Binding Rose: A Dark Mafia Romance(67)
“Every night, you will come home at a decent hour and have dinner with me. I’m tired of eating my meals alone. But the minute you walk through the doors, I’ll also want you to leave the day’s work outside.”
It takes everything in me to keep my composure in place when Tiernan fights not to roll his eyes at the pitiful excuse of a negotiation attempt.
“I can accommodate that request. But only until you give birth. After that, I see no need for such pleasantries.”
“Fine,” I concede.
“May I include a clause of my own now?”
“By all means. The floor is all yours,” I reply sarcastically.
This time the smirk that rises to his lips doesn’t hold any malevolence to it, only odd amusement.
“I asked Shay to accompany you today to find a house that is to your liking. If you are to mother the next Kelly generation then it’s all the more important that both you and the child live in an accommodating setting.”
“Child? As in one?” I interrupt before he picks up from where he left off.
“Are you planning on wanting more?” His brows pull together in suspicion.
“I think to guarantee a Kelly successor, it would be prudent to have more than one, yes.”
His fingers begin to tap on the table as he seems to genuinely consider my statement.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
“Very well,” he relents. “Once your first child turns two-years-old, then we can revisit this proposition and see if you are still interested in having more. Childbearing and motherhood aren’t for everyone. You might find that having just one child is enough of a challenge and change your mind. You and I both know how fickle you can be.”
“Fair enough,” I reply stoically, proud that my cheeks didn’t burn a flaming red with the memory he just conjured up of the night I lost my virginity to him.
“How many children were you thinking?” he questions dryly, once he sees his little dig at me didn’t get the desired effect he expected.
“Three,” I state evenly, looking directly at the three men sitting in front of me.
Tiernan’s jaw ticks, giving my own smile of triumph free rein having gotten a reaction from him.
“What else?”
“I think it’s your turn to make demands, husband,” I coo, batting my eyelashes at him.
“As long as you are no longer living under my roof when all of this is done, I have all that I want.”
I smile sweetly, hiding the hurt his cold words have caused.
“Very well. Then my next demand is that I don’t want the transaction to happen at the apartment. I want it to be on neutral ground. For all parties involved.”
“I can consent to that. There are a few apartments at The Avalon I rent out. One of them is currently vacant, so you can use it for your gatherings. Anything else you need to add, or are you content with your negotiations?”
“I only have one more thing that I want. Then I’ll sign anything you put in front of me.”
“Now, wife, there is no need for contracts. That’s not the world we live in. My word is my bond. That should suffice,” he adds with a sardonic grin.
“It does.”
“Good. Then what is this last demand you want?”
I look at an ashen-faced Shay and then towards an even more stunned Colin, only to land my final stare on the man who is determined to pull all our strings.
“Whenever Shay, Colin, and I fuck, you’ll have to be in the room to watch.”
I’m not sure if it’s the shock of hearing me say the word fuck that got to him, or my request that he be in the room when I have sex with his cousin or brother that did. The proof of how I just pricked the Irish king and made him bleed is all in the way his hands immediately balled into fists.
And with the knowledge that I tipped the crown off his head, I pick up my purse and begin to strut to the door. With my hand on the door knob, I turn my head over my shoulder and give my husband some parting advice.
“Those are my terms, husband. Fail to meet them, and I’ll tell the families how this treaty is null and void. You have until midnight to give me your answer. Tick tock, Tiernan. Tick tock.”
Chapter 14
Shay
I wait impatiently for Rosa to leave the room before I tear my brother a new one.
“You cannot be fucking serious, Tiernan?! The fuck are you thinking?”
My brother ignores me completely, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window to stare at our city.
“Tiernan?! Did you hear what I just said? This is fucking insane. Even for you,” I shout, but all I get is my brother’s silence and his back facing towards me.
I turn to my sullen cousin, whose head is bowed, thinking about God knows what.
“Why didn’t you say anything, Col? You agree with me, right? This is some twisted-up shit. I mean, can you honestly sit there and tell me you’re okay with fucking Tiernan’s wife?”
His head snaps my way, rage like I’ve never seen before marring his features.
“Don’t talk about her that way. She deserves our respect.”
“Oh yeah, asshole? Then tell me, how are we showing her any fucking respect by tag-teaming her like some whore from The Pit?!”