Page 46 of Black Wedding

We get settled on the sofa after the introductions, and welcome drinks have all been sorted. I can tell Liam is a bit more on edge than he usually is. He isn’t slouching on the sofa in the way I have come to expect.

“Well, I have to admit, I thought I would want to shoot you, Liam. I guess there was still a part of me that thought maybe you were being kidnapped, or this was all happening under duress. But it isn’t, is it?” Gramps asks with a reluctant sigh as he takes a long swig of the coffee Liam prepared for him.

“No, it isn’t, far from it actually,” I reply with a smile as I take hold of Liam’s hand. It’s not something I’ve done for show. I genuinely like to be touching him. His closeness gives me a strength I didn’t know I had, probably thanks to how much he believes in me.

“You have taken these two months as I advised, and I am guessing you have come to a decision.”

Before I get a chance to answer Gramp’s questions, Liam cuts me off with his own answer. “I want to thank you for encouraging us to take the time to get to know each other, Sir. We made some swift decisions, a lot based on rash emotions. So taking the time to think things through and get to know each other was the best thing we could have done. So, I think we have to thank you for that, Sir,” Liam addresses my Gramps with respect and a smile, his thumb stroking my hand, that small yet intimate gesture he knows I love.

“Please, call me Paddy,” my Gramps adds, and I can’t help the massive grin that lights up my face. My Gramps obviously sees it because he rolls his eyes, trying to downplay the gesture, but we both know it is huge. There are very few people close enough to my grandad to be allowed to call him by that nickname. In fact, his highest level security guard, who has worked with him for around ten years, still only calls him Patrick.

“Paddy, thank you. First, I want to apologise in person for the way this thing with Bree started. I took my frustrations with her father out on her, and that was wrong. It was also wrong to include her hand in marriage in any contract. I can assure you that we have discussed this issue, and I have constantly been trying to make things right with her since day one,” Liam says, looking genuinely upset. I had no idea he still held guilt over what happened between us.

“That was more my father’s fault than yours, Liam. He was the one bartering with his daughter’s happiness,” I growl. I had no idea that my father was so ruthless that he would risk me and my future.

“Yes, that was a regrettable turn of events. However, are you telling me that the legal implications of the contract are no longer a factor here?” my grandfather asks, staring straight at Liam whilst maintaining his relaxed posture in the comfy armchair.

“I can promise you that as far as I am concerned, that contract never happened. The more I got to know your amazing granddaughter, the more I realised what a beautiful, special girl she is. We may not have started this thing in the most natural way, but now our relationship is very much real,” Liam states proudly, and I feel my heart grow impossibly larger. How is it that he builds me up even further with every word that comes out of his mouth? It’s like he knows exactly what to say to make me feel better about myself and give me confidence.

“Wait...so you are together for real?” Gramps asks incredulously.

“Gramps, I know this is slightly unexpected given our last call, but this is all thanks to you. You told me to get to know Liam, and I did. What I found was a kind, caring, and amazing guy. He gives me the determination and courage I didn’t even know I needed. I have always known I have what it takes to run this Family, but with Liam by my side, I’m even more certain I can do it,” I explain, and I am shocked to see him genuinely smile.

“I knew as soon as I opened the door and saw you as a couple, it’s like there’s a chemistry in the air between you. You move around each other like magnets that are being drawn together. Now, all I need to know is if you are good enough for my granddaughter, Liam.” His voice sounds almost romantic and whimsical as he talks about us, like soulmates that are made for each other. Maybe we are? I feel as though a part of me is drawn to Liam, a part of me that wasn’t awake before he woke it up. Fuck, I sound like I’m part of a cheesy rom com movie.

“I don’t think anyone will ever be good enough for Bree,” Liam states and receives a responding chuckle from my grandfather. “But I can promise you that I will spend every day making sure she is happy and safe.”

My Gramps scoffs at the last part, and my eyes widen in shock like he questions whether Liam could really keep me safe. Out of everyone I know, he is the one I trust the most with my safety. “Liam, do not be so naive as to think that keeping Bree safe will be an easy process. If she gets her own way and takes over running my company, there will be enemies at every turn. What I want to know is how much of an enemy your father really is?”

With a short giggle that he tries to hide behind his hand, Liam addresses my grandfather. “My father will always be a threat. He wants to rule London; he always has. It has more connections, better shipping lines, and the cops are easier to bend than the Garda. But when we went to Limerick recently, he talked to Bree and agreed to a truce. My father may be many things, but he never breaks his word. So, for now, he is no threat at all, nor are the people that work for him. But don’t be fooled into thinking that the time will not come when he rescinds the truce and attacks. We must be ready at all times, but I do have an inside link to his organisation, so hopefully, we will get some internal feedback before that happens.”

As Liam explains our recent trip to Ireland and his psychopathic father’s newfound love for me, my Gramps listens with an indecipherable mask. I’ve always hated when he gets like this, and I can’t read his emotions. But there is a reason he is the leader of the most prominent crime Family in the world; closing off his feelings is essential. Who knows, maybe one day in the very distant future, I will be the one running the entire empire, but right now, that idea is daunting. With factions worldwide, London may be the largest, even compared to the original Cork branch, but there are still others. The second-largest after Cork is surprisingly in Canada, and I’m not even sure I know them all.

Liam shakes me, causing me to snap out of my daydream, and I realise that my Gramps and Liam must have continued talking while I zoned out. But now they are asking me a question. It’s painfully obvious I missed it, so Liam asks me again. “I was just telling your grandfather that my father is not a threat right now, and he asked if I was a secret member of the family. So I explained how hard I fought to get out, alongside Freya and Ryleigh, and continue to fight for Evan and Finn.”

“He’s telling the truth, Gramps. He is most definitely not working for his father,” I confirm, much to my grandfather’s delight.

“Very well then, I guess we have a date to run. Pick a date within the next two months, and tell me where and when you want it held. Your mother will help you with all the arrangements, Bree. I will ensure you get your chosen venue even with it being so close to the date.” As he speaks, I notice no reaction from Liam, but I am more than a little shocked.

“Why two months? What’s the rush?” I ask.

“Because, Bree, talk of your impending nuptials is already causing unrest. We have guns on the loose that could be used against us, not to mention that we can hardly take care of business if you are distracted by a bloody wedding. Plus, I am getting too old for this shit. I want to retire, and spend some quality time with your grandmother. Also, do you know how much golf I could play if work didn’t get in the way?” I don’t think he meant it as a joke, but I couldn’t help but laugh. His job doesn’t interrupt his life too much for someone who already plays five times a week. He asks why I laughed, and I fill him in on my internal thought. Liam makes a sweet comment about not wanting to wait to marry me anyway.

Fuck, why does my heart feel like it’s going to explode every time he talks?

“How do you like the house?” Gramps asks in general, but I know he is aiming the question more at Liam than me. I used to stay here regularly; he knows I love it here.

“You have a lovely house, and we love it here, thank you,” Liam replies, and my grandfather smiles with a nod of the head.

“That’s good because I am gifting it to you as a wedding present. So you can do what you wish with the place now. This is supposed to be for your wedding day, but I want you to have it now,” he explains, holding out an envelope which he pulls from the document bag that he brought with him.

Taking hold of the envelope, I not so gently tear the page open, and sure enough, written across the top says ‘Transfer of Deed’. My eyes start to mist over, and emotion clogs up my throat as I tell him thank you for such a beautiful gift.

“This is very generous, Paddy, but we can’t accept something so extravagant,” Liam finishes his sentence, and I shoot him my best pissed-off expression.

“Speak for yourself; I love this house,” I snap at Liam, much to my grandfather’s amusement.

“Never mind that, Liam. It’s my gift. Besides, Bree’s grandmother, Clodagh, wants to spend more time at our summer property in the south of France. So we’ll have a lot less need for this house. Bree has always wanted it, and since you will need a firm London base, you can keep it. Now, before I leave you both to continue with your wedding planning, what I want to know is...who are the people putting your life in danger, and what is your plan to stop them?” Gramps addresses me as soon as he finishes instructing Liam about the house.

---