Page 142 of King of the Cage

I sat in my usual booth in the back. Alice was in the hospital recovering from all the things that had been done to her. Doc was there, overseeing her care.

Bran stood at the bar with Declan and Mr. O’Connor, Sr.

He beckoned me over.

I was too exhausted to be nervous about finally meeting Bran’s father. I got up and went, folding my arms over my chest and summoning what was more a snarl than a smile. I wasn’t particularly excited to meet him. From everything I’d heard from Bran, he was a tough old bastard and not deserving of having Quinn and Bran as kids.

“You’re the wife, then,” he said shortly.

I nodded.

“Well? Cat got your tongue?” he asked.

“I know that you know my name, so I’m waiting for you to use it,” I replied starkly.

Declan flinched and coughed into his Guinness.

Time ticked by slowly, and then Colm O’Connor’s weathered face split into a grin.

“So, it’s like that, is it, Giada? Your brother informed me that he’s willing to whisper in Renato De Sanctis’ ear and make sure things are smooth on the Jersey side of the river, even if you never come back to live amongst us. That means you’re released from your marriage to my son… I give you permission to free yourself.”

I snorted, not about to play nice after the day I’d had. “You don’t give me permission to do anything.”

“Aye, only Bran can do that now,” Fergus teased from behind the bar.

I shot him a glare that earned me a chuckle.

“He can try,” I said, as sweetly as I could.

Bran’s father nodded slowly, his grin only spreading. “Aye, you’ll keep him on his toes.” He nodded again approvingly.

“Meaning?” I asked.

“Meaning, you’ll do, lassie. You’ll do nicely.”

Colm was wheeled out of there before long. Bran and Elio had been in deep in conversation at the end of the bar for an hour, when Elio stood and came over to me.

“I’m leaving, you okay here?” he asked.

I nodded and caught Bran’s eye. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m home.”

My brother’s stoic face split into a wide, seldom-seen grin. “I’m happy to hear it. Don’t forget Sunday lunch at Casa Nera. It’s a family affair. Make sure your new husband is also present. Sofia and Nikolai are coming home to visit.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Wow, what do you get if you put yourself, Renato De Sanctis, Bran O’Connor, and Nikolai Chernov in a room together?”

“Absolute carnage,” Elio announced as Bran wrapped an arm around him from behind.

“A fucking great time,” Bran said at the same time as Elio spoke.

Elio glanced at my husband and raised an elegant black eyebrow. “Let’s see on Sunday.”

“Looking forward to it, brother-in-law,” Bran said and slapped Elio on the shoulder in an entirely too familiar way that I knew Elio would hate.

Surprisingly, he leaned in and kissed me goodbye and left. Maybe Santoris had a natural-born weakness for the cocky, irreverent approach of O’Connor men?

“You know it’s dawn, right?” Bran asked. He sank into the booth beside me and pulled me close.

I nodded, my eyes heavy.

---