THE CALLAHANS (A Mafia Romance): The Complete 5 Books Series

by Glenna Sinclair

  But…there was still this heaviness in my chest and a pressure in my lower belly, a desire that I didn’t understand and couldn’t do anything about.

  I got up, moved to the windows, and stared down at the city. It was beautiful now, now that it was dark and there were lights on in all the homes. I found myself wondering about the people who lived near here, about the lives they lived. I wondered if they were happy, or if they were miserably hiding their dissatisfaction with life in the bottom of a bottle or a line of coke. I wondered about the people in other parts of the city, the people with less money and bigger problems, the people those of us sitting high in our castles tried to forget about. I wondered if any of my father’s victims were here.

  “I know you have reason to get revenge on the same man I’m trying to hurt,” he said to me during that third conversation.

  “And who would that be?”

  “Brian Callahan.”

  And he was right. If not for Brian Callahan, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have left school, and I wouldn’t have lost everything that mattered to me. I wouldn’t be aware of the little people, of the pain my father’s scam brought to them when he stole away the small pensions and savings they had managed to store away after thirty or forty years of hard work. I wouldn’t care about anything more than my grades, my wardrobe, and my luxury car. I would be planning vacations with my friends, working with names that appeared in Forbes Magazine on a regular basis, and living a life that a cocktail waitress in Vegas could only dream of.

  I didn’t know why this person was out to hurt Brian Callahan, but I knew I was playing a dangerous game that I wasn’t quite sure my heart would survive. Because it wasn’t just a game. And I wasn’t the calloused woman I thought I was. I thought I could do this, that I would look at Kyle and see the destruction of my family. But I didn’t. I looked at Kyle and I saw a broken child who was struggling to become a good man. I saw a potential lover, a potential mate who could turn my life around, who could walk with me through this maze my life had become.

  I was falling in love…and that was the most dangerous thing of all.

  Chapter 11

  Kyle

  I stood at the back of the room, leaning against the door while Pops, Ian, and Killian lounged on the couches like this was some sort of men’s club or something. I watched my eldest brother, Killian and noted the things about him that had changed since he and Stacy got married. He smiled more. He seemed more relaxed. In the past, he would have hated being in here; he would have wanted to be anywhere but in this house. I don’t know what one had to do with the other—this was the house we grew up in, after all. But Killian didn’t like being in this house after he left for college. I suspected now that that had something to do with Stacy. And then Abigail died and he tried not to be here at all. That I understood. I didn’t like being here in the months after Abigail died, either. But this was still Pops’ home. It was still a home filled with memories that I cherished.

  Now, Killian seemed happy. He seemed more relaxed. He seemed more willing to do just about anything. Was that what marriage had done for him?

  I thought about Amelia—and I say that like she never left my thoughts, but she didn’t. I thought about coming home to her every night for the rest of my life. It wasn’t an unpleasant thought.

  The unpleasantness came when I wondered if she would really ever want to stay with me. Would she be content to sit in that loft and watched the city while I went out and lived a life I couldn’t even begin to explain to her? Would she be content to only have me when Jack or Pops didn’t need me?

  I didn’t think so.

  “We’ll need to be more diligent during this next shipment,” Pops was saying. “The Italians have threatened to come in and rip us off. We can’t let them do that.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why are the Italians making threats about a part of the city that isn’t in their territory?”

  “Because they want our territory,” Pops said.

  That seemed pretty straightforward. But the last time the Italians tried to move on Irish territory, there was a street war that didn’t end well for either side.

  “History isn’t exactly something the Italians pride themselves on,” Ian said almost as if he was reading my mind.

  “Do we know how they know about this warehouse?”

  Killian, Ian, and Pops all looked at each other, then shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I knew what that meant. They thought it was our mystery man, the one who had been stalking the family for nearly two years now. Someone wanted to hurt Pops…and they wanted to hurt him bad. The only thing was, none of us could understand who or why.

  Jack was head of the Irish mob. Pops was his business partner—his legitimate business partner—but he hadn’t been directly involved in mob activities, with the exception of helping us run protection, in years. Why someone would want to bring him down and not Jack was mindboggling.

  If I was going after a mobster, I’d go after the head of the snake. That’s what made this feel so personal—this person wasn’t after the Irish, he was after Pops personally.

  “When does this go down?”

  Pops glanced at his watch. “Two hours.”

  I nodded.

  “I know we’re keeping you from your new bride. Must be difficult.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “It is a bit of an inconvenience, but I think we’ll survive.”

  “Imagine, Kyle married,” Ian said. “Whoever would have thought he’d ever bite the bullet?”

  “Abigail always thought it might be in the cards for him.” Pops looked me over. “No matter how much I argued about it with her.”

  “Thanks for the support.”

  “Well, I never thought Killian would get married, either.”

  Killian’s eyebrows rose. “Is that right? I didn’t realize it was such a shocker.”

  “That you got married? Or that you married our sister?” Ian wanted to know.

  Killian just shook his head. “You’re just jealous because I’m happy. Marriage isn’t as much of a prison as you guys think it is.”

  “It’s not,” Pops said, growing sober. “I’ve enjoyed it myself. Both times.”

  “Yeah? What’s the best part?” I asked.

  “Not having to move from bed to bed, girl to girl. Not getting caught up in the drama of affairs. Having the same, reliable girl in your bed every night. Having the same girl to talk to about everything from the weather to politics to business and know that she’s listening and she really cares about what you have to say.”

  Killian was nodding right along as Pops spoke.

  “Coming home to your best friend every night,” he added.

  Ian shook his head. “Not everyone marries their best friend.”

  “No, but your wife can become your best friend if you married the right girl.”

  Pops and Killian exchanged a glance. Clearly they both agreed. Ian shook his head.

  “Is it really like that?”

  They all three turned to look at me.

  “A relationship changes as time passes,” Pops said. “At first, it’s hot. The sex is hot, everything is hot. And then it settles into something comfortable. And, if you’re lucky, the sex continues to be hot.”

  Killian smiled in a way that made it pretty clear that Pops just described his marriage—information I really didn’t want to know about my sister—but Ian couldn’t accept that idea.

  “Being with one woman every night for the rest of your life? Not my idea of fun.”

  “That’s because you’ve never felt a connection to a woman,” Killian told him.

  Ian just shook his head. “You guys are all married. You have to defend marriage.”

  Pops looked at me. “What do you think, Kyle? You think we’re just defending marriage because we have to?”

  “No. But if your wives were here, I think it would be possible.”

  They laughed. Pops came over to me and slapped me on the shoulder.


  “When do we get to meet your new bride?”

  “I don’t know. Soon, I hope.”

  Pops studied my face. “Tell us about her. How did you meet her? Why didn’t you bring her home before you married her?”

  “Because he didn’t want us to talk him out of it,” Ian said.

  Pops turned and waved his hand at him. “You’ve voiced your opinion. Now let it go.” Then he turned back to me. “I think it’s wonderful that you decided to take the plunge.”

  There was pride in Pops’ voice, in the expression on his face as he studied me. I wanted to turn away because I didn’t deserve it. If he’d known how Amelia and I came to be married, he’d be ashamed of me.

  “Tell us about her.”

  I shrugged. “She’s from Oregon, a good, Catholic family. She likes Green Day and Twenty-One Pilots.” I shrugged again since I didn’t know what else to say. “She’s beautiful. Petite and dark haired, and she has these amazing blue eyes…”

  Pops patted my shoulder. “Good. I’m happy for you, son.”

  Killian and Ian were both staring at me as if my head had just spun around. I didn’t know what it was they thought they’d heard. What I’d said didn’t even do Amelia justice.

  “We should get going.”

  I turned and walked out, done with the whole scene.

  And practically walked right into Pops’ wife, Cassidy, her daughter, Brianna, and my brother Kevin.

  Fuck!

  “Kyle!” Kevin slapped me on the same shoulder Pops had just been pounding. “I hear congratulations are in order!”

  “I can’t believe you got married,” Cassidy said, moving in to kiss my cheek.

  Pops, Killian, and Ian had followed me out of the office. They were standing back, loving the show. They knew how much it annoyed me to be the center of attention. They knew I hated being fawned over. Yet, they found it increasingly amusing to watch the scene unfold.

  “Tell us about her,” Brianna insisted. “What’s she like?”

  I shook my head, at a loss for what to say. Again.

  Cassidy slipped her arm through mine and led the way into the sitting room.

  “Is she at your place? Do you think she’d mind if we went over and introduced ourselves?”

  “It’s been a long day. She’s pretty worn out.”

  “Just for a little while?”

  Cassidy was determined. I’d only known her for a little over a year, but I knew that when she got an idea, it was nearly impossible to talk her down.

  “Just let me warn her first, okay?”

  You’d think I’d just told them they could go on a shopping spree at their favorite store or something.

  Poor Amelia.

  Chapter 12

  Amelia

  “They’re on their way over. They really wanted to meet you.”

  I could hear the tension in Kyle’s voice. I didn’t know if it was because he was concerned for me, or if he was annoyed that his family was butting in. Or maybe he was afraid I wouldn’t live up to expectations.

  I hoped it wasn’t that last one.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind the company.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I just…I wish you could be here.”

  Kyle didn’t answer right away. He sighed. “I have to work. But I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’ll be there when I can.”

  He disconnected the call. It felt final in a weird sort of way. I found myself wondering what I’d done to upset him. This whole thing…I didn’t know enough about him to keep from upsetting him. And that was incredibly frustrating. Maybe his stepmother and half-sister could give me a little more insight.

  I went upstairs and changed into a pair of jeans and a clean blouse. I was combing my hair when they rang the buzzer downstairs. I had to push a button on the security system to allow the elevator to bring them up from the garage, so I had a few seconds to stand there and allow the tension of this first meeting grow.

  The doors slid open and a middle-aged woman with dark hair and blue eyes approached me, her hands outstretched.

  “Amelia, I’m Cassidy, Brian’s wife.”

  She pulled me in and gave me a hug. I was a little surprised that she would greet me so familiarly, but it was kind of nice. Then she turned and introduced me to her daughter—her flaming red hair so like Brian’s that it surprised me a little.

  “This is Brianna.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” the girl said quite openly, her smile warm and welcoming.

  “You, too.”

  I led the way into the loft, gesturing for them to have a seat on the couch. We sat across from each other and stared at each other for a long moment. Neither of us really knew what to say.

  “Kyle told us you’re from Oregon,” Brianna finally said. “What part?”

  “Ashland.”

  She smiled. “That’s a beautiful part of the state. I used to go up there with friends to camp for the weekend.”

  I dragged my fingers through my hair as I nodded. “Yeah. It’s great there. Have you ever attended one of the art festivals?”

  “Once. It was pretty crazy.”

  I smiled. “That’s the world I grew up in. My mom took me to those festivals every year.”

  “Was your mom an artist?”

  “No. She was never that creative. But she did like the atmosphere.”

  “Bohemian.”

  I laughed. “Yeah.”

  Cassidy watched us talk, a small smile on her lips. “You said was. Has your mother passed?”

  “No. As far as I know, she’s still around somewhere.”

  Cassidy and Brianna exchanged a glance.

  I slid to the edge of the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “We’re fine,” Cassidy said.

  Another few awkward moments passed. I found myself studying Cassidy. It was kind of strange how much she resembled my mom, especially how my mom looked six years ago. They both had dark hair, both had blue eyes. Both were about the same age, fit and healthy, women who clearly took pride in their personal appearance. I wondered if that was why…

  “You worked in Vegas?”

  “I did,” I said, answering Cassidy’s question. “I was a cocktail waitress.”

  Brianna’s eyes widened a little. “That must have been an interesting job. Imagine the people you met there.”

  “They always kept things interesting.”

  “Is that where you met Kyle?”

  “Yes. He was playing blackjack.”

  Again Cassidy and Brianna exchanged glances. This time it wasn’t just interest, but something a little darker.

  “What?”

  Cassidy clasped her hands. “Kyle told Brian he’d stopped gambling.”

  “He’s not good at it,” I said, remembering how much he lost the night I met him. “But he always pays his debts.”

  “Oh, Kyle is a good man. An honorable man. But he has his vices just like anyone else.”

  That brought to mind the way he looked at me when he held me in his arms, the way his hands felt on my skin. He certainly had his vices, and he was teaching me a thing or two about them.

  I felt the blush move over my cheeks and hated my body for betraying me. I was just grateful Kyle wasn’t here to see me blow this first meeting with his family.

  “How long have you and Mr. Callahan been married?”

  Cassidy touched the wedding rings on her finger. “Just over a year. But we knew each other long ago, when he was still married to his first wife.”

  “It’s really a sweet story, except for Abigail,” Brianna said. “Brian was separated from his wife and Mom was a college student. They had this torrid affair—”

  “I wouldn’t call it torrid.”

  “I would.” Brianna giggled. “It was exciting, from the way you tell it.”

  “It was,” Cassidy agreed, a sort of dreamy look comin
g over her face.

  “Then, a while back, Mom came back to town and ran into Brian. He offered her a job and one thing led to another and they got married.”

  “That is impressive,” I said. “The two of you, you were still in love even after all those years?”

  “We were. He swears that he never forgot about me…and I know I never forgot about him.”

  Romantic. I wondered how often love stories were really like that. It seemed to me, no one really believed in love anymore.

  Again an awkward silence fell. Then Cassidy suddenly stood and came to perch on the couch beside me.

  “It’s hard fitting into a new family, isn’t it? I know that when Brian and I got married, it was an uphill battle to win the trust of his children. Stacy didn’t want to have anything to do with me. And now you…you and Kyle got married so suddenly, it must seem like you’re still trying to get to know him and now we’re here to judge you.”

  That was exactly how it felt. Tears filled my eyes.

  Cassidy touched my shoulder. “We’re not judging you. We just want to get to know you.”

  I nodded.

  “Kyle’s a good man. He’s been through a lot…Brian told me stories about his childhood that would give anyone nightmares. The woman who was his biological mother was cruel. An alcoholic, but an intelligent woman. A college literature professor.”

  That surprised me a bit. I knew the woman had been cruel—and an alcoholic—but I didn’t know she was a college professor. My informant had simply told me she beat Kyle on a regular basis until she drank herself to death and left him to fend for himself.

  When you hear stories like that, you automatically assume the woman was unintelligent. A poor woman who couldn’t get a break. You don’t think of well-educated women who have the means to give themselves and their children a good life.

  “He talks about Abigail like she was a saint.”

  “She was a saint. She brought children home like some people bring home cats and dogs. Brian told me that there were long stretches when he would come home to find new children in his home once or twice a week. Most of the time it was a temporary solution, but several times it was more permanent. She fell in love with the kids she helped through her work—and that’s what made her such a good social worker.”