Page 37 of Stolen Hearts

“Everyone. Out,” he growls quietly.

I can see Hades is about to say something. But when I glare at him, he drops it and just gives me a quick nod. Soon, everyone’s filing out except Ares, Cillian, Castle, and me. When it’s just the four of us left, my brother exhales slowly.

“First things first: this ball is completely in Callie’s court now.” He gives Cillian and Castle both a hard look. “This ismymess. And I’m not forcing my sister to doshitto clean it up.”

“Noted, God of War,” Cillian mutters.

My brother eyes him for a moment and then turns his gaze to Castle. “While I appreciate your offer, it doesn’t necessarily solve our problem.” He points to the blood-marker on the desk. “Elsa was clear. It has to be a head of a—”

“He will be.”

Cillian turns his gaze to Castle. Something unspoken flickers between them. Because slowly, Castle nods his head. Cillian puts a firm hand on his shoulder, nods back, then turns to Ares as he takes a measured breath.

“I’m stepping down. Nobody but Una knows that yet, but they will as soon as I leave this room.” He shakes his head. “I’m done, Ares. I mean not done with the life or with my family or even this organization. But I’ve been running the Kildare empire since I was seventeen. That part, I’m done with.”

Ares nods slowly. “You’re serious about this?”

“Extremely. Ireland was…” Cillian looks away. “Eye opening. Una and I want to travel. We want to live our lives together. And I can’t do that sitting on the throne. There’s just not enough space for both. So I’m making this choice.”

My brother nods slowly again. “I get it, Cil. I do. But, big elephant in the room…”

“My last name isn’t Kildare,” Castle growls.

“Exactly.”

Cillian shrugs. “It’s not unheard of. Viktor Komarov runs the Kashenko Bratva. Michael Genovisi is head of the Scaliami family here in New York. It’s not even out of the question for an Irish family to have a female head, either. But Neve is your wife, and even if we’re aligned, that would never fly with the Council of Clans. Neither would Eilish, given that she’s with Gavan…not that I think she’d ever want to, anyway.”

Ares clears his throat. Cillian smiles.

“To answer the question you’re trying to figure out how to phrase delicately, no. Una and I aren’t looking to have children of our own. Not with the blood I have running in my veins. I’ve already spoken to the Irish Council. Pending an official declaration, Castle’s been vetted and approved.”

Castle’s brow furrows as his gaze shifts to Cillian. The older Irishman shrugs. “Call it planning ahead.”

“I only said I’dthinkabout it, Cillian,” Castle grunts. “Jesus.”

“And it seems based on your unsolicited declaration five minutes ago that youhavethought about it,” Cillian fires back. “Unless you’d like to walk back that statement.”

Castle’s eyes dart to mine. I swallow, chewing on my lip as my pulse thuds in my ears.

“No,” he growls quietly. “No, it stands.”

It takes everything I have not to jump and down and to bite back the grin that is threatening to spread over my face. I can’t help it. And I know this is fake, and forced, and it’s not like he’s dropping to his knees with a ring and asking me to marry him and ride off into the fucking sunset with him where he’ll redefine the word “orgasm” for me on an hourly basis.

But still.

This is happening.

I’mmarryingCastle.

Holy shit.

Don’t scream and jump for joy. Don’t scream and jump for joy.

Cillian clears his throat. “I think we should give the two of them a moment alone to think this through before they commit to anything.”

Ares nods, then turns to me. He walks over, putting his hands on my shoulders and smiling wryly as he looks deep into my eyes. “Youdo nothave to do anything you don’t want to, Callie.”

“Understood. But if I don’t, we’ll potentially lose a bunch of money, and so will the Kildares. Or, door number two, I’ll have to marry Massimo Carveli.”

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