Page 66 of My Irish Mafia King

"Are you trying tocharmme?" she says, laughing.

Laughing with her reminds me that there's always going to be light to offset the darkness. The limo driver pulls up outside the bar, and immediately, one of my men rushes forward to open the door. I climb out and then offer Lucy my hand. She takes it, climbing from the car, her jewels sparkling.

I place my hand on the small of her back and guide her into the bar. Immediately, a hush falls over the room as we make our way to the long tables laid out at the front. Colm and Ronan are waiting for us, Ronan with a bandage on his face and a grim, determined twist to his lips.

"Ronan," Lucy says as we approach. "I'm so happy to see you up and about."

He smirks. "I would not miss this. I've told this stubborn ass for months that making you his woman would be the best decision of his life. It's good to see he's finally taken my advice."

"I should've taken it sooner," I tell him, leading Lucy around the table and into the seat at my side. "Champagne?"

"Sure," Lucy says. "That sounds good."

I gesture for a waiter. People go on with their conversations, but I'm aware of them glancing over at us, waiting for me to stand and make the speech that will signify I'm taking the crown. I loop my arm around Lucy's shoulder and lean in, whispering in her ear, "People are looking at you, Lucy... with the respect of a queen. Look into their eyes; you can see how much they respect you, fear you, even. They know the power you have."

"It's a nice change from being judged," she admits.

"It's not just the fact you're with me, either," I reply. "Everyone has heard the recording. They know what you did for this Family. They know how brave you are."

When I stand up, the music cuts off, and everybody turns to me. A silent anticipation falls over the room, everybody staring. In their eyes, I see a mixture of awe and fear.

The legend has spread: storming the estate, taking Frank and Owen alone, taking a bullet.

"We're here this evening because I am taking the Callahan crown," I say, looking the men in the eyes steadily. "For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with it. I was content to let supposedly good and trustworthy men run the Family, but I was wrong about them. Things are going to be different now. This is a new kingdom, with a new king... and queen."

I turn to my woman, take her hand, and guide her to her feet. She wraps her arm around my waist and shuffles close.

"By now, you've all either seen or heard about what happened between me and the traitors who tried to tear this Family apart. I took a bullet to claim my crown. By now, you've all heard the recording in which Owen Doyle admitted to orchestrating my father and my grandfather's deaths. None of that would’ve been possible without Lucy, my woman, my muse, my treasure, my lucky charm."

I pick up my glass of champagne.

"I propose a toast... to the future of the Family and to my queen."

Everybody raises their glasses. I look down at my woman and see that she's smiling up at me. For a moment, everything else falls away, the surroundings melting to nothing, and I see a lost kid with honey-colored eyes, looking at me as if I have all the answers.

But that's not right. She was always the one with the answers.

Twenty-Seven

LUCY

"These are even better than mine," I say, sitting on a quaint old bench in a cute Irish village as a light rain falls, and I swallow a delicious scone.

"Let's not go too far," Killian says, grinning as he takes a bite. "Yours are perfect."

"When we come home," Nora says, "you'll have to make us some, dear. I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about."

I smile at Ellie. "Maybe Ellie can make us all a delicious dinner, and I can handle the dessert."

She grins. "That sounds like a deal."

For a minute, we eat in comfortable silence. It's been a week since the swearing-in, and life has gotten better every single day. My man makes me feel like I belong, whether we're in bed, at a restaurant, or at a mob party. One afternoon, we went to The Celtic Crust together, donning overalls and helping the workmen clear the last of the rubble.

The rebuilding has begun... the future is looking brighter.

"Shall we walk back to the house soon?" Nora says. "Not to sound like a crabby old crone, but I could use a nap."

"You're not crabby or old," I say, touching her hand.

---