Silently, I step away from Kieran, following her over to the next exhibit. We both look at the abstract painting of pink, orange, and blue lines, neither of us saying anything, just processing.
"What do you think this is a painting of?" Ella asks me.
Looking over it for a moment, I confess, "I'm not sure. Honestly, it looks just like linesto me. I've never been big into art. That was always you."
She shrugs her shoulders, before admitting, "Sketching was just my way to escape."
Her words bring a prick of tears to my eyes once again but I try to push them back. I don't need to keep crying all night, no matter how many emotions are swirling around. "I'm sorry," I shakily tell her.
"Over the past two years, I've had time to think about everything, and you know what? I'm not sorry," she says, making me look at her, but she continues. "Well, at least not totally. If it wasn't for your mother, sister, and you, I would never have become who I am today."
Ella pauses as we walk over to the next sculpture. "I would never have met Mikhail. Nor would I have ever known what I was capable of, or realized how strong I am. Even though you hurt me, I know that you had to endure a lot, too. After your mother was arrested, she confessed to everything,including how she used to make you auction yourself off for sex."
Her words and confession that she knows my darkest secret, has my breathing picking up. I've never wanted anyone to know about that. I glance around the room, checking to see if Kieran is anywhere near, I'm not sure I would be able to look at him if he knew the extent of how many times my mother made me auction myself off. Even my virginity wasn’t off limits.
"I'm a survivor, Mia, just as you are. We shouldn't let these things tear us apart. We should use them to bring us together."
I nod my head, letting her know I hear what she's saying, because she's right—weshouldbe coming together. "Are you sure that we can do this?" I whisper.
"Of course. We're sisters. Besides—" she begins as her gaze falls on where the men are standing, staring at us, neither of them talking. "They need us. Mikhail has a new enemy and even if he doesn't want toadmit it, he needs allies. Kieran could be his. We could bring them together. All of us are connected in more ways than one."
"Allies are good. I'm in, Ella. Besides, I would love to have my sister back. This time for real," I tell her with watery eyes. Wiping them, I laugh. "I'm such a mush tonight."
Ella pulls me into a hug once again, whispering, but I can hear the shakiness in her voice, "That's okay. We can be mushy together."
When we pull away again, she smiles at me. "Now tell me about how you've been. You’re married to Kieran?" Then the tone in her voice drops. "You know he's the head of the Irish Mafia?"
"Yes, I know. But he makes me feel safe, and I haven't felt that in a long time," I tell her as we continue our way toward the next art exhibit. Tears prick my eyes, because I know the moment the words leave my mouth, I’ve never spoken truer words.
"As long as you’re happy," she says, hearing a hitch in her voice.
After a few moments of us walking in silence, feeling the emotions of the night. We end up talking about what we've been up to the last two years, relishing in the sisterly love that is beginning to bloom.
And for the first time ever, I have more hope than I could ask for.
twenty-six
Kieran
It's been a few days since the night of Ella's birthday gala, and things have been pretty quiet. Which has me on edge, but I'm trying to take it all in. Mia has been in good spirits since her and Ella made up the other night, despite Mikhail's efforts. When Ella gave him a withering look, all I could think of was,Have fun sleeping on the couch, asshole. You deserve it.
The last few weeks since I stole Mia from her previous life have been filled with so many emotions, more her than me.
After realizing Mia doesn’t have a phone, I got one for her because now she has reconciled with her step-sister, she needs a way to be able to talk with her. Besides, nowIhave a way to talk with her when I'maway from her, even though that won't happen often.
Reaching for it, I pick it up, standing up, ready to give it to her. I walk out of my office, heading straight to the living room, which is where I left her last—reading one of the new books I got for her.
I smile when I see that I wasn't wrong—Mia hasn't moved a muscle since the last time I saw her. Needing to be near her, I sit down on the couch next to her, pulling her legs out from underneath her. "I have something for you."
She whips her head towards me, smiling at me. "What is it?"
"Here," I tell her as I hand the phone over to her. "I realized you didn't have a phone." Suddenly feeling a little unsure of myself for some reason.
She reaches out for it, pressing the power button. "I didn't have a phone when you found me. Icouldn't afford one."
"I put my number, Ella’s, and some of my family in there. That way you can reach us, no matter what."
My heart explodes when she looks at me beaming. She places the phone down on the side table next to the couch, and a sliver of her shirt slides up, exposing a section of her skin, making my cock harden.
