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Now, after my intervention, at least Keoghan can postpone the wedding until we annul our marriage—or I’m dead.
And in truth, I would rather die than see Mel in Vincent Kelly’s hands.
My fists clench as all the roiling emotions threaten to burst from me in a violent display. What I wouldn’t give to sprint across the room and rip Mel from Vinny’s grasp. To wrap my fingers around his throat and choke the life from him. To feel his teeth crack and his nose break beneath my fists.
But before I can decide just how I want to take action, Keoghan breaks the silence.
“Mel, I’m glad you’re here. I was hoping you could clear up a little misunderstanding,” he says calmly.
Rising from his chair, he walks around his desk to approach her. His strides are casual, confident, self-assured. Right now, he owns this room and everyone in it, and I can see the way he wields that sense of power like a sword. One wrong move, and any one of us could end up dead.
So when Mel takes a nervous step back, I take an instinctual step forward.
The sound of guns cocking remind me that I don’t have much choice in the matter. I won’t be fast enough to reach him before I’m killed.
“I’ll say,” Vinny cuts in, his voice acidic as he turns his gaze on Mel. “I thought you said he wouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
Mel pales visibly, and my natural urge to protect her kicks into high gear.
She suddenly looks terrified. And I can’t tell if it’s because of Vinny or Keoghan. Most likely, it’s the combination.
“N-No. H-He’s n-not,” she stutters, her voice trembling so violently it tears me apart.
“Then you’re not married to this man?” Keoghan demands, gesturing in my direction. “Because he’s under the distinct impression you are.”
The silence is deafening as he stops just feet in front of her. And though his posture remains relaxed, I can tell she still feels threatened by his presence. The rest of the room stands frozen in expectation. And with rapt attention, we watch on as voiceless spectators. A chill trickles down my spine at the palpable tension that turns the air noxious.
“I… I-I—” Mel swallows hard, and she’s visibly trembling now.
As if seeing her distress, Keoghan releases a heavy sigh. “Maybe an easier question to start with. Do you want to marry Vinny?”
“Of course she does,” he cuts in, stepping in front of Mel as he pulls her behind him by her wrist. “You already asked her that this morning, and she?—”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Keoghan states flatly, and if looks could kill, Vinny would already be dead.
The cocky Irish bastard gulps and takes half an involuntary step back.
“The truth, Miss O’Mara,” Keoghan demands, turning his eyes back on her. “And I want the full story this time.”
A single tear escapes Mel’s eye and trails down her soft, russet cheek. “Gleb and I are legally married,” she whispers so softly I can barely hear it. And when she looks my way, her eyes are filled with such fear, it takes every ounce of willpower not to go to her. “V-Vinny’s been sending hitmen up to kill him and bring me back to Boston. Th-This last time, I chose to come back—I agreed to come with Leon and Mishka to save Gleb’s life. I lied about our marriage being fake.” Her eyes drop in her momentary pause. “I hoped that if I gave Vinny what he wanted, he would leave Gleb alone.”
Mel’s confession confirms my suspicion.
And it blasts a hole through my chest.
She risked her life—and her happiness—to save me. She didn’t come willingly.
This time, she didn’t run.
But I’m still baffled by her letter.
Did she really believe for even a second that I wouldn’t come for her?
“You do realize it’s a sin to marry two men, don’t you?” Keoghan demands, his voice cracking like a whip through the room.
Mel flinches, but then she seems to find some hidden strength, and her back straightens as she lifts her chin. There’s that defiance. The fierce side of Mel that I find both infuriating and awe inspiring.
“I know the sanctity of marriage should not be taken lightly,” she says boldly. And the quiver in her voice is gone now, replaced by an icy conviction. She’s decided to fight. “But in a world as cold and brutal as this one, a woman has to do whatever it takes to survive and to protect her child.”
