With that, he turned and sauntered off back toward the table he’d first approached where Cordelia was seated with her subs and other members of the club. Jacob’s face lit up at the sight of him, though she couldn’t help but notice Cordelia didn’t give him the same welcome.
She understood Cordelia’s response to his presence far more than Jacob’s and yet, her own body ached for the loss of him. Pain stabbed at her chest at the knowledge she could never give him that same welcoming smile as Jacob, knowing who he was.
And on the heels of pain came fury. Fury that she should have to grieve the loss of a man she’d thought she might be falling in love with. But more, fury that she cared so damn much.
Turning away from the sight of Killian laughing with his friends, apparently completely oblivious to the fact her entire world was shattering around her, Aria stared up at her father. “So when were you going to tell me you’re best friends with a mob boss?”
Braden shrugged, as if Killian’s business dealings didn’t bother him in the least. “It never came up.”
Anger pricked at the base of her skull. “Seriously, Dad? That’s the best you can do? Of all the fucking lame-ass excuses?—”
“Aria.” As was his way, Braden didn’t shout her down. He simply pinned her with that look, the one that said she was treading on dangerously thin ice. “It’s far more nuanced than that. Killian is…” He hesitated, clearly weighing his words. “He’s a good man.”
“He’s the head of the Irish Mafia, Dad!”
Braden didn’t so much as blink. “I’m aware.”
“Oh my god. Do Uncle Desmond and Uncle Bastian know?”
“They do.” The corners of her father’s lips twitched. “They’re not thrilled with his membership at our club.”
“I don’t understand how you’re so fucking calm about this.”
“He really is a good person, Ari.” Lottie spoke up softly. “He’s the whole reason your dad and I ended up together.”
“What? I thought…” Okay, now that she was really thinking about it, they’d never actually told her how they’d gotten together. They’d always framed it as ‘one of those things that just happens’ due to their proximity to each other.
Snagging a mimosa from a passing waiter, Aria downed the entire thing in one gulp and stabbed a finger in Lottie’s direction. “Explain. Now.”
“Aria, you’re being incredibly rude.”
Lottie waved away Braden’s scolding tone. “It’s fine, Braden. You’d be pissed, too, if you found out your daughter was besties with someone you didn’t trust.”
Shooting her father a smug smile, Aria returned her attention to Lottie. “Okay, so, how did he have anything to do with the two of you getting together?”
“Ah, well… it’s complicated.” Pink colored Lottie’s cheeks. “My dad and I were in a bad spot financially, and Frankie found this underground auction online. So I sold my virginity to help pay off some of our debts.”
Of all the things she could have possibly expected Lottie to say, that hadn’t been anywhere on her radar. “You sold your what?”
Looking somewhat sheepish, Lottie shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe not the best plan, but it all worked out in the end.”
“What the hell does that have to do with Killian?”
“Ah, well…” Lottie shared a look with her husband who sighed and nodded. “Killian won my auction.”
Okay, scratch that previous thought. That was the absolute last thing Aria could have predicted would come out of Lottie’s mouth. “You slept with Killian O’Rourke?”
So did you, remember?
Unfortunately, she did remember. In horrifyingly vivid detail.
“No, no, no.” Lottie shook her head. “He insisted on meeting somewhere semi-public so we could hammer out the details of our night together, so we met at your dad’s club. Braden saw us together and… well, he kind of lost his mind.”
Smiling dreamily as if it was the most romantic story in the history of love affairs, Lottie leaned against Braden, tilting her head to his shoulder. “He dragged us up to his office, offered to buy my contract from Killian, and Killian agreed. So if it weren’t for him buying me and wanting to meet at the club first, I don’t think your dad and I ever would have gotten together.”
“We would have.” Turning his head, Braden pressed a kiss to his new wife’s hair. “It might have taken us a bit longer, but we were always meant to end up here.”
“Awww, you big softy.”
