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I asked for it every year for my birthday.
Then when she died, it stopped.
The sugary sweet substance hits my tongue and reminds me of better times and fewer responsibilities. When Taylen was just a baby and I had my whole life ahead of me. One that I believed was going to be full of magic and adventure.
Not being pawned off to the next highest bidder.
“So, Haven…” I look up from my plate and across to Mrs. O'Clery, who had mentioned her actual name to me earlier when she was finally able to introduce herself, but I can't remember what it was. “I wanted to ask you where you’d like to go for your honeymoon.”
And there goes my fleeting appetite.
I can feel all the color drain from my face, but I’ve been practicing in the mirror to keep eye contact even in the worst of circumstances. I don’t want to give Finn or his family and ammo to see how much small things like this that are linked to her son are literally the worst things they could do for me.
“The Caribbean would be nice,” my brother answers for me, almost corrigible and kind, as if that comes naturally to him. “My sister would love the sand and sun.”
I’d also love it if you shut up.
“You’re killin’ Finn over here, Ma.” I steal a glance over at the eldest O’Clery son, Arlo. And the only reason why I remember his name was because he only studied and gaped at me for a solid five minutes so I must catalogued his name as being someone I’m going to need to be cautious of.
He lifts a glass of whiskey at me, for what I don’t know, when he takes a sip. Creating the questioning thought in my head about why anything would be killing Finn at all.
Unless he can’t wait to get me alone.
The thought makes my skin crawl, but my mind flicks over to something else entirely.
We’d be out of the country. I could run from this.
“Paris would be lovely,” I return, steering my focus to the woman of the O’Clery family. There are a lot of people there and plenty of places to hide. “I’ve always wanted to visit the catacombs.”
Which would be a perfect place to stab your son.
She smiles warmly at me. “Paris is beautiful. And it’s definitely somewhere a young lady should go.”
Preferable for reasons other than fleeing your son. But we’ll stick with that.
“Have you been?” I ask politely, slowly gathering my bearings and the taxing fact of ignoring my fiancé.
“Twice,” she replies from across the mounds of food. “Aiden took us there for one of our anniversaries.”
“I wanted to go to the Motherland,” Aiden chuckles back at the head of the table. “But the wife wants what she wants.”
A respectable marriage and Mrs. O’Clery is definitely not afraid to speak, which is interesting.
“Happy wife, happy life,” I deadpan.
“You takin’ notes, Finn?” I hear Kohen jeer to my right. “Your soon-to-be wife likes to travel.”
I don’t bother to see his reaction because I’d have to care first. Plus, dessert has already been served, so we’re going to be leaving soon, which is something I’m definitely looking forward to.
“Where else do you suggest, Mrs. O’Clery?” I ask, keeping the conversation going, and I notice that she hasn’t wiped the happy smile off her face all night. “Maybe my husband enjoys something less crowded.”
“Oh, goodness,” she quips, wiping the corner of her mouth with a white linen napkin. “There are so many places to go. Greece was absolutely exquisite. The history and ruins there…” She rocks her head back and forth as though remembering all of them. “We should make a list.”
I nod, not that it’s going to happen with me going to all these places, but I feed into it regardless. “That would be lovely.”
“What are yer hobbies, Miss Kincaid?” Aiden inquires. “A lass like yerself with a very famous brother and father must have some interestin’ things ye like to do.”
I have no idea what that means. However, I’m extremely quick to my answer. “Guns.” It seems like the whole table stops operating at the mention of things they probably sleep with on a daily basis, and Cillian’s head snaps over to me like I’ve lost my damn mind. “I’ve been learning how to shoot.”
