Page 42 of King of Ashes (Kingdom of Sinners #4)

PHOENIX

I walk down the hallway with a lightness in my step I haven't felt in a decade.

My mind races through the happiest moments of my life.

Christmas mornings with my brothers when we were kids, the day Keira first whispered "I love you" to me the first time, and now today.

Today, when everything I thought I knew shattered and is rebuilding itself into something better.

I pause at the top of the grand staircase, needing a moment to process it all. I have a daughter. A beautiful, wise little girl who somehow inherited Keira's strength and my stubbornness. How the hell did that happen?

For years, I've been consumed with reclaiming what was taken from my family.

I've been brutal, calculating, focused only on making the Keans pay for what they did.

I thought power would fill the hole their betrayal left in me.

I believed that once I had everything back, the business, the respect, the fear, I'd finally feel whole again.

But standing here now, I realize how wrong I was.

The moment Keira told me about Brigit, our child, something inside me shifted. At first it was pain at what I’d missed. Profound disappointment in my father that he’d take this from me.

But then came hope and the realization that all this time, I've been chasing revenge when I should have been chasing what I really lost. Love. My family. The future I was meant to have with Keira.

I run my hand down my face, feeling the weight of my mistakes. I've wasted so much time on hatred when I could have been loving Keira and our daughter. I could have been building a life with the only woman I've ever truly loved.

I straighten my tie, preparing to face our guests. Today isn't just about showing Boston who's in charge. It's about claiming the happiness that was stolen from us ten years ago.

I take the stairs two at a time, barely containing the energy surging through me.

At the bottom of the staircase, I spot my brothers huddled together outside the ballroom doors.

Flint paces with his hands shoved in his pockets while Blaise leans against the wall, arms crossed.

Ash stands perfectly still, his eyes fixed on me as I approach.

"Is everything okay?" Ash's brow furrows with concern. "What happened with Keira?"

I glance at Blaise realizing he hasn’t told them the news, I guess thinking it’s mine to tell.

I can't help the smile that breaks across my face. "Everything is perfect. Better than perfect."

Flint’s eyes narrow, studying me. "You look… different."

"You're smiling," Blaise points out, as if he's witnessing something unnatural. "Actually smiling. Not that terrifying thing you do before you shoot someone."

I laugh. "I have a daughter."

Their expressions shift from confusion to shock, except, of course, on Blaise.

"Brigit," Ash says, understanding dawning on his face.

I nod, unable to contain my joy. "She's mine. Ours—mine and Keira's. From before… before everything went to hell."

Flint’s eyes widen. "You're a father?"

"I am." The words feel right, like I've been waiting my whole life to say them. "And I've wasted enough time already. This wedding isn't just for show anymore. It's real."

My brothers exchange glances, clearly trying to process this transformation.

"Well, damn," Flint finally says, a slow smile spreading across his face.

I turn to Blaise, my mind suddenly racing with all the details that need to be handled. "Blaise, can Jenna help Brigit with some flower arrangements? She needs to be part of this ceremony, and we don't have much time."

Blaise nods, looking surprised but pleased. "Of course. Jenna would love that."

"And tell her…" I hesitate, still getting used to the words. "Tell her it's for my daughter. Our flower girl."

A grin spreads across Blaise's face. "Your daughter. I'm still wrapping my head around that."

"That makes two of us," I say. "Everything's changed in the span of fifteen minutes."

I look at Flint and Ash. "Keira's upstairs getting ready with Brigit. She's prepared for the bridesmaids to join them."

“We’ll send them up.” Flint shakes his head. “A daughter. I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it. I can give you the details later. Right now, I want to get married.” I know Keira is marrying partly out of duty and protection, but I vow to make sure that it’s not long before she’s married to me out of love and trust.

"What about Hampton and Lana?" Ash asks, his expression darkening. "They're still in the basement."

I'd almost forgotten about them in the whirlwind of discovering Brigit. The rage that normally accompanies thoughts of the Keans feels distant now.

"Where are we with arranging the arrest?” I turn to Flint. "Are they ready to move on the Keans?"

Flint nods, pulling out his phone. "Just need to make the call. They've been waiting for my signal."

"Do it when the ceremony is over," I say decisively. "Have them picked up, but not here. Have our men take them somewhere discreet for the handoff."

My brothers exchange surprised glances.

"You're not going to make a spectacle of it?" Blaise asks. "I thought that was the whole point. Showing everyone what happens to those who cross us."

I straighten my jacket. "The Keans will face justice through the system. We have enough evidence to put them away for decades."

"Since when did you become so… merciful?" Flint asks, already dialing on his phone.

"Since I realized I've been given a second chance at everything that matters," I answer. "I'm not wasting it on revenge."

I step into the ballroom buzzing with conversation as Boston's elite mingle, glasses of champagne in hand, celebrating what they believe are merely my triumphant return and strategic marriage.

I scan the crowd, noting the heads of every major family in attendance. Some wear genuine smiles, others mask their unease behind polite facades. They've all pledged loyalty today, but many still question my power and authority.

I catch Blaise's eye across the room. He gives me a subtle nod, confirming that everything is ready. The music fades as I make my way to the center of the room, and a hush falls over the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming today," I begin as eyes turn to me. "Ten years ago, I loved Keira Kean with everything I had. We were young, hopeful, planning a future together despite our families' differences."

Members of the crowd look confused or surprised by this revelation. I suppose it’s partly my fault for keeping our relationship a secret.

"What many of you don't know is that our love created something beautiful. A daughter. A daughter that Hampton and Lana Kean hid from everyone after they orchestrated the murder of my parents."

Gasps ripple through the room. I see shock on many faces, some glancing at each other in disbelief.

"The tragedy that befell my family wasn't just about business or power.

It was about hiding the truth." My voice hardens.

"But the blame doesn't rest solely with the Keans.

My own father, Patrick Ifrinn, rejected Keira when he learned of her pregnancy, creating the perfect storm for Hampton's ambition and cruelty. "

I notice my brothers' startled expressions. This is news to them too, that our father played a role in the chain of events that led to his own death.

"Starting right now, I’m not after revenge. I’m reclaiming what was stolen from us. Not just our business or our standing, but our family. Our love. Our future."

I take a deep breath, noting the eyes of every major family in Boston are fixed on me, waiting to see what kind of leader I'll be.

"Today marks a new beginning for all of us," I continue, my voice steady and clear.

"The Ifrinn family is reclaiming its rightful place in Boston, but we're not interested in perpetuating cycles of violence and retribution.

My brothers and I envision a city where business thrives, where families prosper, where we all benefit from stability and peace. "

I scan the room, making eye contact with several family heads.

"For too long, this city has been torn apart by feuds and power grabs. Hampton Kean's leadership was marked by fear and backstabbing and murder. That ends now."

The crowd is utterly silent.

"My commitment to you is this. The Ifrinn family will lead with fairness. We'll reward loyalty and hard work. We'll create opportunities that lift all of us higher than we could reach alone."

I pause, letting my expression harden just enough.

"But make no mistake. While I choose peace today, I will defend it with everything I have. Anyone who threatens what we're building, anyone who endangers my family or this community we're creating, will face consequences swifter and more severe than anything Hampton Kean ever delivered."

My voice drops slightly but carries the weight of power I feel coursing through my veins. "The men who tried to kill me this week learned that lesson. The Keans will learn it after the wedding when they’re arrested for their crimes. I won't hesitate to teach it again if necessary."

I straighten my shoulders, softening my expression.

"But that's not the path I want for us. I'd rather we build something lasting together. Something our children can inherit without shame or fear."

The doors at the back of the ballroom open and two of my men escort Hampton and Lana Kean inside. Hampton's jaw is clenched tightly, his eyes burning with hatred. Lana looks around the room nervously, no doubt searching for sympathetic faces among the crowd.

They stand off to the side, not prisoners, exactly, but certainly not honored guests. The message is clear to everyone watching. The Keans have fallen, and the Ifrinns have risen.

Before I can continue, the doors open again. This time, a small figure appears, and my heart nearly stops.