King of the Cage: A Dark Irish Mafia Romance (Devil’s Own)
King of the Cage: Chapter 37

Giada fell asleep in the booth. One second, she listened to the music, a faint relaxed smile on her beautiful face, the next, her head nudged my shoulder before resting soundly.

I sat there for hours, relishing the feel of her sleeping on my shoulder, the smell of her hair all around me. The musicians finished; the patrons headed out. The lights were low, and outside, snow fell. It was a perfect moment. Just me and my girl.

When it got cold enough for her to shiver, I took her upstairs. Lifted her against my chest and carried her over the threshold of my apartment, like I’d wanted to the night we were married.

I still had her things in here. I’d kept them all in place, like some deranged stalker waiting to capture the object of his obsession and keep her in a pretty cage.

Who was I kidding, that was exactly who I was. I’d stolen my selkie’s skin, after all.

I didn’t sleep that night.

After tucking Giada into our bed, I sat on the chair beside it and watched her sleep. There was something intensely mesmerizing about the way the moonlight moved across her face.

What if she never remembered me? What if this was the last night we’d ever spend together?

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

We need to talk. I’m outside. – Elio.

I reluctantly left Giada and headed downstairs. Elio stood outside his car with a folder in his hand. He jerked his head toward the pub.

“Is she there? She snuck out on her security detail tonight. One man managed to catch up with her in time to see her go inside. I figured she’d be safe enough with you.”

I put a hand to my chest. “Wow, I’m touched. Our relationship is really evolving.”

Elio chuckled. It was alarming. I hadn’t known the man was capable of it.

“I’ve been thinking about your problem with this investment group, or whatever pretend name they have for it. I get that your hands are tied by your father not wanting to get involved. I have no problem with it. I’m saying that I’m with you, and my men are with you, too. Let’s burn down The Enclave from the inside out and lose the Z Juice recipe… until someone else cooks one up, that is.”

“There is no end to the evil of men,” I muttered, quoting the Palach. “What do you want in return?”

“What makes you think I want something in return?”

“I’m a mind reader, it’s a gift. What you got there?”

Elio held the folder out to me. “We’ll help you take down The Enclave. In return, you sign these papers.”

I opened the folder, already knowing what I’d see. Divorce papers.

I gripped the edge hard. “And I thought we were getting on so well lately.”

Elio shrugged. “We are. Our new business dealings over our shared little patch of river are no longer because you’re married to my sister. You can let her go. Nothing will change. Tell your dad that. He has my guarantee.”

The papers felt like a dead weight in my hand.

“Like I told you, I never married her because of my father,” I reminded Elio.

He thought on it and shrugged. “Regardless, she doesn’t know you. Let her go.”

I thought of the story of the selkie, and my mam, and Da. The cruel and arrogant man who’d stolen the selkie’s skin so he could keep her, never once asking how she felt about life on land.

I held my hand out to Elio for his pen. He seemed surprised but handed it over. I turned and leaned the documents against his car, thumbing through them, looking for the places to sign. A few seconds later, it was done.

I gave them back to him.

“Just like that?” he wondered.

I nodded. “Just like that. I’m giving her back her skin.”

I stepped back into the apartment, and Giada jumped guiltily. She stood at the window.

“Your brother is outside for you,” I told her. “But I guess you saw that.”

She nodded. “What did you sign?” She cut right to the chase.

“What do you think?”

Maybe she had no idea what her brother was trying to push.

“Divorce papers,” she said immediately, shooting that idea down dead.

“Right. Well, don’t worry, they’re all ready to go, selkie.”

She studied me and narrowed her eyes. “For the infamous Lost Boy of Hell’s Kitchen, you haven’t put up much of a fight. I suppose the fact that my brother has agreed to honor the agreement between our families over the disputed area has soothed any sting that ending this sham marriage might have caused.”

Her words were nonchalant. She didn’t care either way, clearly. They hit me like poisoned darts, sinking deep.

I shook my head. “No, wee one. There is no soothing the sting of losing you… but it’s what has to happen. I’m returning your skin to you, my wee selkie, so you can come back to me. I’ll be waiting.”

She studied me a little longer and then shrugged, going to the wardrobe to pull her clothes out. She folded the shirts over her arm and looked around.

“I’m going to take some of this stuff. I guess this is goodbye, O’ Connor.”

I shook my head again. “I sincerely fucking hope not, wee one… but it’s your choice.”

She stared at me, seeing into my heartbroken soul, and then turned away, wrenching off pieces of me and leaving them scattered in her wake.

I watched her walk to Elio’s car. He held the door open for her, and she lingered for a second before getting in, staring up at the window where I stood. I felt like there was a whole ocean between us and she was disappearing, slipping through my hands. I’d cut the net and cast her back. It already felt like a mistake. The worst one of my life.

She left, and the world seemed darker than ever.

I stared at the place where her brother’s car had been for so long that I lost track. Only my phone ringing pulled me back to the present.

“Hello?”

“Mr. O’Connor. I trust you’re sufficiently healed and your wife is doing better?”

Archibald Calloway?

“To what do I owe the honor of your call, Archibald?” I asked.

“I am merely inviting you to the next stage of your initiation. You are the only new acolyte we are admitting this year, an unusual occurrence. Would tonight suit for your final test?”

In all this turmoil, I’d nearly forgotten I was supposed to be passing another fucking test and replaceing out about who was involved in the drug production. This was it. My chance to advance, and maybe, just maybe, bring the entire thing crashing down.

The Enclave had taken so much from me… it was time I took back. Now, I had Elio and his band of ex-military mercenaries to help me.

“It would suit me down to the ground. I’m ready. Let’s finish this.”