Page 94 of Vicious Seduction

“She gets a part in something, make sure to tell us. We’ll all go for sure.” Stormy nodded animatedly, and Noemi followed suit. The men at their sides didn’t look quite so enthusiastic. I had to bite back a laugh.

“I’ll shout it from the rooftops, trust me.”

We spent a half hour talking and making introductions, some new and some repeated from the wedding I’d been to. He had so many damn relatives that it was hard to remember them all.

I had never experienced the sort of controlled chaos it took to get everyone fed at a Byrne family dinner. It was overwhelming yet thoroughly enjoyable. Everyone knew the drill. Dinner was served buffet style, which I loved. Why make things more complicated than necessary? No need to put on airs or impress anyone. The dinner was about having a reason to gather. It didn’t matter that people sat on the sofa while they ate or that kids grouped in circles on the floor. The laughter and chatter all around us was the important part.

We managed to score seats at the main table in the dining room because that was where Nana and Paddy Byrne were sitting, and Nana had insisted we join them. Sitting in the spotlight would have been more stressful had Nana not been such a character. She was hours of entertainment all on her own.

“Oran,” his mother spoke up after joining us at the main table. “Have you two thought about a wedding date yet?”

“April second,” he replied naturally, not even pausing as he scooped up his next bite of food.

I was dumbfounded. He’d certainly never discussed a date with me. Hell, he hadn’t even officially proposed—never mind the fact that he was still technicallymarried.

“Assuming you get certain legal matters sorted,” I pointed out, a tad miffed that he was making plans without me.

“Actually, I got a call this morning and hadn’t had a chance to tell you. There was a riot at the jail yesterday. Caitlin was accidentally knocked over a railing in the scuffle and didn’t survive the fall.”

Our entire table fell into a shocked silence.

I had no idea how to respond, but the rest of the table felt no such uncertainty. They erupted into a chorus of cheers. I looked around in surprise, unsure if I should join in—a woman haddied—celebrating that felt inappropriate, no matter how horrible she’d been.

Oran leaned over and kissed my cheek with a smile. “It’s cause to celebrate, trust me.”

Nana took the opportunity to chime in. “You bet your bleedin’ arse it is. Leaving this earth is the only halfway decent thing the woman ever did. Good riddance.” She raised her glass of whiskey and downed its contents in one gulp.

The rest of the table followed suit with ruckus cheers that rippled outward to the others seated throughout the house. They didn’t even know what they were toasting, but the entire household joined in the celebration.

Their joy for one another filled me with warmth. Oran was blessed with an amazing family, and if I married him, his family would become my family. The possibility of being surrounded by so many supportive, loyal people immersed me in a wave of emotions.

My heart fluttered up into my throat as tears burned my eyes.

I raised my glass. “To new beginnings.”

Oran lifted his glass to clink with mine, his silver stare sparking with admiration.

“To new beginnings!” The phrase echoed throughout thehouse, filling my ears and nestling deep in my heart as his entire family cheered for us.

I’d never felt all that lucky before, but at that moment, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

CHAPTER 48

ORAN

Lawrence Wellington had thoughthimself untouchable. Wealth and power and privilege had lulled him into a false sense of security, leaving him at his most vulnerable. It was the worst mistake a man could make.

To help him reflect on all the ways he’d fucked up, we’d kept him chained in his own attic for the past two weeks. It seemed appropriate, considering he’d allowed his son to do the same to an innocent woman who’d been trafficked from Russia.

The operation had taken some finesse, considering the feds were still looking for him. I got a ridiculous amount of pleasure out of knowing he was hiding in plain sight right undertheir noses.

We’d provided entertainment, at least—news reports about himself played on repeat, detailing all the ways his empire had crumbled. All day and all night.

As I stood in the doorway of his makeshift cell and watched him sitting naked on the floor, rocking himself while staring at the wall, I could honestly say that Wellington looked like shit. He’d lost weight, though we provided ample stale bread and rotten fruit. He even had access to water in the toilet, so long as he remembered to drink before he took a piss. I thought the fact that we provided him with access to a toilet was rather generous.

Overall, Wellington was in rough shape, but there was still plenty of room for deterioration.

I considered what might come next to enhance his experience and came to the sudden realization that I didn’t give a shit. So long as he wasn’t out hurting anyone else, it felt pointless to spend any more mental energy on Wellington.Hewas pointless because he didn’t matter. So why was I still over here spending time screwing with him?

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