Vengeance: A Kindred Sons Mafia Romance
Page 13
"Aye, son, I see ye looking at me." He stood and walked over to me. "Do ye mind your Aunt Agnes’ oul’ house? Long before it was hers, and long before your time that was your grandmother's house. In them days, Isabella and us were neighbours. I used to sneak into her garden to eat the strawberries."
The women were chattering away and I walked into the kitchen with da. "Da, can I…"
"Here." he held his hand out to me, "Thought ye might be wanting this." He dropped the contents of his hand into mine.
"How'd ye know?"
"Ye're me son, I know everything there is to know about ye. And it doesn't take much to see how much ye mean to her." He shook his head, “And yer ma was the one that thought you’d want it.”
Chapter 36
Jake
When the conversations had died down, I took my chance to speak with Isabella alone, part excited and part fearful that an oul' woman held the answer to such an important question. "I think a lot of your granddaughter." I started, more nervous than I’d been in years.
"I would hope so." she said, giving nothing away.
With a deep breath and steeling myself for her answer I spoke quickly, "I love her, and with your permission, I'd like to ask her to marry me."
"I see that you love her, Jake." she spoke quietly, "And I respect ye asking me. You probably only see an old woman in front of you, an old woman who doesn't know much." I didn't know how to answer that, so I remained silent. "I'm not stupid; I know what yous are. I knew about the Kindred Sons long before ye were born. You have my permission under one condition."
"Anything." I said instantly.
"Ye see that smile on her face right now?" Bella was chatting easily with Louise and a few of the other women.
"Aye."
"If she ever lands back out to see me with anything less than a smile like that on her face, you'll be hearing from me. And if you ever make her cry as sore as she did when she landed back at mine, I’ll kill ye myself. You got that, son?"
“Aye.” I smiled, a new respect for the woman who had looked after my sweetheart - and a new realisation of precisely where Bella got her fire from.
The women laughed at some joke, and I took the distracted moment to kiss Isabella quickly on the cheek. "Thank you. I will do everything in my power to keep her happy - it will be my one duty in life. That and to protect her."
I stood tall, patted my clothes down and walked straight over to her. From the corner of my eye, I saw my da wink at me, mum smiled from behind her tissue, already dabbing at her eyes beside him. I took Bella’s hand and pulled her from her seat to stand in the center of the room. Everyone quietened, knowing I had something to say.
"Bella, I've never been great with words, and I'll probably say something wrong here." Her eyes looked up at me in confusion. "Ye're everything to me." I dropped to one knee and I heard excited murmurs amongst my family. "I love ye. I always will love ye. I swear to protect ye, look after ye, and to always make ye happy. It would be my greatest honour if ye would be me wife."
I pulled my own grandmother's engagement ring from my back pocket and held it up to her. Her eyes shone and she smiled even though one tear overspilled and ran down her face. "Jake, I love you too." She sniffed, "Of course I'll marry you!" the crowd cheered and once I slipped the ring onto her finger all the women in the house flocked to see it and the men came to congratulate me.
Isabella looked at the ring and then to both of us. "That's your grandmother's ring." I nodded as her eyes grew misty. "Your grandmother was a great woman, and I saw how happy they were. I wish you both nothing but the very best for the future." She went to sit down again but turned to add, "And may all your troubles be little ones."
Louise burst over to hug us both. "Oh my god, congratulations! I hear October's a great month for a wedding." She smiled with raised eyebrows.
I looked to Bella and couldn't see why not. "Sooner the better as far as I'm concerned."
She giggled, "As in October - next month, October?" I laughed and Louise practically bounced. "I guess I need to get planning!"
Epilogue
Jake
After we'd brought the McCauley's to their knees, what had been left of their gang all but disappeared. I would have done the same: regroup, refocus, renew energy and re-strategize. That meant it was only a matter of time before they'd come back at us. I'd already heard they'd been arse licking the Triad.
My focus should have solely been on the increased training that all of the Kindred Sons were now doing - not just the guys who answered to me. When I had told da about the training I’d set up, his first instructions were to roll it out with everyone - oul' boys, new recruits; everyone. Nevan got the shitty end of that stick as I delegated that responsibility to him, so I could monitor but keep Bella as my main focus.
The guys had initially been hurt when I said I wasn't going on a stag do, however, that was short-lived. When I said that they should go on ahead and celebrate in my honour without me, they were happy again. I believed there'd been three stag parties so far: the stag weekend in Holland; a rally driving stag weekend at home; and the only one I did attend: the massive men-only dinner my mum insisted on having at Windsor house.
Bella, my Bella. She was already mine, and everyone knew it. As much as I’d always insisted to others that marriage was the end of a sexual relationship, right now I thought there would be nothing better than slipping away for a month or two with my wife and fucking in every possible position imaginable. Coming up with new places and positions had become my favourite hobby.
Bella had not been keen on a church wedding, and in light of the potential security risks, having the ceremony in the hotel's best room was a safer option. The minister had enthusiastically agreed to whatever we'd wanted. Mum had insisted on us attending Sunday School as children, so I had the impression part of his interest in doing the ceremony was to actually confirm I had got married. To ONE woman. Who I'd settle down with.
Andy joined the rest of the men at the front of the room, speaking briefly to me before taking his place. "Congratulations mate. Bella's as mad about you as ye are for her." He nodded at the woman sitting behind the baby grand piano in the corner who changed the piece of music she was playing.
I heard everyone gasp in awe as they turned to watch the woman I would love for the rest of my life. I heard her quietly thank Ryan, and his “Love you, sis.” My wife-to-be was by my side. It wasn't until then that I turned to look at her. Tears pricked my eyes - she really was beautiful.
The ceremony, whilst not exactly traditional with this setting, still felt rational - if that made since. I'd never cared about the service before, but since it was Bella and mine, the words were so important, none more so than the vows. I would love her forever - there would be no such thing as death us do part.
We would spend the rest of our lives together, facing a future that was free from the ghosts that haunted us. In killing Denver, not only had I somehow set Cassie’s memory free, I had helped Louise - she knew it had been Denver’s family that killed her father. Since Robert met his end, Bella didn’t frown in her sleep anymore. I watched her sleep each night, ready to soothe her nightmares away. But with me by her side, she didn’t have any more need for nightmares.
Bonus Bella Prologue
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Beth’s Final Words
The Kindred Sons have been running around causing mayhem in my brain for quite a while, and their next story is already underway.
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Contents
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
Beth’s Final Words