Page 84 of Mob Saint

Me

Thanks love you

Da

Love you, too.

I’ll never get too old to see or hear those words from my parents. It’s food for the soul.

Tiera’s phone rings in her purse.

“Daddy, whatever’s about to go wrong, we’ll figure it out together.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Only one person has that ringtone in my phone. It was Aaron.”

Chapter Nineteen

Tiera

I was awake the entire time Seamus was texting. I know he thought I fell asleep, and I was close many times. But I didn’t let myself doze off. I was scared something would happen, and I’d be unprepared. I didn’t expect to hear my dead husband’s ringtone after finding out someone’s been threatening—probably plotting—to kill me for three years.

I sit up and reach for my phone. I don’t expect to see a number, so it’s no surprise when the screen says unknown. I glance up at Seamus, and he shakes his head. I’ll let it go to voicemail. If it’s a threat, I refuse to hear it until Seamus can do something about it. Whoever it is can leave a message. I don’t want to hear them say something directly to me. I can’t handle that.

“You never assigned it to another contact?”

“No. I never wanted to hear it again. It hurts too much. He called me when he turned on our street to let me know he was almost there. It was the last sound I heard that wasn’t from either of us. If I knew how to delete a pre-installed ringtone, I would have. I just haven’t used it for anyone else.”

“I’ll see if Finn or Sean can figure that out.”

I assume that means they’re the O’Rourkes’ hackers or intel gatherers.

“I know we planned to go to your place. I have to deal with one of our guys who got arrested. I can’t get out of it, so I have to leave. My dad’s going to guard you. Would you prefer he comes to your place, or would you rather go to my parents’? My mom’ll be at my aunt and uncle’s.”

“You take this so seriously you don’t want your mom near me.” That doesn’t freak me out or anything.

“I don’t want my mom near a threat. I feel the same way about you. That’s why my dad’s going to guard you until I can get back. I know this has to be uncomfortable since you don’t know him yet. But my dad’s already guessed what you mean to me. He gets why I need him. Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t want to inconvenience either of your parents. It would be easier if we went to him, but then that means your mom won’t be able to come home when she wants.”

“T, if my mom found out I asked my dad for help, and he thought it was any kind of inconvenience, she probably wouldn’t speak to him for a month. Neither of them will ever consider taking care of family as an inconvenience.”

“But I’m not fam?—”

“I told you from the beginning I’m going to marry you. Whether or not you understood is irrelevant. My parents have known the same thing since the start. I’ve talked to my dad about you. Asked for his advice. He doesn’t keep secrets from my mom, except for the ones he has to. I know she knows about you. You wouldn’t be part of my life if this weren’t something special, something I want to share with no one but you. My dad was the same way with my mom. If we don’t work out, they’ll understand, but they know what I want without me saying it.”

“And that’s the same things as earlier?”

“Yes. My future is with you. When we’re ready, we move to the next step, then the next, and the one after that.”

“What are those steps?”

“We move in together, or we get engaged. We get married one day. And when we decide it’s right, I get to watch you carry our children and know we made them together.”

My heart is near bursting when he says things like that. It took months for me to fall in love with Aaron, and it took weeks after that for me to feel certain about my feelings. I don’t know exactly when it happened with Seamus, but I don’t think it took me the full two months we’ve been dating. It’s not just that I want to be in love. I don’t want to make the same mistakes I did before. But I feel it with a certainty that’s bone deep—I love Seamus. That’s my future too. I’m glad we talked about it earlier and hearing him say it again makes it real.

“I want the same thing. I know you thought I was sleeping, but I was awake. I felt you stroking your hand up and down my back, then when you slid it over me. I was too at ease to feel self-conscious about any of it. Your gentleness makes me feel cherished. I want to feel your hand on my stomach knowing one day we’ll have children we created together inside me. That you’ll be able to feel them and know how incredible it is. I’ve told you before, I love how the protectiveness and possessiveness make me feel. I know it’s a sign of affection. I know I belong to you just like you belong with me.”

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