Step Bride: A Bad Boy Mob Romance (Includes bonus novel Honored!)

by Hamel, B. B.

  Ten black SUVs pulled up outside his place late that night. We stormed Colm’s place, met with minimal resistance, and found him trying furiously to pack a bag, obviously ready to run.

  We had learned since the last coup: never let the old boss live.

  I was brought back to the present as the car pulled up in front of O’Brian’s place. I climbed out of the back seat, nodding to the driver. A few other cars pulled up, and I recognized some of the men. Colin gave me a tense wave and I nodded back as we walked into the pub. Men were joking, making tense, bullshit small talk, trying to find a way to come down from the adrenaline coursing through our veins.

  There was nothing like it. Sex maybe came close, but that was a different thing. When you’re fighting for your life, up against men who know they need to kill you or else be killed, there’s something terrifying and horrible and exciting and more. It breaks some men, and some men thrive on it, can’t seem to get enough of that rush. I didn’t particularly care for it either way; to me, it was just another part of the job. After being a part of something like that, though, you’re never quite the same, no matter how hard you try to forget it. The memories linger and the feelings shift you forever.

  But it was almost over. I remembered the look on Colm’s face as I kicked through his door and held my gun to his head. At first it was pleading, but soon it turned to disbelief. He never thought he’d be the one at the end of a gun. He never thought I would be the man holding it.

  Frankly, neither did I.

  I walked straight through the pub’s main room and knocked on O’Brian’s office door. I was nervous, almost as nervous as I was busting into a firefight.

  “Come in,” I heard.

  I turned the knob and entered. O’Brian was sitting with his legs up on the desktop, reading a book and smoking a cigar. There was a half-empty glass of whisky by his elbow, and he looked a little drunk. Probably celebrating his victory.

  “You look like shit, boy,” he said.

  “You look comfortable.”

  He grinned. “Come on in shut the door.”

  I did as instructed and took a seat in front of him. I felt like my whole body was on fire, like I had just run a marathon. I had done things that night I never wanted to do again, used a weapon in violence against other men, although it was for a good reason. But fuck the reason and fuck the Mob. I had risked my life enough for them. I had done enough shit that I hated, and I was out. Maybe O’Brian didn’t know it yet, but on the inside I was already making a new life with Ellie, figuring out what our plans would be, what kind of man I would be as a civilian.

  It was strange to realize that. I would be a civilian soon. I had never really been one, not even when I was a kid. I was always the son of a prominent boss, and that meant I was a part of the life since day one.

  For me, leaving the Mob was like being born again.

  “It’s done,” I said.

  I pulled a pair of keys from my pocket and tossed them to him.

  He caught them. “These are?”

  “Colm’s keys. His place is yours.”

  He studied them. There was blood spattered all over their length.

  “Good lad. You did it?”

  I nodded.

  He sighed and moved his legs down off the desk, leaning forward. His face was grave, despite how much power he had just gained.

  “It’s a terrible thing, to have to kill a man.”

  “It is.”

  “But you did it, because you do the things that you have to do. Even if you don’t want to do them.”

  I nodded, saying nothing.

  He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a bottle and a glass. “Interested?”

  I accepted, but I wasn’t in the mood to drink. Mostly I didn’t want to risk his anger, especially considering what I was about to ask of him. He poured a glass and held it out, and I took it from him. I took a sip and felt the cold bite of the alcohol enter my stomach. It was smooth and nutty and full, and it left a sweet buzz on my lips. More than that, it helped to calm my nerves a bit, and I took another big sip, finishing off the glass. O’Brian grinned at me.

  “Down to business, then,” he said.

  “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the new boss.”

  He nodded. “I am the new boss. I’ve worked it out with the others.”

  “The Mob is in good hands.”

  “It is, more or less.”

  That gave me pause. “What do you mean, more or less?”

  “Liam, I need a second. And I want you to be that man.”

  I gaped at him. Being the second to the Mob’s boss was a huge deal.

  “Don’t you have your own guys?”

  He shrugged. “I do, but tonight was a test. I sent you out there to see if you were the kind of man I would trust. There are men of my own, but none of them show your promise or your talents. We need someone like you to help lead things. And hopefully, one day far, far in the future, there won’t be any issues of succession.”

  I sighed and leaned back in my chair. The fucking asshole. He just had to dangle that in front of me. Becoming second would mean money and power and more. It would also mean more violence and more responsibility. Worse, he was hinting that one day I would become boss. I shook my head, almost angry that he was trying to do that to me.

  I could easily imagine myself accepting, and I knew that I would be good at it. I’d make a fantastic fucking second, and an even better boss. I knew the business, knew the rules, knew the people. I was born to run everything. I was practically raised into it. The city was basically mine already.

  And if it weren’t for her, I would have grown into my kingdom. I would have become the violent mobster I had always wanted to be.

  “I can’t do it.”

  He blinked, clearly surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “Tonight was my last job.”

  His eyes narrowed and he sipped his drink. “So you want out, then.”

  I nodded, meeting his gaze.

  “This really surprises me, Liam. But I guess I can’t say that I blame you.”

  I stared at him and nodded my response, afraid of what he’d say next.

  There was a tense moment, and he sighed. “Fine. I can’t exactly keep you around if you don’t want to stay. Normally, one of the Right People can’t walk away so easily, but this is a special case.”

  Relief flooded through me. “Thank you, sir.”

  He frowned. “This really disappoints me. You would make a great second. Maybe even a great boss, when I’m gone.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “But you should raise Colin up to second, sir.”

  He nodded. “He’s on the list.”

  I stood. “Thanks for the drink.”

  “So that’s it, you’re done?”

  “That’s it.”

  He stood up, eyeing me. He reached out his hand and I took it, shaking. His grip was firm and strong as he met my eyes.

  “I wish you good luck, son. You’re a good man. You’ll need it out there in this fucked up shit hole of a world.”

  “Thanks, sir.”

  I turned to go, but before I got to the door, I remembered something. I turned back and looked at O’Brian.

  “Actually, there’s one more thing I want to ask of you, before I go.”

  He sighed. “What is it?”

  “My friend, Leary. Make him a Right Person.”

  “I know that boy. He’s a junkie.”

  “He’s getting clean. And he saved my life more than once. I owe him.”

  O’Brian sighed. “I’ll think about it. Now get out of here and never come back.”

  I nodded. “I can do that.”

  I pushed out of his office and walked out into the main bar area. The place was filling up with more men, everyone drinking to excess, singing songs and making jokes. They had just put their lives on the line and maybe even killed for their boss, and they needed to unwind. Some came down with drink, others with laughter, but eac
h man needed a way to work himself away from what had just happened.

  I felt like I was a million miles away from it all. I was practically floating, the memory of her body and her taste flooding through me. I could barely wait to get back, to tell her what had happened. I made a direct line for the front door, but someone grabbed my arm.

  “Liam,” Colin said.

  I looked at him. “Good job tonight.”

  He let me go.

  “Yeah, you too. Stay and have a drink, man.”

  “I can’t.”

  He frowned. “Where are you going?”

  “You know where I’m going.”

  He sighed. There was a short pause as he studied me. When he was my second, he was a good worker, and smart. Though I didn’t trust him, I had to admit that he had the skills and the talent to make a great boss one day. He was perceptive beyond his years. And a damn good liar.

  “Is she worth it?” he asked.

  I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, she really is.”

  He grinned. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Colin.”

  He nodded and I turned away, pushing out into the night.

  I didn’t even think about looking back. There was only ahead and home to her. Ahead and beyond, out past the breakers of the violence I’d been reared in, through into something new, something better.

  Something clear.

  Something with honor.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ellie

  Petey barked, and I nearly cried as he jumped up on me.

  “I missed you too,” I said, laughing through his slobbery dog kisses.

  I could feel Chelsea watching us with a frown on her face. I knew I’d have a lot of explaining to do, or at least I had a lot of lying to do. I couldn’t tell her what had actually happened, after all. As far as she knew, Liam took me on a really long trip.

  “Glad to see you back,” she said after a second.

  “Good to see you too, Chelsea. Thank you so, so much for taking Petey.”

  She grinned. “He’s a darling. Isn’t that right, you big goof?”

  Petey ran around us in circles, his tail wagging.

  “So he was okay? No problems?”

  She shrugged. “Other than having a dog dropped on me for a couple weeks, everything was fine.”

  Yeah, she was pissed.

  “I’m so sorry for that again. It all happened so fast.”

  “Where were you, Ellie?”

  “He took me to Italy.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Italy, for real? How long have you known each other?”

  I laughed, trying to play it cool. “Not long at all. But he’s amazing, seriously.”

  She nodded. “I want to meet him.”

  “You will. Honestly Chelsea, he’s—he’s something I never imagined.”

  That softened her up. She smiled slightly. “Okay, let’s relax here. You sound like a lovesick teenager.”

  I paused. “Minus the teenager part . . . that’s pretty true.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? Eleanor, are you in love with this guy?”

  I blushed, but before I could answer. Petey began to bark. I looked down at him and rubbed his chest and shoulders.

  “Okay buddy, you can have some attention.”

  “So you’re back for good now?” Chelsea asked.

  “Yeah, I’m back for good.”

  “We’ll get lunch soon.”

  I nodded. “We will. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough. I owe you big time.”

  She laughed. “Yeah you do. I expect repayment in the form of many bottles of wine.”

  “I can do that.”

  Her expression softened. “It’s good to see you. I was worried for a second. I thought maybe he had kidnapped and murdered you or something.”

  If only she knew.

  “No kidnapping or murder, just a crazy last-minute trip.”

  I helped her gather up Petey’s things and connected the leash to his collar. His tail was going to fall off if he kept wagging it so hard.

  “I’ll be back for the big stuff later,” I said.

  “Sounds good.”

  “Thanks again. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Call me later. Tell me all about this mysterious trip.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  She nodded and waved as I walked down her stoop, Petey in tow. It felt incredible to have him back again; I had worried my ass off about leaving him with Chelsea. But I knew she wouldn’t leave him out in the rain or something like that. I’d have a lot of apologizing to do in the future, and probably a lot more lying to do, but it looked like things were going to be just fine.

  I walked down the block, back in my old neighborhood. It actually felt a little strange to be out in the world on my own. I had spent so many horrible, stress-filled days in that safe house that it had almost started to feel like home. But I was out, forever out, and never going back there for as long as I lived. It was a relief that I no longer had a violent gang after me.

  Then there was Liam. Something had changed about him that night, the night of the coup, and I could see it in his eyes. There was something heavy there, like he had seen and done things he never wanted to talk about. But he was also lighter, freer, quicker to smile. I understood why: the pressure from living life as a member of the Mob was lifted from him. I don’t know how or why, but he left them, they weren’t trying to stop it, and I definitely wasn’t trying to make him stay.

  I smiled to myself. He was something special, something I still didn’t understand.

  Petey raced ahead of me, up our stoop, and began to whine in front of the door. He must have recognized my apartment building and wanted to go up and see the place again.

  “Okay, Petey, it’s okay. We’re home now.”

  I pushed the key into the lock and opened the door. We raced up the stairs, and I flung open the door to my apartment.

  It hit me all over again. The memories. The man in the mask holding the gun to my head. Petey looked at me and whined, which snapped me out of it. I dropped down on one knee and took his leash off, and he went running into the apartment.

  “Whoa, Petey,” came a voice as Petey barked twice.

  I walked in and laughed at Liam petting Petey and grinning up at me.

  “He seems healthy.”

  “Yeah. Chelsea took good care of him.”

  We had spent countless hours and in out of bed together in that safe house, but it still felt a little strange to have him in my own apartment. I walked over and collapsed down onto the couch, snuggling up next to him.

  “I’m going to have to lie to her a lot,” I said.

  “I know. I’m sorry about that.”

  “I told her you took me to Italy.”

  He laughed. “Why Italy?”

  “I don’t know, it was the first place I thought of.”

  “We’ll have to make up some imaginary vacation now, you know.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be fun though. I’ll tell her how annoying you are to travel with.”

  “Sure, okay. I’m a delight and you know it.”

  I laughed and kissed him. We lapsed into silence as Petey ran between rooms, sniffing everything and reclaiming his territory.

  “By the way, how’s Richie doing?”

  “Having the time of his fucking life at Disneyland, apparently. I told his mom that they can come home whenever, but I’m willing to bet they’ll spend whatever cash they have left first.”

  I laughed. “I don’t blame them. How much did they take?”

  He frowned. “Way too much.”

  I laughed again and shook my head, looking around the apartment. Everything was pretty much the same, though there was a thin sheen of dust. Still, it seemed off somehow, and I was consciously struggling to keep the memory of Max holding a gun to my face out of my mind.

  “It feels a little weird in here,” I said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just, that day keeps playing in my he
ad, over and over.”

  He frowned. “I understand.”

  “I don’t know. After everything that happened, it just doesn’t feel like mine anymore.”

  He paused. “You still haven’t seen my place.”

  “Oh yeah. I guess you do have a real apartment somewhere.”

  “I do in fact have a real apartment.”

  “Is it furnished and maybe decorated a little bit?”

  He laughed. “A little bit. Not much more than the safe house.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “What, I don’t strike you as the decorating type?”

  “Nope, not at all.”

  “I’m a little insulted. I have great taste.”

  I kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sure you do.”

  We lapsed into silence for a second as Petey came over and Liam began to pet him on the shoulders.

  “You could always come stay with me for a while, you know,” he said softly.

  “Haven’t you had enough of me already?”

  He shrugged. “No, not really.”

  “Not really? Ouch.”

  “Look, you can come crash at my place. No pressure, leave whenever you want. I can even help you find a new apartment, if you want.”

  I smiled. Even after everything that had happened between us, he was still trying to save me. Some weird feeling welled up inside me, and I grabbed his face and kissed him deeply, a slight tingle running down my spine. After a second, Petey barked, and I pulled away, laughing.

  “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

  “No, not at all. Do girls usually kiss you when you mess up?”

  He grinned that fucking grin. I hoped it never got old.

  “Yeah. You’d be surprised.”

  I stood up. “Come on. Let’s go see this dungeon apartment you live in.”

  He stood. “You’re in for a treat, you know.”

  “Yeah, okay.” I walked over to the front door and Petey followed me. I crouched down and connected his leash. I looked back up at Liam. “This doesn’t mean I’m staying over, okay? I’m just curious about your place.”

  He smiled. “Sure, whatever you say.”

  I opened the door and started walking down the steps. Liam followed.

  “Really, I mean it. I’m not staying.”

  “Okay. We’ll see.”