Page 68 of His Remorseful King

“Where are the boys?” I ask.

“Hello to you,” Ma says. She stands to greet me. “We’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” I pull her into a hug, then embrace Haley. “I need to speak with Cal.”

“He’s in the office with Paddy. We’re still waiting for Sean and Declan,” Ma says. “Your da will be down when dinner starts. He’s not feeling well.”

“Everything okay?” Haley asks, look of skepticism written all over her face.

I nod. “Just dandy.”

Excusing myself, I head for the office down the east wing. The door is closed. I don’t knock, just enter at my own risk. Paddy and Callum are sitting in arm chairs by the fireplace, sipping on whiskey. “Where’s Michael?” I ask, heading for the chairs. I lean over, pressing a kiss to Paddy’s cheek, then head to do the same to Cal.

“He’s home with Owen. Poor guy is teething, can’t catch a break.”

I rest my hand on Callum’s shoulder, and his falls over mine. He squeezes, then presses a kiss to it.

“Welcome home,” Callum says.

“Thanks. Listen. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Callum turns, glancing up at me. His brows scrunch as he takes in my own expression, trying to gauge what’s going on. “What is it?”

“You mentioned a marriage alliance before?” I round the chair and head so that I’m in front of him. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table, I make eye contact.

He nods. “Aye.”

“I want it to be me.”

Paddy chokes on his liquor. “What?”

I shoot him a dirty look. “Why are you so surprised that I’m wanting to contribute to the family business?”

“You’re not selling yourself to the Italians, Saoirse. We’ll give the position to someone higher up in New York,” Callum says. "One of the men looking to lead can make the sacrifice."

I clear my throat and peer down at the black polish on my nails. After a long beat of silence, I glance up. First at Paddy, then to Callum. “I’ve come to the conclusions lately that I don’t like to be alone. While I was in Seattle, I didn’t make any effort to socialize. And it really was not good for my mental health.”

Callum keeps his gaze on me, looking for any signs of sincerity.

But everything I've said is true. If I’m going to be alone, I might as well get something out of it.

I clear my throat. “I don’t get along well with people, either. And by people, I mean men. They’re all jerks. I’d much rather just be assigned to someone. Someone that will give me the space I need, and maybe the children that could make me happy. And I just don’t have the energy to marry for love, damn it! So let me do this.”

Both of my brothers peer at each other, exchanging looks that convey a silent conversation between them. Then, Callum turns back to me. “I have someone in mind. Not an Italian. A politician.”

I gulp, but nod my head. And so begins this game of Chess.It’s your turn, Scotty.

The End