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“Thank you,” I say to her instead of drilling her with questions.
Priscilla and Ana exchange brief hellos, and Ana shows her where J.P.’s necessities are. After kissing the baby and Sophie, who stays in the nursery to help Priscilla, Ana and I walk down the hall.
Downstairs, someone’s already replaced the back slider and started on the windows. The Reid clean-up team vacuumed up all the glass. A woman in a red handkerchief on her head is wiping down my cabinets and another is mopping the floor.
My neighbors think my house got caught in the middle of a gang war.
In my foyer, I’m halted to see Kieran talking to Eoghan. We make eye contact, and he takes heavy steps toward me, his height imposing as ever.
He throws his arms around me. “Fuck, I was so worried.”
“I thought you’d be mad,” I exhale. “I didn’t expect you to come all this way.”
“Why on earth not?” He grabs my good shoulder. “You’re my brother. The same as these brats.”
With Ana behind me, I bring her forward. “Kieran, this is Anastasia.”
“Aye, good to see you alive.” He hugs her. “Where’s the wee-one?”
“Priscilla has him,” she answers softly. “She’s helping Sophie pack up a few things. And keeping her occupied.”
“Aye, you agree, you’re coming home.” Kieran looks around at the men pulling stickers off all the new glass. “I can’t protect you on this coast the way I keep everyone safe in Astoria.”
“Yes, we’re going home,” Ana answers, strength returning to her voice. “I need to see my father and—”
“Hold your thoughts,” Kieran says sharply. “And your tongue until we’re all together to discuss.”
Next, we’re sitting around my dining room table.
Kieran took the head at the far end even though it’s my house, but he’s in charge of our family.
Since my life is what’s being discussed, I sit on the other end.
Ana sits to my right with Katya on the other side. They’re holding hands on the table. Lachlan, of course, sits next to his wife.
Riordan sits on one side of Kieran and Eoghan next to him.
Balor is back in Astoria.
Riordan gives a brief synopsis of what happened today after he and Cormac met for a debriefing. He’s in a chair off to the side, keeping his head down.
“This war with Alexei ends today,” Kieran says, jamming his index finger onto my jacquard tablecloth. “One way or the other. Either he stands down and agrees to a truce now that we’re bringing his daughter home… Or I finish him myself.”
I feel Ana stiffen next to me, her throat bobs in a rough swallow.
“Ana and I are getting married,” I jump in. “My name is on James Patrick’s birth certificate, I’m ready to admit, I got her pregnant.”
“He’ll try to kill you,” Kieran says. “I can’t let that happen.”
“I’m going to tell him the truth.” Ana stands up. “I wasn’t kidnapped.”
“Me, too.” Katya stands with her. “It was my idea.”
Kieran glances at the two Russian princesses his brothers have drawn into the O’Rourke family.
“Katya, I can’t let you take any heat for this,” Ana says, still trying to protect her sister.
“If my wife wants to confront her father and get something off her conscience, then she’ll do it,” Lachlan speaks up. “Alexei will never try to hurt her again.”
