“He’s a fierce little thing, isn’t he?Takes after his auntie.”
Keira looked over as her oldest sister strolled up.Carrigan wore a short, fitted dress that would have looked downright uncomfortable on anyone else, but she managed to pull it off.She swooped in and pressed a quick kiss to Keira’s cheek.“First Sloan running off with Jude MacNamara, and now you walking down the aisle with Romanov.What am I supposed to do with you two?”
That surprised a laugh out of her.She should have known Carrigan wouldn’t respond the same way as the rest of her family—she never had.“You have no one to blame but yourself—youran off with the enemy and made it the cool thing to do.”
Her sister laughed and pulled her in for a hug that whooshed the air from her body.“God, I missed you.You really do look good, Keira.And you’re—dare I say it?—sober.”
“I am.”No reason to talk about the fact that she could tell exactly how many steps stood between her and the minibar.Keira didn’t know much about addicts, other than being one, but she didn’t expect that awareness would ever go away.She felt like her body was a water dowser, but for alcohol.She didn’t miss weed all that much, but liquor?She could only hope that craving would get easier to bear as time went on.
“Go figure.I’m going to be in New York in a couple weeks for some business.I’m stealing you for the day.”Carrigan released her and pressed both her hands to Callie’s belly.“You’re coming too, Callie.You’ve been so damn occupied with babies and business, I haven’t seen you in forever.”
Callie gave a small smile, her blue eyes sparkling with humor.“I suppose I could clear my schedule.”
Keira eyed the careful way her sister touched her sister-in-law’s stomach.“Am I sensing baby fever?”She made a show of leaning over and eyeing Carrigan’s toned body.“Are you and James going to start giving me nieces and nephews?”
“Maybe.”Carrigan shrugged.“Maybe not.But we’re having a hell of a time practicing.”
Homesickness hit Keira with the strength of a freight train.She hadn’t felt it in the O’Malley house, but that building wasn’t more than a physical representation of a loss she still hadn’t fully dealt with.It wasn’t home.Thiswas.Her family.
Before she could fully process that, Carrigan turned to face Dmitri.The happiness fell from her face.“You.”
“You’re looking well, Carrigan.”
What she was looking like was a woman willing to kill.James Halloran moved up and pressed his hand to the small of her back.He was all golden giant shadowing Keira’s oldest sister Carrigan.The man was attractive in a chiseled sort of way, but he looked about as comfortable as a lion surrounded by hunters, his blue gaze flicking around the room and seeming to catalog all the threats before settling on Dmitri.
Keira tensed to move between them, but Dmitri stayed her with a slight movement of his hand.He looked into her sister’s face and simply said, “I love her.”
Keira froze.She couldn’t believe he’d just gone and said it aloud.They might not have overt enemies in the room, but that didn’t mean they wereallies.Giving up this piece of information was as good as handing Carrigan and James the ammunition they needed to hurt him the most.
Kind of hard to doubt he loves me when he’s putting it out there in public like this.
For her part, Carrigan looked at him for a long moment and then huffed out a laugh.“Dmitri Romanov, in love.That can’t be a wholly comfortable feeling.”
“I’m getting used to it.”He shifted, letting his hand drop, and Keira slipped beneath his arm.Dmitri looked down at her and then back at Carrigan.“I understand better whyyou made the choice you did.If Keira was in danger, I wouldn’t let anything stand in my way to save her.Not an enemy, not a friend, not even breaking my word.”
It was a threat, but Carrigan laughed a little.“Yeah, I guess you do understand.”
“James.”Dmitri nodded at him.“Enjoy the reception.”
“Oh, we intend to.”Carrigan took James’s hand and they walked back to their table, pausing to talk to Cillian and Olivia as they did.Charlie and Aiden lounged at the same table, their heads bowed close to each other, in deep conversation.They were all here, all except Sloan.No one was fighting.No one was posturing or yelling or threatening to kidnap her for her own good.
Teague was naming his son Devlin.
It was an honor, but it didn’t change the fact that Devlin should bethere.He should be alive and sitting in the middle of Cillian and Aiden and laughing alongside Olivia.
Pain flared, so strong it nearly took her to her knees.Keira gripped Dmitri’s arm tighter.She closed her eyes and let herself envision walking to the bar, taking a bottle, and retreating upstairs until she didn’t feel anything at all.She could imagine the cool glass against her palm, the bottle at her lips, the blessed numbness washing away everything.
But that was the problem.It washed awayeverything.The good.The bad.The unforgettable.The numbness didn’t care that there were memories she’d carved out with Dmitri she didn’t want to lose.It wouldn’t matter that she’d finally made some kind of peace with the fact that she’d never quite fit in with her family, but that didn’t make them love her less.
Keira opened her eyes, but the walls were still too close.Too stifling.“I need a break, Dima.”
To his credit, he didn’t hesitate.“Let’s go.”He took a step, using his body as a shield between her and the rest of the room, but his stride hitched.
She looked past him to see Aiden on his feet and starting toward them, concern lighting his green eyes.Desperation sank its claws into her.“I can’t, Dima.I can’t talk to him right now.”It didn’t matter if her brother was only going to ask her if she was okay.She had to get out of there.Right now.
“Go.I’ll speak to him.”He jerked his chin.“Pavel will stay with you.”
Because she wasn’t safe.Not even in their home.
