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A choked sob escaped her as she released Noah’s hand. Her hand came up, covering her mouth, tears running down her face. Then, in the next heartbeat, she rushed toward me.

I stumbled her way and threw myself into her arms. She hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.

I buried my face in her shoulder and wrapped my arms around her, holding on just as tightly.

“My baby,” she sobbed. “You’ve gotten so beautiful.”

My eyes burned.

“Mom…”

She pulled back only far enough to cup my face between her trembling hands.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered, staring at me through tear-filled eyes.

I tried to smile, but my own tears spilled over.

“I missed you too.” I looked over Mom’s shoulder. “All of you. So, so much.”

Saoirse was staring at me.

And suddenly, she wasn’t fourteen anymore. For just a second, I saw that nine-year-old girl I’d left behind.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“I missed you, Sienna.”

She ran toward me, and so did the rest of my family. We held on to each other, Dad wrapping us all into his big embrace. I trembled in their arms, looking up at my dad.

“Thank you,” I mouthed.

He just nodded, his green eyes that both twins inherited shining like emeralds.

I clung to my family for a long time, just breathing in their comforting scent, relishing in the feel of all of them and having them near.

Eventually, someone cleared their throat, and I looked behind me to find the entire Callahan clan watching us.

“I guess I should make the introductions,” I rasped with a shaky smile.

THIRTY-SIX

TYRAN

Afew hours later, the formal living room looked like it had been invaded by two entirely different families and somehow decided it liked the arrangement.

Tall windows reflected the last bruised-purple remnants of sunset. A fireplace large enough to roast a small army was currently glowing beneath a row of carved pumpkins. It had to be Joseph and his wife’s doing since Halloween was around the corner.

Initially, my family occupied one half of the room and Sienna’s the other, but after three hours, everyone was mingling.

Aiden talked to Luca and Kristoff about the upcoming football season and political landscape, although neither had any interest in any of it. Our business couldn’t be discussed in the presence of Sienna’s family since they didn’t deal in the criminal world. It limited the topics.

“Dammit, if I knew there were going to be children, I would have brought mine,” Margaret claimed, watching Sienna’s siblings wistfully.

They were all seated on the couch—except for Noah—whispering, hugging a lot, and giggling occasionally.

That fucking pretty-boy Kai came too, and was seated on the armchair handle next to Sienna. They weren’t touching, but dammit, couldn’t he pick another chair in this room? There were at least five empty ones.

“I thought you wanted a break from your devil children?” Kyran asked our sister, sipping his Pepsi.