Page 106 of Sweet Poison

Slowly, I relax into her warm embrace, my arms finally wrapping around her small frame.

When she pulls back, her green eyes are soft, sparkling with something bittersweet. “I always wanted to do that,” she says, her voice soft, almost wistful. Her smile lingers, but there's a sadness to it too.

I don’t know what to say. “What do you mean?” I ask, my voice a little rougher than I intend.

She smiles again, but this time, it’s brighter. Her eyes flicker to the ground for a moment before she looks back up at me. “Give you a big hug.”

A…hug?

That’s what she always wanted to do?

My chest tightens. I still can’t find the right words, the flood of emotion catching me off guard. Then, as if instinctively, she taps my chest three times—just like Willow has done.

“You love my girl?” she asks, her voice light but knowing, like she already knows the answer.

I swallow, trying to steady myself before I reveal my heart’s secrets. “With my life.”

“Sweet boy,” Her eyes glisten, and in that moment, I can see everything she’s ever hoped for Willow, all the love and the longing wrapped up in that one look. She nods slowly. “It was always you for her,” she whispers, so quietly it feels like theworld itself has stopped to listen. “I’m glad she’s the one for you…” She steps back and I feel a wave of gratitude crashing into me. Relief too.

I had to get her parent’s blessings because I knew it was the right thing… for her and for them.

I’m a man used to getting everything he wants but her hand couldn't be something to be taken. I need their blessing.

I glance over at Riagan, and the sight of him pulling the love of his life close makes something in my chest tighten. He wraps a large arm around her, pulling her in so naturally, so protectively, and leans down to kiss the top of her head. The tenderness of the gesture hits me harder than I expect. It’s a sharp contrast to the cold, ruthless world they live in—a world where you wouldn't think love has a place, but here it is, thriving and lasting.

Mrs. O’Sullivan smiles up at him, her face lighting up with love.

To some they might not look conventional. Him with that hard look and all those tattoos and her so small and gentle.

Such a lovely and kind woman captured the heart of a known criminal.

It’s a reminder that love has a way of softening even the hardest edges, turning them into something beautiful.

Just like that, my thoughts drift to Willow—my fairy. The first time I saw her, her enchanting laughter filled the empty space in my soul like music. Her kindness pierced through the walls I’d built up over the years. She did to me what her mother did to her father—she softened the hard edges of my heart and brought it back to life in a way I never thought possible.

She’s my sunshine after a long, harsh winter. She melted every barrier and made my heart hers.

Still looking at them, I take a deep and slow breath. There’s so much I want to say but the words feel heavy on my chest. I let them out, one by one, with more sincerity than I even knew I wascapable of. How that woman has changed me. “You offered me a home when everyone else gave up on me, even my own family. You never gave up, even when I didn’t make it easy on you. Even if it only lasted a little while, you gave me a home. Your daughter is my home now. Thank you... for her.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I watch Riagan’s face shift. His expression softens, a flicker of understanding passing between us. It’s subtle, but it’s there—like he sees more than just my circumstances back then. For a moment, the air between us feels thick with emotion, like something important has just been shared between the three of us.

Riagan clears his throat and speaks, his voice unexpectedly kind. “You did well for yourself, kid. You should be proud.”

The compliment catches me off guard, and for a moment, I just stand there, unsure how to respond. I didn’t know how to react to a compliment from him. I didn’t expect it, but it means more than I can put into words.

I nod, his unexpected approval settling in my chest. But just as quickly, the atmosphere shifts again. There’s something else in his gaze, something sharp and unyielding.

Riagan’s tone turns serious. “With that said,” he continues, voice low and measured, “you hurt my girl... I’ll bury you in my butterfly’s garden.”

His words hang in the air between us, heavy with threat. I meet his gaze without flinching, my own resolve hardening. “I’ll never hurt her,” I say, my voice steady, unwavering. “I’ll cut my heart out before I ever do.”

Mila’s hand tightens in Riagan’s grip, her eyes widening, but I can see it in her father’s gaze—there’s belief there, even if it's wrapped in a layer of caution. He’s testing me. Probing, as fathers do, to see if I’m truly worthy of the most precious thing in his world: his daughter’s heart.

“I’ll spend the rest of my days proving to her that I worship the ground she walks on,” I say, the weight of my promise settling between us like an unspoken vow. It’s simple, but it feels like the truth of me, the truth of how I’ll spend the rest of my life.

Riagan studies me for a long moment, his gaze sharp, measuring, but I can see the tension in his shoulders ease just a little. Finally, he nods once, slow and deliberate. “Good. Because she deserves the world.”

“And I intend to give it to her,” I reply, my voice steady, the resolve in my chest unwavering.

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