Something fierce and satisfied flashes across Erin's face. "Good. I hope he suffered."
"He did," Dante confirms, and leaves it at that.
Callahan moves forward, lowering himself carefully to sit on the floor with us—an old man, tired and grieving, but determined to see this through. He looks at Erin with something like wonder and pain mixed together.
"You look so much like your father," he says softly. "Same fierce eyes. Same stubborn chin. Seamus would be so proud of you."
Erin's face crumples again, but she manages to hold it together. "I miss him."
"We all do," Callahan says. "But he left you a legacy, Erin. The Irish organization is yours if you want it. Patrick is gone, and there are still men loyal to Seamus's memory who will follow you. You could rebuild what he built. Make it something he would be proud of."
Erin shakes her head immediately. "I don't want it. I never wanted the mafia life. I just wanted—" Her voice breaks. "I justwanted Dolan and our farm and our chickens and a life that did not involve death and violence."
"That is still possible," Dante says, crouching down to our level. "Callahan will take over the Irish organization with our backing. You can have whatever life you want, Erin. You can disappear to Texas, raise your baby in peace, and let the mafia world forget you exist. That is your choice to make."
"But the alliance—" Erin starts.
"The alliance is secure," I interrupt, understanding what Dante is offering. "I am your sister. I married Dante. That makes me the connection between the Irish and Italian families. You do not have to sacrifice your happiness for politics anymore."
Erin looks between us, her expression shifting from grief to something like desperate hope. "I could really just... leave? Go back to the farm?"
"You can do whatever you want," Dante confirms. "The only condition is that you let us protect you. Guards watching the property, regular check-ins, emergency protocols in case anyone tries to come after you. But otherwise, you are free."
The word seems to hit Erin like a physical thing. Free. After a lifetime of being the Irish princess, the political pawn, the girl whose value was measured in alliances and agreements—she can finally just be Erin.
"I would visit," I say quickly, because I can’t let her think I am letting her go completely. "Once the baby is born, I could come see you and both babies could be together. And you could come here, whenever you wanted. The door would always be open."
"Both babies," Erin says, her eyes dropping to my stomach with sudden realization. "Oh my God, Rosie. You are pregnant too?"
I nod, my hand instinctively moving to my belly. "I found out yesterday. Same day I learned about Dolan. Same day Seamus's birth certificate arrived."
"Yesterday," Erin repeats, her voice hollow. "You found out you were pregnant and that your father was killed and that Dolan was dead, all in the span of two weeks?"
"It has been a rough twenty-four hours," I say with a weak attempt at humor.
Erin reaches out and takes my hand, our fingers interlacing the way they have since we were children. "Our babies will grow up together," she says, and there is something fierce in her voice now, something determined. "They will be cousins. Family. They will know each other and love each other the way we love each other."
"Absolutely," I promise. "I will make sure of it."
She squeezes my hand tighter. "I am sorry I left you. I am sorry I ran away with Dolan and left you to deal with the wedding and Dante and all of this. If I had known—if I had any idea that things would turn out like this?—"
"Stop," I interrupt gently but firmly. "You have nothing to apologize for. You fell in love. You wanted to be with the man you loved. That is not something to be sorry for."
"But it put you in danger. I forced you to take my place?—"
"I chose to take your place," I remind her. "No one forced me. You asked, and I said yes, because I love you and I wanted youto be happy. And you know what? I am glad I did. Because marrying Dante turned out to be the best decision I ever made."
Dante's hand settles on my shoulder, warm and solid, and when I glance up at him, his expression is so full of love it makes my chest ache.
"I never expected this," I continue, looking back at Erin. "Never expected to fall in love with three men who would move heaven and earth to protect me. Never expected to build a family that is mine by choice rather than obligation. But it happened, and I would not change it even if I could."
Erin's eyes fill with fresh tears, but these are different—not grief, but something softer. Relief, maybe. Or gratitude. "You are happy."
"I am happy," I confirm. "Which means you do not get to feel guilty about running away with Dolan. You gave me a gift, even if you didn’t mean to."
She laughs—a small, broken sound, but a laugh nonetheless. "Only you would find the positive in being forced into an arranged marriage."
"It was not forced," I correct. "It was chosen. Just like everything else about my life now."
