Clasping my hands in his, Liam lifted them in the air.
Of course, mine didn’t stretch as high.
But the silent message resounded through the building. Around us, the room shifted. The verdict was clear. Liam was king, defying anyone to challenge him for the crown, and I was the queen of this kingdom built on blood.
“Sláinte!” Connor boomed the blessing.
It was rapidly echoed by the doctor, the men who guarded me, and others. Gaeilge mixed with English as voices raised in triumph.
“Hail the king,” I breathed before claiming his mouth in a brutal, ravenous kiss. The chaos faded away as Liam dropped his hold and scooped me against his body. I dragged my hands across him, his breath shuddering against mine. Relief poured through him, turning quickly into a low groan.
I felt him growing hard where my thighs pressed against his hips. A soft whimper escaped me. My pulse thundered in my throat.
Liam tightened his grip on me. The kiss burned with everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. There was no barrier between us now. Just a man and a woman.
If we had been alone, we would have given in to the primal heat surging between us. But the crowd still surrounded us, their energy humming through the room like the rush of a river.
I bit Liam’s lower lip before pulling back. A smile spread across my face. A real one.
“You are the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen,” I beamed.
His breath shuddered. “Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, I’ve waited so long to have you look at me like that.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
Liam kissed me again, quick and fierce.
“Now that I’ve earned your smile,” he said quietly, “I’m never going to lose it.”
Confusion flickered across my face. “Earned my smile?”
The beast stared at me. Something strange passed through his stormy eyes. I felt it pass between us, a piece of me embedding in him.
“Never mind, cailín. We’ll talk about it later.” He paused and nodded toward the ring behind him. “Right now, I have to deal with this mess.”
I winced, remembering the corpse only a few feet away. “Well, hurry up, so we can go home.”
Liam groaned softly as he lowered me to the floor. As he began handling the aftermath, I stayed close to his side.
The violence didn’t disturb me.
What unsettled me was how right it felt to stand beside him. How it felt natural to belong here. It was going to take some time to grow used to this. But thanks to the twists and turns of fate, we had that. And now that my son was safe at home and the assassination threat was gone, there was no reason left to hide and no reason not to claim my place. I was the queen Liam believed me to be.
Chapter 51 – Liam
The night air tasted of iron. Death sang her keen song on the breeze. And I ran, eager to be her servant. Once again, on this beautiful summer night, I was the lucky bastard who got to carry out her wishes.
My boots struck the pavement hard, the vibration jarring through my bones and making my already tired muscles scream.
But the night was far from over. After the fight, I sent my beautiful, sleepy little bird home with Connor. A dozen guards flanked their vehicle. Once she left, the beers began to pour and the craic was grand. I paused the festivities to deliver a stern speech. I warned the lads in no uncertain terms that things were going to be different now. I laid out my plans for my reign, not deviating too far from the path my father walked, but just enough to make sure there was no room for misunderstanding. Finally, I ended by repeating that there would be no forgiveness for rebellion in the ranks.
When that political shite was over, there was one more thing I had to do before going home to enjoy the blessings I didn’t deserve, but defied the devil and all his minions to take.
I smirked and ran faster.
Recent events had forced me to put this off long enough. Fate had given a soul an extension on his miserable life, and I was cutting that time short.
The frantic slap of footsteps was a joyful sound ahead of me.
