Page 29 of Duncan (Irish Mob of Boston #1)

Freyja

“Duncan, we have to talk to Bellamy.”

Duncan closed his eyes and tightened his grip on me. I knew he didn’t want to let me go, and I felt the same way.

“It’s ok. Whoever she is, she needs to be safe.” I looked into his eyes and wondered if he could see the question I was afraid to ask.

“You are the only woman I want,” he whispered only to me. It meant the world to me that he eased my concern without me having to voice it. And he did it quietly. “I don’t want to leave you alone. Not after what happened.”

“It’s ok. My family is here. I’ll wait here until you come back.”

His eyes searched mine, and I smiled. I really was ok. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t scary, especially when I learned about Tyran’s plan to blow me up. But I had faith in Lucille and more importantly, I had faith in Duncan.

Duncan looked at my father. “You’ll stay until I get back?”

My father nodded.

Then he looked at Dimeter. “Be fuckin’ nice to her.”

King and Frank tried to hide their smiles, while Priest openly grinned.

“She’s my sister.”

“Then fuckin’ act like it. You haven’t once asked her if she’s ok since you walked in here. All you’ve done is harass her about Lucille.”

Dimeter gaped at Duncan. “You can’t honestly say you believe Lucille talks to her?” Dimeter had never embraced the gifts we have. For someone who liked to come across as the fun-loving biker, he had a giant stick up his ass when it came to how we grew up.

“It doesn’t matter if I believe it or not. She fuckin’ does, and as her brother, you should respect her belief.”

“I like him,” my mother whispered in my ear.

“Me too.” My heart swooned as Duncan confronted my brother. He might not have believed me when it came to Lucille, but he would defend my right to believe in her.

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave my office until I am.” Duncan kissed me hard in front of my family, then followed Sal out the door.

“Bailey will be pissed she missed that,” King said.

“Don’t worry, I got it on video,” Phoebe affirmed.

Dimeter rolled his eyes at our sister and stepped in front of me.

“Freyja, are you ok?” Dimeter asked.

“I am. I’m happy and I’m safe.”

“That is up for debate. He’s in the Mob, Freyja.”

“So is Maxim. Bailey was in danger from her family. Henley was in danger from some psycho who was obsessed with her. Sugar almost died at the hands of her husband. Her husband, Dimeter. And don’t forget Remi, Aksana, Phoebe, hell, everyone we know. But I have Duncan. And I have Lucille.”

I held up my hand when he opened his mouth.

“I know you think I’m crazy. But you can’t deny that everything she has told me has come true.

Maybe Lucille isn’t really talking to me.

Maybe it is just my subconscious’ way of preparing me ahead of time.

Christianity has prophets. Native Americans have seers.

Cajuns have voodoo. I could go on. But the point is, it is not your place to tell me what I have experienced.

Duncan is right. You don’t have to believe it. But please respect me as your sister.”

It wasn’t until the first tear fell that I realized how much it hurt that my brother believed I was crazy. He never gave Athena shit for her visions. Or Phoebe when she read the cards.

But when it came to me, he refused to believe.

“I’m sorry, Frey. I didn’t realize how much it bothered you. Come here.”

My brother pulled me into his arms, and the dam broke. Everything had been piling up for months. Falling for Duncan and believing I couldn’t have him. Obsessing about meeting my one in Louisiana. The stress of New Orleans and then being kidnapped when I flew into Boston.

It was all too much. But having my baby brother acknowledge my feelings and hold me while I cried helped to release all those emotions.

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

I nodded, unable to say the words.

I wasn’t ok, but I would be.

“You should all go home. Duncan has everything under control.”

“I gave Duncan my word I would stay until he returned,” my dad said as he sat on the couch. My mother snuggled up next to him.

“Yea, we aren’t leaving yet. Not until we know everything is done,” King confirmed.

“It won’t be done today. There is so much going on here, the entire organization will be shaken up before this is finished,” I told them, hoping to alleviate their fears.

“Are you sure this is the life you want?” Priest asked as he held my sister in his arms.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. This is my path. And anyone that tries to block that path will be bulldozed over,” I said confidently, eyeing my brother.

Mac was the first to return to the office with two women in tow.

“Freyja, this is Caity, Sal’s sister. And this is Maddie, his niece.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said as I shook the older woman’s hand. I looked at Maddie and saw the sadness in her eyes. She had lost not one but two people who meant the world to her.

“Are you my uncle’s girlfriend?” Maddie asked hesitantly.

“No. She’s Duncan’s girl,” Mac supplied.

“Duncan has a girl?” Caity asked.

If I hadn’t looked closely, I would never have noticed she was around my mother’s age. Caity was beautiful. Her dark red hair hung down her back. She was regal. Poised. But she didn’t seem snobbish. Her green eyes held warmth.

“I don’t understand why we are here?” she asked.

“Sal will explain when he gets back.”

“He does understand he isn’t my father, right? He can’t keep me here against my will. I already moved back home at his directive. If he thinks he’s going to dictate every part of my life, he is sadly mistaken.”

“Mother, please don’t make a scene,” Maddie pleaded.

“It’s ok. Brothers can be a pain in the ass.” I turned to my own brother and stuck out my tongue. He shook his head and sighed.

“Should we order some food? I’m starving,” my mother asked, trying to break the tension.

“That’s a great idea, but I don’t know what’s around.”

“Leave that to me,” Mac said quickly, making an exit.

“Coward,” Caity hissed at his back.

Two hours later, we’d all had our fill. I learned a little about both Caity and Maddie, and I liked them both. Maddie wasn’t much younger than I was, and I could see us being friends. No one could replace my sisters, but it was time I made a life for myself.

And Boston would now be my home. It was important to forge relationships with the people in Duncan’s life.

“What is going on out there?” Mom asked when we heard shouting.

King opened the door and stepped out. We didn’t know who he was talking to until the door opened and Maxim Federov stepped in.

Vladmir, Nikandr, and Rurik were with him.

Duncan’s office was getting awfully crowded.

“Where is O’Malley?” Maxim looked around the room and his eyes settled on Maddie. “Miss Kelley.” He nodded.

“Mr. Federov.”

I stood from my seat and stepped in front of Maddie. “Why are you here, Maxim?”

Maxim looked over at Caity. “Mrs. Kelley, would you happen to know where your husband is?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. The son of a bitch ran off. I don’t expect him back.” I admired Caity Kelley. She held Maxim’s gaze and didn’t back down. Maddie, however, sat on the couch by my parents.

My mother was a master at reading a room. She moved closer to Maddie and put an arm around her shoulders. Then again, Maddie was from New York. Maybe my mother knew exactly what was going on.

“I recently acquired some information about my brother-in-law’s death. Would you know anything about that, Mrs. Kelley?”

Caity crossed her arms and stared up at Maxim. She reminded me of my mother. Irish women didn’t scare easily.

“Maxim, now is not the time,” King said.

“When is the time, King? My wife’s brother was handed over to a madman by someone he thought he could trust. I have to wonder who stood to benefit from that.”

“Salvatore never trusted my father,” Maddie said quietly. “He went willingly because his sister was in danger.”

“Maddie, you don’t owe him anything,” Caity said.

“I do. I owe him everything.” Maddie stood and moved in front of Maxim. “I can’t change what my father did. God, I wish I could. He took more from me than you will ever know.”

Maxim’s eyes softened at Maddie’s words. The door slammed open, and Duncan rushed in.

“What the fuck is going on here?” He pushed Maddie behind him, and I gathered her in my arms. Cian and Sal stormed in after him.

“Maxim, you come into my city without a word. No cursory heads-up or request for a meeting, just storm into my offices. You trying to start something?” Sal said as he leaned against the wall, looking deceptively at ease.

“I want Kelley. He is the reason my wife’s brother is dead.”

“Petrovich is the reason your wife’s brother is dead. That’s on you. It has nothing to do with my sister or my niece.”

Emotions were high in this office. The room was getting smaller with all the testosterone that was overtaking the air. With a dozen alpha males crammed in this room, the atmosphere crackled with tension.

Maxim looked around. The Sons of Hell were allied with the Russian Bratva. Banks, a patched brother, was the younger brother to Alexandr. But now that I was with Duncan, they would be allied to the Boston Mob as well.

If a war broke out, I wasn’t sure which side they would be on. Despite having my back today. I was Dimeter’s sister, but I wasn’t a member of the club like Banks.

“Miss Malpas, I see you chose to ignore my advice. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass.” He turned to Sal. “I want Kelley.”

“Not an option. Kelley is no longer available.”

Maxim clenched his hands into fists. Vladmir stepped forward, his hand on Maxim’s shoulder. “Boss.”

“My wife deserves justice.”

“Your wife has more than justice. She is raising her brother’s son,” Maddie reminded him.

Maxim exhaled, and the tightness in his shoulders visibly loosened at her words.

“I deserved to know.”

“And now you do. It doesn’t change anything. You got the man who killed your wife’s brother. And I got the man who took everything from my niece,” Sal firmly said.

I looked at Maxim’s men. They all stood alert. Despite knowing they might be outnumbered if things went to shit. They were ready to fight for their boss. Their loyalty was commendable.

This was the life I would be a part of. Enemies came from every corner. But family stood firm. Maddie would be my family now. And because of that she would have the Sons of Hell at her back. Unless it meant dealing with the Bratva. Then it was anyone’s guess.

I wasn’t well-versed in the dealings of the underworld, but I was about to learn. And what I saw from this one unscheduled meeting, was that the lines between allies crisscrossed.

Nothing was black and white. We all lived in shades of gray.

“Kelley is gone?” Maxim asked.

“Gator bait,” Sal said. And given what I had witnessed at the ball in New Orleans, I knew exactly what Sal meant. I looked at Caity, who appeared unaffected by the news.

Maybe she was. Nolan Kelley had betrayed everyone. Not just the Irish. When I looked at Maddie, tears slipped down her face. But she stood resolute. And I wondered if the tears had more to do with giving up her son than the loss of her father.

“Miss Kelley, my offer still stands,” Maxim said.

Maddie didn’t respond. She didn’t accept nor reject his invitation. When it was clear he wouldn’t receive the answer he was looking for, Maxim Federov turned and walked out of Duncan’s office without a word.

Cian closed the door with a mumbled, “Asshole.”

And my brother asked, “What the fuck was that?”