enjoyed in my entire life.
I’ve never even been this far from home before, and now I’m being allowed to explore Dublin on my own. It doesn’t come without guilt—I’m more than a little aware that the reason I’m being allowed this is that Theo trusts me, and I don’t really deserve that trust.
The guilt is also there because I can feel that deep down, I’mhappy. I’ve been happy since the flight to Dublin, with the exception of the moments here and there when reality has slammed into me. I truly can’t remember the last time I felt this kind of happiness.
I’m getting to see the world beyond my home in Chicago. I’m out in a new city, walking the streets, shopping, exploring a place more beautiful than I’d imagined. And when Theo is done with his meeting, my handsome, gentle, romantic husband will come and meet me and take me out to dinner, and then when we go back to the manor we live in here, he’ll—
