“He’s claiming his woman,” my other brother, Donovan, Callum’s best man, announced from his spot near the priest.
A wave of excitement went through the congregation, and laughter filled the air along with hoots and hollers and shouts of encouragement.
“Go on, Callum,” Kennedy yelled.
“Sweet Mary, mother of Jesus,” Ma exclaimed. “My son’s an eejit.”
My da’s friend, John Stone, drawled, “Nowthat’swhat I’m talkin’ about.”
Callum got to Maeve just as she threw her head back and laughed joyously. He tagged her waist and pulled her away from Patrick, then he lowered his head and gently kissed the tip of her nose, growling, “You’re stunning.”
“And you’re handsome,” Maeve giggled.
His wet eyes searched hers earnestly before he swiped impatiently at his face. “You ready to do this again, baby?”
“I’d marry you every damned day for the rest of my life, Callum O’Shea. I love you, husband,” Maeve breathed. Her hand reached for his, and she rested it gently on her stomach. She leaned up and whispered something in his ear.
Callum froze, and his jaw dropped as his eyes glazed over and he quietly asked, “Baby?”
My heart soared, and I smiled at their little secret as I watched Maeve beaming while she murmured, “Isn’t itawesome?”
I closed my eyes, swallowing down my tears at the beauty of what I’d just witnessed. The happiness I felt for Callum and Maeve filled me to the brim, but I couldn’t help feeling a little sad for myself because it would never be me.
The love of my life was a pure-bred bastard.
Even after I walked out on him last weekend and told him to get lost, Pagan hadn’t left me alone. He messaged, called, and even visited. I saw him on Main Street a couple of times, and he was even in the coffee shop when I went in to pick Mam some treats up.
I couldn’t believe the effort he was putting in to try to win me back. In a way, it made my blood boil because if he’d given me this kind of energy when we were together, then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess. An effort was all I ever wanted from Pagan. So, to get it now, when I wasn’t interested—well, it caused me some sleepless nights.
Callum laced his fingers with Maeve’s and tugged her down the aisle toward our family priest, Father Michael. Patrick followed, and I fell into step behind them, fixing what I hoped was a serene smile on my face.
As I took my place beside Tristan, I looked out over the congregation and stilled as my gaze fell on Pagan, who sat afew rows back. He looked gorgeous, dressed in a black button-down shirt and black dress pants. He wore Ray-Bans pushed up onto the top of his head, and his ear glistened with a diamond stud earring, which gave him a polished look, despite the myriad tattoos on his hands, chest, and neck.
His gaze skimmed my body-hugging, floor-length, strapless green gown, split up my thigh appreciatively, and his mouth curved into his signature sexy smirk. Dark eyes locked with mine, and my throat went dry at the raw, hungry expression on his face.
Goose bumps erupted over my skin at the way Pagan looked at me. As cliché as it sounded even to my own mind, his eyes seemed to undress me in a room full of people. He didn’t hide it or even try to look away; it was like he wanted me to see it.
A muscle rippled in his jaw as I turned my profile to him, but I could see from the corner of my eye how he watched every move I made.
My fingers tremored as I took Maeve’s bouquet while she said mass, and I smiled my way through the ceremony while Callum spoke his vows with so much reverence that a tear fell down my cheek at how beautiful it was.
Through it all, I could feel Pagan’s eyes on me, burning my soul through the layers of fabric and flesh. Tristan gave me a couple of wide-eyed looks before his gaze drifted to Pagan and back to me again, but I just kept my smile fixed and tried to enjoy the ceremony.
Still, by the time Father Michael pronounced Callum and Maeve man and wife, I was ready for it to be over. Pagan had a way of unnerving me. Maybe it was because I knew what he was capable of and that if he wanted to cause a scene in order to get to me, he wouldn’t hesitate. Either way, the sooner I could escape from his all-knowing stare, the better.
A loud round of applause went up, and everybody stood, clapping and whooping as Callum swept Maeve up in his arms and carried her down the aisle and through the doors, leading to the gardens.
Tristan held his arm out for Emily to take, and Donovan sauntered over and linked arms with me.
“Why’s Pagan looking at you like he wants to eat you up?” he asked quietly.
I glanced up at my handsome brother and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Probably because he does.”
His lips twitched as he led me down the aisle after Cal and Maeve. “Heard you were seeing him.”
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
“Be careful,” he warned. “There’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s a smart motherfucker.”
