“Come sit down, baby, I need to tell you something.”
A sudden chill blasted through me. Is this where he said sayonara, your family drama is too much for me? I wouldn’t blame him, honestly, it was a lot for someone to take on and I knew he had his own drama.
He sat me down on the bed’s edge and he stood up, his own pacing setting my nerves on edge.
“Savage, for the love of God, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Something was raised after you left church and I need to tell you about it, but I’m fucking nervous because I don’t like talking about it.”
“Uh…if this is about my family-”
“No,” he said quickly, coming to kneel before me and taking my hands in his. “Baby this ain’t your drama, it’s mine. I just…I don’t talk about it, because I fucking hate talking about it. I don’t know a lot about my life pre-Ireland. I was born in Russia to a powerful man.”
She nodded. “Oh…okay.”
“My mother knew he would use me as a tool. She wasn’t his wife, she was one of his many girlfriends. When she was able to, she fled with me from Russiaand took me to her homeland…here. She changed my name and put me in an orphanage no one would think to look in, and she hid where she was so the lie could be kept.”
“You know who he is now?”
He nodded. “Yes, I’ve discovered a lot about what she kept me safe from. She gave up her life for me.”
“How could he still not know where you are?”
“My birth name wasn’t Niall Gleason.”
“Oh.”
“It was the man’s name who got her out of Russia. He protected us at the peril of his life. He died with her, protecting her. I wear his name with pride. That’s why no one calls me Niall until they’ve earned the right to.”
“So what do you have to tell me?” I asked him. “It looks like you’re about to pass out.”
“I don’t want you to think I am anything like him…I’m fucking terrified you won’t want anything to do with me after I tell you.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I put my hand on the side of his face and leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips, leaning my forehead againsthis. “Nothing would ever make me stop wanting you, Savage.”
He pulled back, his brow furrowed. “You don’t call me Niall anymore.”
“You told me not to…when I left and after what I just heard, I need to earn my right back to being able to call you it.”
He sighed. “I forgot about that.”
“I understand it.”
“You don’t have to earn shit with me, Shona. I’m Niall to you. I’myourNiall.”
My chest expanded and I pulled him to my lips again, deepening the kiss and holding him close. I know he needed to talk but declaring that…declaring what I think he was saying made me feel whole. He was claiming me. I pushed him back a little. “Wait…did you…did you claim me by pulling me onto your lap in the chapel?”
His cheeky smirk answered for me, and he kissed me again. I couldn’t even be mad. I would have wanted him to do it in front of everyone, but in front of the boys whilst amidst club business…that was declaration enough for me.
“Are you going to finish talking?” I asked him.
He groaned. “Do I have to?”
“Apparently I need to know, so yes.”
He groaned and pushed up into a standing position as he started to pace again.
“Jesus, can you just come and sit down…you’re making me dizzy.”
