AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Cara,” Sienna darts forward, sliding her arms around Cara’s shoulders and drawing her into a tight hug, “I can officially welcome you into the family!”
“Thank you,” Cara laughs, and it’s music to my ears.
“Yes,” Dante smiles, swirling his glass with one hand. “Welcome! Good luck keeping this one under control, though.” He tilts his head at me as Sienna lightly shoves him, and Cara’s grip tightens faintly on my forearm.
“Oh, control won’t be a problem,” I smile, dropping my gaze to Cara’s wide eyes. “Will it, Cara?” Even under the dull light, I catch her cheeks flushing dark, and her fingertips dig into my forearm.
“We should make the rounds,” Cara says and her voice carries a light edge. “Say hello to everyone before they’re too drunk to remember who we are.”
I excuse us from Dante and Sienna and begin leading us around the room, Cara hanging gracefully from my elbow.
“You can’t say things like that in public!” she hisses in my ear, pushing up onto her tiptoes to ensure her words remain a secret between us.
“Why?” I retort, placing my free hand over hers and gently caressing her knuckles. “You’reminenow. I can say and do what I like. And whatyoulike doesn’t have to be a secret anymore. Not after tonight.” I watch her lips part and her brow furrow, certain there’s a smart retort resting on her little tongue, but I get there first.
“You looked stunning, by the way. Took my breath away.” My confession catches her off guard, and she mimics a goldfish for a few seconds before she leans into me, her cheeks flush dark under the neon flashes, and her eyes sparkle.
“You lookveryhandsome too,” she replies, once again a mere whisper of a secret. My heart flutters unexpectedly and I tighten my grip on her, so distracted by her presence that we nearly crash headfirst into Archer and his brothers as they down another round of beers.
“Killian!” Archer claps a hand on my shoulder and Cain and Declan cheer over their bottlenecks.
“Congratulations!” they yell, and Declan delivers a mock bow to Cara, who merely laughs at his actions.
“You are an absolute vision,” Cain declares and my brow lifts faintly. The alcohol must have softened them a little. I turn to Archer and offer a warm smile. He has gone above and beyond lately.
“Thank you for being by my side today, Archer,” I say, “and not just today…Everything, it’s appreciated. More than I care to admit.”
“You’re growing soft!” Declan exclaims while Archer merely tips his head and smiles at me.
“You make him softer,” Cain states as he leans a little closer to Cara. “We didn’t think anyone would be able to tame him, and now look!”
Any other night I might have lashed out at them for their words, for their closeness to Cara, foranyof it. Not tonight though. Tonight I’m far too light, far too relaxed for anything to affect me. It all brushes past me like a forgotten dream and I smile instead.
“I heard the insurance is finally starting to come in for some of the nightclubs,” I say to Declan, who immediately nods vigorously.
“Don’t worry, boss,” he states, “we’ve gotgreatplans. It’s all taken care of.”
“Excellent.” I thank them again and lead Cara away, though alarm pulls at my heart when I feel her shaking against my arm. I glance across and find her laughing quietly to herself.
“What is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just….” She chuckles and smoothes her free hand down her dress. “I’ve never seen them act so human before, that’s all. Usually, they’re like a trio of stoic gargoyles.” Her laugh tingles through me, and I don’t resist the chuckle that rises in response.
We spend the next half hour weaving through the party and thanking various family members for their presence, their gifts, and their time. It’s exhausting, and some of the men we talk to seem to be taunting me about being tied down, but I can’t bring myself to care. With Cara on my arm, I can take on the world, and my focus remains honed in on her until we finish our circle and arrive back at the bar in time for Callahan to join us.
His face is rosy, his eyes small, and the stink of alcohol seems to have seeped directly into his suit.
“Killian!” he yells loudly, his hands landing heavily on my shoulders, and he gives such a shake that I release Cara from my elbow for fear that she gets shaken free.
“Callahan,” I reply tightly. Face to face with the man that caused the majority of the trouble we’ve been through these past few weeks, it’s difficult to contain the surge of irritation that rises at his presence. Sure, he’s Cara’s father, but he’s done more to hurt her than even the Russians.
“It’s time for our dance, Cara!” Callahan wobbles away from me and takes his daughter’s hand. We exchange a glance, her eyes wide with alarm before he pulls her out onto the dance floor, and I swallow down my urge to go after them. It’s tradition for the bride to dance with the leaders of the families; it’s a show of trust and good faith when it comes to securing allegiance, so I must allow this.
Doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.
I lean on the bar and stare out of the large bay windows to the city below. A city that heaves with light and life, unaware of the shift in power that’s happening around them. Ants oblivious to how we tease and control their lives. Cara’s reflection catches my attention in the glass as she dances with her father, and my body melts against the bar holding me up. He looks to be telling her something she doesn’t entirely seem willing to hear. I can only imagine he’s telling her to be a good little wife.
“Sir? Can I get you anything?” The bartender interrupts me, drawing my focus for a few seconds.
