“You have to know that the next several months—hell, it could be years—are going to be complete madness. There won’t be a day when you aren’t in danger because you’re my wife. They were afraid today, but not all of them will be happy with how things have turned out. Cian gave a lot of them leeway to do whatever the fuck they wanted. That’s not how I want to do things.”
“After this, I know what I’m getting myself into. They can’t scare me away.”
I sigh brokenly into her skin. “What do I have to do to get you to realize this isn’t a good idea? You’re already testing the limits of my better nature.”
“There’s nothing you can do. I’ve already made up my mind. Maybe if I hadn’t met your mother, I’d feel differently, but I did. I saw what she meant to you. Look at me, Aiden.”
I listen. God, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
She cups my cheek. “You meant something to me that night, too. It’s why I left before you could get my name. It scared me.”
Groaning, I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her until she probably has trouble breathing. “You shouldn’t have told me that,bhean chéile.”
“Why not?”
“Because after tonight, I’m not ever going to want to let you go.”
She lifts onto her toes and presses her lips to my throat. “So don’t.”
Later, when we aren’t in the belly of the beast, I’ll mourn losing my mother. I’ll give her the grief she deserves, but now, I can’t afford to be overwhelmed by those thoughts and memories. Catriona pressed against me is a welcome diversion, and my blood screams with leftover adrenaline. She arches against me as my hands turn more insistent. She presses her breasts into my chest and nips at my throat.
“I should have told you a thousand times before, but you’re perfect.”
“You did tell me before, remember? Called me your perfect little wife.”
I chuckle, surprised, as the sound rumbles out of my chest. “Still mad at me about that?”
“Don’t worry, I have plans to pay you back.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I capture her mouth, using the sweet taste of her to wash away everything else. She moans into it, lifting her hands to thread through my hair. The movement causes her nipples to rasp against my chest, and her breath hitches.
Tearing my mouth away, I say, “We don’t have to do this now. It’s been a bitch of a day, and I have things to see to before we can get some sleep.”
She nods, reluctantly hiding a yawn, and allows me to help her from the shower. I wrap her in a towel like she’s something precious, and she dresses in a matching pajama set I recognize from one shop in town. It should piss me off all over again, remembering how she put herself in danger to get my attention, but all I feel is grateful that she’s still alive.
“What things do you need to take care of now? Isn’t everyone gone?” she asks, when I’ve redressed in a clean pair of pants and a long-sleeved Henley shirt. I keep my 9mm close by just in case.I’ll have no qualms about killing the next bastard who threatens me.
“I need to make some calls before the news spreads too far. We can talk about it all in the morning. You need to sleep.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to by myself. I’d like to wait for you to get back.”
Now that the blood is cleared away, I can see the dark shadows of stress underneath her eyes. The fact that she’s still holding it together is fucking remarkable. “Okay, I won’t be long. Lock the door behind me. I’ll be back in less than fifteen minutes, I promise.”
I wait outside the door until I hear the lock click and then go in search of Bren and Tadhg to make certain they’ll keep watch throughout the night.
When I come back, she’s almost asleep. I climb into bed and tuck her close.
“You don’t have to leave again, do you?” she says into my shirt.
I should fight more. Convince her to leave. But instead, the words that come out of my traitorous lips are, “No, I don’t.”
“Then stay with me,” she says, tugging me into her arms.
CHAPTER 31
CATRIONA - 4 WEEKS LATER
