Page 133 of Crimson Flames

“What should I do with this?” Kai asks, holding up the bomb.

“Burn it down,” I say.

Kai tosses the device into Ronan’s lap as we rush to the front door. Everything behind us is engulfed in fire and smoke as we step out to meet our family.

“You did it, Little Fox,” Boris says, kissing me on the head.

“No.” I look at him and take his hand while Cillian wraps an arm around my back, and Kai takes my other hand. “Wedid it. Together.”

“Together,” we all say in unison.

Chapter 54

“Cillian Kelly, did you really think you could get away with fake marriage certificates like that?” Nessa mock scolds as we get into the rental car.

Boris and Kai are in the back while I sit up front with Nessa. After the clean-up crews arrived at the property, we paid off a few people to say there was a gas leak that led to the explosion of the O’Brian manor. The four of us are heading to Boris’ jet to fly back to Russia while the others take Alexi’s.

“I didn’t fake a thing, Love. You’re married, to both of us.”

She slams on the brakes, and throws the car in park before getting out. We all follow her, Kai seeming very amused by the situation.

“Don’t you go grinning at him like that,” Nessa says. “Who the hell taught you to diffuse a bomb?”

“Akio and Adrian.”

She throws her head back, mumbling intelligibly. “I agree to train the kid, and apparently, that means that nothing is off limits.”

“Are you mad?” Kai asks, rubbing the back of his neck in that way he does when he’s nervous.

“Mad?” Nessa turns to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “I’m only mad you had to use that skill. If it were up to me, you would never need to know the things we teach you.”

He laughs, hugging her back. “Then, try to keep crazy mafia lords off your ass.”

She ruffles his hair, and we all fall silent. Boris is leaning against the car, ankles crossed.

“Alright, spill. What connections of yours made a marriage happen without the knowledge of the other party?” she asks Boris.

“I know people,” he says as if that were a real answer. She doesn't pry though.

“And whose idea was all of this?” That question is directed to me.

Raising my hand carefully, I grin. “I have this theory that our plans only go to shit when we say them out loud. But if I keep them a secret, then everything will run as smooth as a water slide.”

And it did too. The videos to the kids, Sullivan showing up at just the right time and sacrificing himself after making sure the catering staff and any innocents got out in time. The wholemarriage certificate thing, just in case Ronan got his hands on Nessa and tried to force her to marry him.

Some might call me a genius. Go ahead, you can do it. I won’t tell anyone.

“So your plan was to marry me in secret while also making it impossible for me to ever marry anyone else?”

“Who the feck else would you want to marry?” I growl, crossing my arms.

Nessa shrugs as a playful smile teases her lips. “You never know. You were a surprise. Maybe one day, we’ll need to add one more.”

Oh, okay, my girl’s got jokes. “Do you have another long lost love we should know about?” Boris asks.

“Never know,” Nessa taunts, swaying her hips back and forth teasingly. If it weren't for our kid being right here I’d pick her up, bend her over Boris’ lap, and spank her arse.

“I’m good with two dads. That’s enough for me,” Kai adds, shattering my thoughts of revenge.

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