“I know.” She remains on her knees until our eyes meet, and it’s like something clicks inside me, like a puzzle piece finally slotting back into place. She lunges forward and throws her arms around my body while I hug her as tightly as I dare, and then some.
She’s alive.
Saoirse feels and smells as familiar as the day I lost her and the overwhelming familial comfort hits me like a truck. I’m drowning in her scent, the feeling of my twin back in my arms and the unbelievable knowledge that my family are alive.
Theysurvivedby some twisted miracle and Anastasia’s unwavering loyalty.
Tears come in waves and I drown in Saoirse’s hug for so long that my back aches and my throat is raw by the time she pulls away, but then Cormac is there, drawing me up into a smothering hug. My ribs creak and my body complains, but I soak it all up. He’s still insanely strong even with one arm. Another wave of tears and then a sudden cold silence as a thought strikes me and I jerk back.
“What about Ma?”
“She’s in Scotland,” Saoirse assures me quickly. “Rocky snuck her out of the country. She’s safe. He’s on his way to get her, which is why he isn’t here. The ranch is gone. Hawk burned itto the ground, but Bruno has been searching for the horses that were set loose. We’ll have to rebuild and we will, so don’t worry.”
“Shit,” I gasp, trying to wipe my tears. “I checked the safehouses after you guys died, but when I didn’t find her, I had to assume she was dead too, but I put it out of my mind so quickly.”
“I don’t blame you,” Cormac says. “This might just be the hardest shit we’ve ever had to do.”
“But you did it,” Anastasia says, seated next to Erik. “Somehow… somehow, we made it.”
It’s painfully difficult to maintain my composure while surrounded by my siblings. It's surreal to see their faces and watch them talk as they fill me in on small details of how they’ve been living. Evelyn hugs me tightly and promises she’s been keeping the kids entertained with tales of my exploits so they all knew Uncle Cian was coming back. That makes my heart hurt even more and the pain doesn’t settle until another round of hugs. Cormac shows off the scar at the end of his stump and talks about a tattoo he plans to get, while Saoirse says she’s digging the shorter hair but can’t wait for it to grow longer and hide the scars.
My family is here.
Hawk will be turning in his grave where he belongs.
But there’s someone missing.
“Where’s Faina?” I ask Anastasia once I’m satisfied that my siblings are real and this isn’t some painful hallucination.
“Kitchen. Marcus, can you take him?”
The guard lingering by the door nods and motions for me to follow with one hand. Out in the hallway, I breathe deeply and attempt to dry my eyes while I’m led through a small corridor and into a small black and cherry red kitchen. Faina stands by the sink, staring out the window while absently drying a glass that looks like it was dry hours ago.
“Faina?”
She jumps and the glass slips, but she catches it just as quickly, then she turns to face me and her face lights up despite the uncertainty in her eyes. “Cian.”
A hundred things rush through my mind. A hundred things to say and yet none of them come. How can I explain anything when it feels like my entire world has been tipped upside down again?
And yet, being with her immediately feels like coming home. Walking closer to her increases that feeling of peace in my chest.
“I’m sorry,” Faina says.
“I’m sorry,” I say at the same time. There’s a slight pause and then we both laugh.
“How are you?” she asks.
“I feel like I’ve been carved up again,” I admit. “But it’s not so bad this time. Unless I’m dead and this is some weird mix of the afterlife, then I really need to evaluate why I’d envision my brother with only one arm.”
“Sibling rivalry?” she jokes softly.
“Maybe. I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the phone.”
“I’m a little mad,” Faina admits. “But I understand. Being back in the city after all of that must have felt terrible, and then I walked in here and saw Cormac. I slapped the shit out of him before I learned the truth. And then I called but…” Trailing off, her smile softens. “I’m glad you came.”
“Me too.” Our eyes meet and something warm bubbles in my chest. A comforting urge to say one thing that I’d only lightly entertained until now. It’s not exactly the setting for it but the words come out before I can stop them.
“Marry me.”
