Page 73 of Ruthless Savior
My father's voice is deadly quiet, which is somehow worse than if he were shouting. He’s furious, and there’s still some part of me that feels like a twelve-year-old boy who’s done something wrong. I’ve sought his approval all my life, and now I’ve deviated so far from what I know he wants that I have no idea what happens next.
All I know is that for now, I’m the one leading the O’Malley family in Boston, at least visibly. And I have to keep Leila safe.
I’d expected him to storm the safe house. To try to take her away. Hell, to stand up and object during the wedding. I was surprised when he let me have half a day’s peace. But I knew today there would be a reckoning.
“You went back to Miami after you gave me your ultimatum. Or at least I assumed you did. And I already knew your opinion on the matter.” I draw in a breath, looking at him from across the room. “I knew the solution you had in mind. I found a different one. You could have objected at the wedding.”
Padraigh snorts. “And show the cracks in our family in front of everyone in Boston who matters? You know better than that, boy. You know as well as I do that I couldn’t say a damned word, not without giving any jumped-up asshole who has the idea in his head to try to make a play against us ammunition. And De Luca. You think someone wouldn’t have taken word back to him that Ronan O’Malley is going against his patriarch’s wishes. Christ, son, you know we have to show a united front, or not at all. I couldn’t have spoken up, and youknewit. That’s why you kept the wedding a damned secret until the day of.”
I force myself to stay calm. He’s telling the truth—I sent his invitation late the night before, when he’d get up in the morning and have no choice but to come straight to the church. I overruled him, and I didn’t give him a chance to interfere. And I know he’ll say I overstepped.
“I found a way to resolve the situation that didn’t involve handing her over to a monster,” I say tightly. “I knew you’d disapprove, but what was I supposed to do? Tell you in time for you to step in and put a stop to it? I made a decision, as a leader. That’s what leadersdo. I chose according to my conscience. What else was I supposed to do?”
It’s a rhetorical question, but I already know he’ll have an answer for it.
"You were supposed to consult me before making a decision that affects the entire organization!" He slams his hand down on the desk. "Marriage, Ronan? To her? Do you have any idea what you've done?"
I let out a breath, projecting a calm I don’t feel. “I protected her. I made it so that there’s no reason for me to hand her over, as you and the Russians wanted. And I’ve married again, which strengthens our position?—”
"Strengthens our position?" Padraigh laughs, but there's no humor in it. "The Russians didn’t want you to marry the girl, andyou knew it. They wanted you to hand her over to De Luca like she's supposed to be. End of story. There was noothersolution."
"She's not supposed to be anywhere near De Luca," I say sharply. "She defaulted on a loan; she didn't sell herself into slavery."
"Didn't she?" My father pulls out a file and throws it across the desk. "Her mother's medical bills, Ronan, and the contract she signed. With interest, she’s well over sixty thousand dollars in debt to Neil Sawyer—who I know now is dead, by the way, and I’m sure it was by your hand.”
“He deserved to die.” My jaw tightens.
Padraigh snorts. “I don’t give a shit about some loan shark. But when that girl?—”
“That girlis my wife?—”
“When the girl couldn't pay, Sawyer sold the debt to De Luca, and De Luca considers that debt to include the girl herself. We’ve been over this. You know that, Ronan. Marrying her doesn’t change facts.”
“You’re right,” I reply evenly. “And you and I both agree that humans can’t be bought and sold.That’sa fact. So whatever Rocco planned to do with her after he ‘bought’ her—and you and I both can guess at what that was—it’s not something I’m going to allow or facilitate. Handing her back to him would be as good as saying I’m fine with what he was going to do, and I’mnot. I won’t send her back into that situation. As far as I’m concerned, that’s not how debt works.”
"It's how debt works in De Luca's world,” Padraigh snaps. “It has nothing to do with our business or how we handle things. And now, instead of a simple business transaction—hand over the girl, make temporary peace with the Italians—you've created an even bigger incident." He shakes his head, his expression still thunderous. “You could have given yourself time to choose how to address De Luca’s insults to you by murdering Siobhan. Youcould have taken control over the situation and focused on how best to avenge yourfirstwife, not become so obsessed with this girl that you made things worse!”
"I've married her," I correct. "Which puts her under my protection, under family protection. That supersedes any claims De Luca thinks he has. You know that?—"
Padraigh stares at me for a long moment. "You think this is about protection? You think I don't see what's really happening here?"
My jaw tightens. "Enlighten me."
He snorts derisively, giving me the kind of look I’ve only ever seen him direct at Tristan before. “You’re thinking with your dick. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was talking to your fucking brother. You wanted this girl, and instead of managing your desires and sending her back to Rocco a virgin, focusing on the bigger problems, you found a way to get her into your bed.” He shakes his head. “I know you didn’t want to marry Siobhan, but at least Siobhan had the decency to come from a connected family. This girl is nobody."
"Watch it," I warn, my voice dropping into a register that makes most men think twice. But my father isn’t most men, and he’s never been afraid of me. There’s nothing I can say to make him back down, and I know it.
"Or what? You'll defend her honor?" Padraigh laughs again. "Son, let me tell you exactly what's going to happen. De Luca is still going to demand we hand her over. The Russians are going to pressure us to comply to maintain the peace. And you're going to have to choose between this girl and everything we've built."
"There's no choice to make," I say evenly. "She's my wife now. That means something.”
“He’ll find someone who will buy her. All you’ve done is ensure she’ll go to someone with exotic tastes that they’ll pay top dollar for, someone who buys women they can destroy. You’vemade things worse for her, and you’ll get her killed, just like you did Siobhan.”
My vision goes white at the edges, fury searing through my veins as I struggle not to react. "Siobhan got herself killed," I snap, then immediately regret the words. But they're out now, and my father's expression shifts.
“She was a lying whore,” he admits, his mouth set in a thin line. “And she would have been punished for making her husband a cuckold. But you neglected her, Ronan. You are the leader here, the man of this household. The blame falls ultimately at your door. And when your wife goes back to Rocco De Luca, the blame will be there, once again.”
“She isnotgoing back.” I meet his eyes. "I won't make that mistake again. Iwillprotect her. Ilya Sokolov is bound to back me up on this, now that Leila is my wife?—"
