Page 124 of Arranged Control

Mom sits down. “He says it was fun. He enjoyed every minute of it.”

“It was successful.” I lean down and kiss Alina. “How’s the coffee?”

“Good, you should get something.”

“In a little bit. Mom, what do you want?”

“I hear that matcha stuff is good. I think I’ll try it.” She gets up again with a sigh. “But I can’t let you dote on me too much. It’ll make me soft.”

“I doubt that’s possible.”

Mom walks to the counter, smiling at the girl working there, and I join Alina at the table. We have a moment alone. I lean in and kiss her again, happy for her warmth.

“Your brother seemed happy with our agreement.”

“You saved their lives, you know.” Alina gives me a sideways look. “Maybe you’re the one getting soft?”

I snort and squeeze her knee. “Not soft. Just thinking longer term these days.”

Her eyebrows raise. “You? Long-term?”

“Believe it or not.”

“I’m shocked. What happened to drifting? Hard to plan for the future when you bend with the wind.”

“Fuck the wind. It’ll bend to me now.”

“Sounds about right.”

We sit at the table together, legs touching, her warmth against my side, my knuckles aching from brutally beating a man within an inch of his life, and I have to admit, I feel pretty good. I feel stable. More grounded than I’ve ever been.

“It’s green,” Mom says, making a face at her drink. “I didn’t know it would be green. But oh well.” She lifts it to her lips. “I’ll go with it anyway.”

Epilogue: Alina

“The place is a total wreck.” I stare at the boxes stacked all over the place. It’s like my brain feels heavy standing in this mess.

“Seriously?” Seamus wipes sweat from his face. Several Whelan guys are hanging around, taking a break. They’re getting paid double from what I understand, which makes sense. His soldiers aren’t supposed to be movers.

But they are today.

“Look at our beautiful home.” I groan, shaking my head. “What are we going to do?”

“Princess, these boxes are all color-coded and labeled. They all have manifests of what’s inside them. Are you seriously acting like this is going to be a problem?”

“Don’t give me shit, Seamus. You know how I am.”

“Yeah, I sure do.” He sighs dramatically and gestures at the nearest guys. “Let’s get back to work while my wife has a meltdown.”

I stand back and direct them on what goes where. As they slow, I start opening the boxes again, following the order I painstakingly came up with back at my apartment. The first boxes have things we absolutely need, and each box will be emptied in order of importance.

Seamus called me insane when I came up with this system. But now he’s looking at me like I’m the biggest genius in the world.

“You’re a madwoman, you know that?” He cracks open a beer and takes a long pull. Most of the guys are out back having pizza and drinking.

“You benefit from my insanity.”

“Fair point.” He bends down and kisses me. “Well? What do you think?”