Page 161 of Illicit Heir

I tug her closer.

Brody adds, "It's been confirmed. She's on her way here."

The color drains from Lauren's face.

I quietly tell her, "I need to know what ya want me to do."

She swallows hard.

I continue, "There are two options. Listen carefully and then decide. This is your mum."

Her lips tremble harder. She whispers, "What are the options?"

"We can keep her alive in a cell until she dies, or I can take her out today. What do ya prefer?"

She gapes at me, then her expression hardens.

I give her a few moments to process, then say, "I don't want to make this decision, Lauren. She's your mum, so it's your call. But I won't let that woman return to Dublin since she's willingly trying to put ya and our son back in enemy hands."

Lauren remains speechless.

"Give us the room," I direct Alaina and Brody.

They leave.

Once the doors shut, I pull Lauren onto my lap. I stroke her cheek and gently say, "There's no right or wrong answer. You can tell me to put her in a cell and kill her later if ya want. But those are the only two options."

Her eyes darken. She shakes her head and, in a firm voice, confirms, "My mum wants to take our child and me and put us in danger because she cares more about the O'Learys than her own blood."

I'm unsure why I play devil's advocate, but I do. Maybe it's the sadness I see in her eyes. But whatever the reason, I declare, "In fairness, she's doing it because she wants to see ya and be in your life."

"But only if I'm an O'Leary." Fresh tears fall down her cheeks. She swipes at them.

I kiss her on the lips and tug her into me. In her ear, I murmur, "Angel, what do ya want me to do?"

She barely gets out, "How could she do this?"

I don't answer her.

There's a knock on the door. Brody and Alaina reenter the room. He announces, "She's here."

Lauren's body stiffens.

"I'll put her in a cell for now," I say.

"No. Wait," Lauren orders.

I freeze and study her for a moment. Then I ask, "What do ya want to happen?"

She stays quiet.

I reiterate, "We can keep her in a cell until you make up your mind."

Lauren puts her hand over her face. "Why is she so evil? Why can't she just love me more than O'Learys? She's as bad as Tommy, isn't she?"

Alaina interjects, "It's hard, Lauren. Your mum was born during a different time. Ya know how it is for the women and how it was for her."

"But she's willing to take my baby and give him to Caleb," Lauren seethes.

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