Page 29 of Forbidden Vows

“You have no idea.”

“I’ve been around both Donovan ladies long enough to figure a few things out,” I say. “Ciara’s a spoiled brat.”

“You watch your tongue.”

“It’s the truth,” I chuckle dryly. “She’s also as sharp as a tack and more than capable of handling your businesses in the future. But I have to ask… Eileen’s your biological child. Your blood. Why isn’t she the principal heir?”

Ronan takes a deep breath before settling into the chair in front of me. He doesn’t look any better than the last time I saw him, truth be told. There’s an air of mortality looming over him.

“I wanted Eileen to take over, but she wants something else. She’s got this dream about a coffee shop that just drives me nuts,” he says.

“The café business, right. Premium, single origin only.”

“You know about that?”

Eileen hasn’t told me anything. She barely spoke to me whenever I visited Ciara. In fact, Eileen has made a specific effort to avoid me since the engagement party. I suppose it’ll be harder for her to stay away from me now, however, in light of the pregnancy.

“Ciara told me about it,” I lie with a smile. “I’m guessing you’re not okay with that?”

“I just want my daughters to be happy and healthy, Anton. But I also need one of them to carry on my legacy. Eileen is my first and my blood, yes, and nothing would please me more than tosee her take over the Donovan business. Alas, she’s too kind and soft. She has different passions to pursue, though I’m not sure she’ll get to do much once she’s married to Kuznetsov.”

“Sergei likes his women at home, barefoot, pregnant, and preferably partial to cooking,” I reply. “Which is why I have a proposition for you.”

“What?” His eyes grow wide as he raises an eyebrow.

Good. I need him dazzled while I roll it out.

“I’m going to break off my engagement to Ciara, and I’m going to marry Eileen instead,” I tell Ronan. The words almost slip past him, but once he understands, his eyes damn near pop out of their orbits.

What follows is a deafening silence while I brace myself for his reaction. Ronan is known for his temper, and I’m not sure what to expect.

“I must be having a stroke, Anton, because I don’t think I heard you right,” he sounds eerily calm.

“You heard me right.”

“Why on God’s green earth would you even consider such a thing? Are you deliberately trying to start a war here?”

“No, on the contrary. I’m trying to avoid one,” I reply, then take a deep breath. “What I’m about to say will piss you off, no doubt. I’m bringing you one hell of a problem, but I’ve also got the solution.”

Ronan cocks his head to the side. “And what, pray tell, is the problem your so-called solution will resolve?”

“Eileen’s pregnant with my child.”

I can almost hear the vein snapping in his temple. He pulls in a sharp breath as the anger and outrage take over. I lean back in my seat, calm and composed.

“Before you explode, you need to hear the whole story. She had no idea who I was at the time,” I say, then tell him what happened that night, leaving the spicy details out. Ronan has no choice but to listen. He’s a smart man, and he’s been around the block. He understands the importance of our alliance. “I care deeply for Eileen. Otherwise, I’d resolve the situation in a manner that wouldn’t even involve you.”

“Oh, Anton, you slick son of a bitch,” Ronan scoffs, barely able to hold back. “I should kill you right here and now. No one would even bat an eye.”

“My brother and the entire Bratva surely would,” I reply. He’s not aware of the internal issues in our organization. Sergei wouldn’t try to bring him over to his side yet, not until he puts a ring on Eileen’s finger and seals the deal. This is the perfect opportunity for me to do this, as uncomfortable as it may be for Ronan. “I could still resolve things in a discreet manner, but I don’t want that. I want to marry your daughter. Just not the spoiled one.”

“Again, mind your fucking tongue.”

“Or what?” I snap. “She’s brash and unkind, especially to Eileen. She may have the wits to run your business, but she doesn’t know how to treat people, and that will get her killed one day.”

“You underestimate her.”

“Or maybe youoverestimate her. Ciara still has a long way to go before she can take over for you, before she can command the respect of your people. You know it and I know it. Your enemiesknow it. Let me have Eileen’s hand in marriage. I’ll still be close enough to Ciara to make sure she doesn’t get eaten alive. This way, Eileen’s reputation remains untarnished, and Ciara can move on and find herself another man to marry, to have her perfect wedding day with.”

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