“Are you two hungry?” Thea calls out.
Turning towards Thea, I see everyone is sitting at the kitchen table, now laden with food.
“Starving,” Bella admits.
She drags me over to the table and sits in the chair she occupied earlier, patting the one next to her for me to sit. Reaching for the food with the other hand, she piles my plate high. My family notices her attentiveness, which makes me smile.
Bella is already mine. She just hasn’t put two and two together yet.
CHAPTER 10
CAHIR
I watch Bella and Copper from the shadows. They’ve grown closer, which makes my old heart happy. We all hated how much she hurt when we asked her to take this job.
Sam was hurt, too, which is why I was at the wedding this evening. To check up on him. It was good to see him settled and happy.
That only leaves Bella, but I have a feeling Copper is the man to make her his. Cai will be thrilled that another of his ancestors is happy.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and put it to my ear.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s okay, Silas. They’re at her safe house, and she’s meeting Copper’s family.”
Silas lets out a heavy sigh. “Fuck, Cahir, that makes this old man happy. I hate how much what we asked of her hurt her.”
“Me too, brother, but she can heal now. Copper will make sure of it.”
“They still have more pain coming, Cahir, and I can’t see the outcome,” Silas warns.
“I know.” I suddenly feel old. Fighting the underbelly of this world for as long as we have takes its toll. “We have to have faith, brother, that it will all work out as it should.”
We’re quiet for a bit because we know we can’t change the future, no matter how much we want to.
“How did tonight go? Did you and Cai get the information we needed?”
“We did. Bella’s drawing was good. Slipped in and out, no problem. Their security wasn’t the best. Ramzi is busy tracing bank accounts now. We’ll decide which ones we’re going to target.”
“Good,” I respond.
“You need to speak to Coal. One of the jobs will be close to him. He needs to send Iron, Brass, and Cross in, with Blue as overwatch.”
“I’ll let him know. What’s the timeline?”
“One week. Let’s see how they manage. We’ll be on hand, but we’ll stay in the surveillance van. That way, Ramzi can train Sterling, too.”
“Okay. Send me the address once Ramzi has it, and I’ll let Coal know.”
“Ride safe, brother,” Silas reminds me as he ends the call.
I return my attention to the house that currently shelters our family and hope to fuck this isn’t the last time they all get to be together.
I wait until the house lights go out before I leave.
CHAPTER 11
BELLA
