Page 65 of Forbidden Vows

Eileen shifts to look up at me. “Of course. I guess it’s the best out of the worst possible outcomes, right?”

“It does put a pin in the internal war prospects, if only for a while,” I respond. “Your father’s condition makes things worse, unfortunately, but I’ll take a breather wherever I can get it.”

“I know what you mean,” she sighs deeply. “I just wish Ciara had more sense.”

“She’s hurt and she’s spoiled. She’s also entitled and stubborn. All you can do is mend whatever you can mend and let her come to you should she ever need your support.”

“I’m scared for her. I wasn’t even that close to Sergei, yet I could tell precisely how duplicitous and dangerous that man was. Ciara isn’t an idiot. She’s not blind either.”

“Her ego is the size of Wrigley Field, Eileen. She’s absolutely blind at this point. But there are some hard lessons that she’s going to have to learn on her own, whether you like it or not.”

Eileen sits up, her beautiful breasts capturing my attention. Her skin glows in the morning sunlight that pours through the windows. I lick my lips, suddenly craving more of her. As much as I’d love to make the most of what’s left of our time together,she needs to get ready to go.

“Your father is back at home, right?” I ask her.

“Against the doctor’s advice, yes.”

“At least you can go see him now without worrying about the family drama.”

Eileen gives me a sad look. “It’s a shame it took Dad’s health to bring Ciara back into the fold. And even that’s not a certainty, not while she’s engaged to that monster.”

“She knows what she’s doing, babe. Marrying into the Bratva isn’t the worst idea, but there aren’t any eligible Karpovs left. Ciara is making a play for the rising power within the organization. Unfortunately, she’s betting on the wrong horse, because soon enough, I plan to knock Sergei down a few pegs. I just need to make sure he doesn’t have the other families’ support when that happens.”

“It’s all so complicated.”

I shrug. “It wouldn’t be if you changed your mind about taking over the Donovan business. Ciara wouldn’t be able to challenge you, not while Ronan’s will still has you at the top.”

“We talked about this, Anton. It’s not what I want. It never has been.”

“It’s like being a monarch. It’s mostly in the title. You could appoint someone you trust to do the actual management and handle the leadership.”

Eileen shakes her head slowly. “I was never made for this. It’s why I’m so eager to plunge into my café business instead. Ciara is perfectly capable of handling the Donovan business. It’s herfuture husband who worries me.”

“At the end of the day, you’ll always be safe, my love.” I reach out and pull her back into my arms. “Whatever happens to the Donovans from now on is on them.”

“It sounds logical enough.”

“But it doesn’t feel that way, does it?”

“No.”

As I plant a kiss on her lips, I can feel her temperature rising. She moans against my mouth, and for a moment I think we are about to slip into a hot and steamy quickie. A knock on the door, however, has us both scrambling out of bed.

“Mr. and Mrs. Karpov.” Ian’s voice comes from the hall. “Pardon the intrusion, but there’s a guest downstairs for Mrs. Karpova.”

“Who is it?”

“Your stepsister.”

I’ve got an unpleasant feeling about this. As soon as we reach the living room, I realize that my feeling was right on point. The look on Ciara’s face is a dark omen. Her smile gives me the fucking creeps.

Instinctively, I take Eileen’s hand in mine.

“How’s Dad?” Eileen immediately asks.

“He hasn’t come out of his room yet, but Dr. Rattner just left. There are no visible changes, but it will take a while for the treatment to have an effect.”

“What brings you here then?” I inquire.

---