Exhaling: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection Book 3) Read online

Carrigan clutched his sister tight, wishing he could protect her from everything that tried to pull her down. “Never. I’ll stay here until you feel okay with it all.” He pulled out his phone with his free hand and called off work for the following day.

  “You didn’t have to do that. I just meant don’t pick a fight with Vince and storm out.”

  “Oh, I can wait until next week to pick a fight with your boyfriend.”

  “Husband,” Fallyn and Vince corrected him. Vince excused himself and left for the kitchen to get some space.

  “Too much family drama for him?” Keenan inquired, rubbing his sister’s back.

  “Nah. Vince has been trying not to drink since I can’t. I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s doing now.”

  Keenan patted Carrigan’s shoulder. “I made no such promise. Think I’ll join him. It’s been a rough one, and it’s not nearly halfway over.” Keenan left Carrigan and Fallyn, who were still clinging to each other in the hallway.

  “I’m scared,” Fallyn admitted. “Am I doing a good job of hiding it?”

  “I never would’ve guessed. It’s alright. No matter what, we’re all in this together.” His voice sounded far off as he puzzled through the chaos. “I’ll bet it’s Seamus. You two both have that temper.”

  Fallyn scoffed. “Look who’s talking. You promise you didn’t know?”

  Carrigan clutched his sister closer to his chest, angling her belly to the side. “I would never keep something like that from you. I promise, I’m just as shocked as you are.” Carrigan held the girl who would only ever be his sister until the doorbell rang, bringing reality to their doorstep.

  25

  The Truth in the Lies

  Vince tugged open the door, ready to confront whoever had put them through this much drama, but frowned when he found Danny at the door. “Well, you would’ve been eight, right?”

  “Eight what?” Danny raised an eyebrow at Vince. “Have another drink, why don’t you? Keenan called a family meeting?”

  Vince nodded in understanding. “Ah. Gotcha. Come on in. My house apparently is all of yours. Make yourself at home.” Vince stood back and watched with a grim expression and calculating eyes as one by one, the O’Keefe men entered with expectant faces.

  “Congratulations!” Finn greeted Vince with a kiss to both cheeks.

  “Huh?”

  Finn pulled back. “Didn’t Fallyn have the baby? Isn’t that why you called us here? I mean, I would’ve liked to have gotten the call when she went into labor, but whatever. Congratulations!” Finn clapped Vince on the back.

  Seamus wasn’t nearly as cheery. “You should’ve called us the second you thought she might be going into labor. We had every right to know. What if something had gone wrong?” He moved into the kitchen where the others were standing around. Seamus’ eyes fell on Fallyn, who was still clinging to Carrigan in the hallway between the kitchen and the living room. “Oh, you didn’t have the baby? What’s going on, then?”

  Carrigan spoke up for his sister, who was still trying to gather her bearings as he moved her into the kitchen, using the counter as a divider. He waited for everyone to follow them in and assemble for the family meeting. “Everyone grab a seat. Fallyn’s got something to say.” With one arm around Fallyn, Carrigan pointed his finger in warning at each of his brothers. “And you’ll all keep quiet until she’s done talking, you hear?”

  “What’s this about?” Declan asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He’d stopped asking permission a few weeks ago, falling into the rhythm of when he’d been younger and had treated the D’Amatos’ place like it was his own. “Did you get another ultrasound and find that the baby’s half alien?”

  Vince moved to the other side of his wife, whiskey in hand as he stared down the O’Keefes. “I’m in a bad mood, fellas. I wouldn’t make any sudden moves or raise your voices. Fallyn’s supposed to be on bedrest, and this is my first drink in weeks, so don’t rock the boat.”

  Killian spoke for the family with a stern nod. “Go ahead, Fal. We’re listening.”

  Now that she had the floor, Fallyn’s voice felt trapped inside of her. Instead of speaking, she took out the lab results and handed them to Danny, who tilted the paper so Seamus and Finn could look over his shoulder. “What is this?” Danny asked, his nose wrinkled in confusion. The same horror dawned on each of them as they passed the paper around. “It’s not true. You’re screwing with us.” Danny passed the paper to Declan, and then to Killian, who paled as he stood at the counter on the other side of Fallyn.

  Killian dropped the paper to the floor, his hands shaking. “How d-did you… When? I didn’t… Okay, I can’t…” Killian gripped the counter, dropping down to his knees when they gave out on him. He clutched his chest as his heart pounded unsteadily.

  Keenan filled in the gaps for the stunned onlookers. “Dad is Fallyn’s grandfather.” He pointed to Killian in all of his anguish. “Fally, that right there is your biological father.”

  26

  On His Knees

  There was shouting. There was shoving. There were accusations. Vince threw the first punch, snapping Killian’s head to the side. Seamus punched Vince in retaliation, though his heart wasn’t in the fight – so deep was his shock. There was utter chaos for several minutes until Carrigan felt Fallyn clutching his arm. He looked down and saw that she was wincing in pain and holding her belly with her other hand. He swore loudly and clapped his hands. “Everyone, shut up! Baby!”

  Vince bowled through the sea of brothers to his wife’s side. “No! It’s too soon still!” He whirled on Killian. “You! This is your doing, upsetting her like this!”

  Fallyn shook her head. “It’s fine. I don’t think it’s the real thing yet. The baby’s just moving around like crazy.” She grimaced and gripped Vince’s hand as the baby kicked out. The men all gasped as they saw the foot slide from the left side of her belly to the right, moving her thin sundress with its force. “Everyone needs to calm down!”

  Vince and Carrigan led her to the couch in the living room and lowered her down to lay on her side. Vince lifted her feet for her and sat on the floor so he could press his ear to her belly, in hopes that his presence would calm the child. He held Fallyn’s hand, wishing anything he did would help her in some small way. When the men moved into the living room, Vince’s rule was firm. “No one shouts or fights in here. I’ll kick your ass good and hard once we’re alone, but here? You’ll debase yourself quietly.” He pointed to the floor next to the coffee table near Fallyn’s head. “On your knees, O’Keefe.”

  Killian obeyed, not caring that his brothers were seeing him humiliate himself in the home of a D’Amato. He knelt before Fallyn, his head bowed and voice only just loud enough for them all to hear if they listened in close. “It’s true. I had a one-night stand with Melanie Flannery in high school. I was stupid and didn’t use protection. When she told me, I didn’t know what to do. Dad and Mom were having problems because Mom was having a thing on the side with Papa D.” He cast an apologetic look toward Vince, who looked, if possible, more murderous. “So Mom took me and Melanie away after her parents kicked her out. We lived in Maine until you came along. Melanie stayed out there with her relatives after you were born. She… She wasn’t ready to be a mother. I mean, neither of us were ready to be parents, so she signed over rights to Mom and Dad.” He swallowed thickly as tears fell down his unshaven cheeks. “Melanie died a few years ago. That long vacation I took when you graduated high school? I was at her funeral.”

  Fallyn had been so wrapped up in thinking about who her father was that it hadn’t even dawned on her that her mother might be out there, wanting to know her. Now it was too late for even the most basic introductions.

  “We waited until Mom and Dad patched things up long distance. Then Mom and I came home with you. You were a few months old, but the others were young, so most of them didn’t notice the time gap.” Killian laced his hands behind his neck executioner-style, his eyes on the carpet. “I
wanted to tell you every day, but you were happy with Mom and Dad being your parents, and we didn’t want to take that away from you.”

  “You were afraid,” Fallyn whispered, calling his fib to light. “This wasn’t for my benefit; you were a coward.”

  Killian nodded with his eyes closed. “One reckless night and our family was changed forever. I was a mess for a long time. I was a coward, but I was also too young and stupid to be a decent father. Then when I could finally stand on my own? Well, it didn’t seem right to take Mom and Dad away from you, or you away from them. They’d always wanted a daughter. So the three of us agreed to take the secret to the grave.”

  Vince’s snarl was laced with so much venom that he spoke through his teeth to keep from shouting. “You disgust me. This is your grandchild! You should’ve made peace with us from the beginning.”

  “I don’t deserve a grandchild,” Killian countered, adamant. “After the decades of lying to everyone?”

  “You’ve got that right.” Vince finished off his drink, livid. “You deserve to be cut off from her and the baby. You turned up your nose at us when we got married, and she was your only daughter! You knew, and you still acted like we’d stepped so far out of line that you could barely look at her!”

  Killian met Vince’s eyes with a hint of rage shining out from his tears. “Would you want you for a son-in-law? You’re barely three years younger than I am! Barely three years younger than her father!”

  That shut Vince up. He held onto his wife’s hand to keep from flying off the handle and choking Killian. “You don’t get to pass down judgment on us anymore. You lost all rights to an opinion on how she lives her life. It’s got too much weight now. It’s not just a brother’s disapproval, it’s a second father’s. From here on out, you support her all the way. Fake it till you feel it. I don’t care how you manage it, but you’ll smile at her no matter what she decides to do in life.”

  Killian hesitated, but then nodded, knowing he didn’t have a leg to stand on. “That’s fair. Fallyn, I’m sorry.”

  Fallyn whimpered as the baby turned over again. There was so little room for the baby to move inside of her, that to kick and change positions, as it was doing with gusto, felt painful. She squeezed Vince’s hand and reached out for Killian. She gripped his arm and brought his hand to rest on her belly so he could feel his grandbaby’s acrobatics. “That’s your grandchild,” she whispered. “I think it knew who you were before I did. Keeps trying to get to you.”

  Killian collapsed with a strangled sob on Fallyn, resting his cheek atop hers as wave after wave of held-back emotion hit him and dragged him under. “I’m sorry! I really thought you were better off with Mom and Dad. I would’ve made a terrible father! But I should’ve told you. I’m sorry!”

  Though there were a great many things she had stored up to scream at Killian, she breathed through the haze of anger, knowing that one way or another they had to make it through this. She combed her fingers through his short auburn hair to soothe his ache. “Now why would you say that? You’ve been dadding all of us forever. I even call you ‘Dad’ when you get too bossy.”

  “You think I don’t feel the weight of that on every level?”

  She waited a few beats to let the moment rest as she held the brother she’d always looked up to. “I don’t know what to do from here. Do we go on like we’ve been, with you as my brother? Or do I call you ‘Dad’ now? It’s a lot to process.”

  “Call me Killian,” he insisted. “I haven’t earned the right to be called your father. Dad earned that right by stepping up and raising you. He loves you like a daughter, Fal. Don’t ever question that.”

  Fallyn nodded, gripping his head tight. “Okay. But I’m not lying to this baby. You’re the grandpa, and you’ll suck it up and deal. You’ll be the best grandpa that ever was, and my kid’s going to call you grandpa, not Uncle Killian. Understood?”

  “Really?” Killian’s voice sounded hopeful as his mind raced to wrap around the fact that the truth had come to light, and he had not lost the girl he loved. She had not thrown him out, though he fully expected it to come to that. He smiled into her cheek through his tears. “I’d like that. You’ll really let me be the grandfather?”

  “Grandpa Kill? Has a certain ring to it.” She brushed her fingernails over his tear-streaked stubble. “I don’t want to waste my life fighting with you about this. I’m mad, make no mistake, but to watch Dad go downhill like he has? I don’t want to miss out on years with you over this. So if you can stick around, I can muscle through till we reach some sort of middle ground.” Her voice turned sharp. “But you’ll make this up to Keenan. Daddy forcing him to keep your secret all these years? That’s unforgivable. You’ll bend over backwards to make Keenan’s life better, and this baby’s. You’ll take whatever crap the guys throw at you over this. You lied to all of us, Kill.”

  Killian made to stand to give his apology speech to his grim brothers, but when he pulled away, Fallyn cried out in pain.

  Vince jumped up. “Whoa! Did you feel that? Your whole belly got harder. What was that?”

  “Nothing. I just need to switch positions. I’m so uncomfortable. Help me sit up for a second?” She reached out, her hands landing on Vince and Killian, who gently pulled her upright. “I need to walk this off. It’s a cramp or something.” She used their arms to pull her way up to standing, her face gaunt with terror when she felt a trickle down her leg.

  The men all gasped as one, taking a step back from the pregnant woman. “Is that… Did your water just break?” Killian asked in awe.

  “No. No, it didn’t break. I um, I’ve still got three weeks left. My water didn’t break! It couldn’t have! I’ve got three weeks!” A painful contraction wracked her body, doubling her over as she gripped Vince and Killian’s hands while she shouted through the pain. “Ah! I’m not in labor,” she tried to assure them all. “It’s too early for that. It’s got to be false labor. It’s in the book.”

  Vince was white as a sheet, but he kept his voice calm. “Okay, fine. You’re not in labor, but we’re still going to the hospital, okay?” He knew a lie was the only way to get her to stay calm. He kept hold of her hand and motioned for Killian to help him get her to the car. Vince made a noise of agony when a trickle of blood ran down his wife’s leg. “We’re going now! Keenan, grab me a towel. She’s bleeding! Run!”

  Killian cast aside his self-loathing and ran to the door as Keenan bolted up to the linen closet. “My car’s in the street with no one blocking it. Go! I’ll drive.”

  Fallyn was shaking with fear as Vince led her towards the door. She dug her heels into the carpet in protest to stop the parade out into the night. “I’m not ready for this! It’s not happening yet! I’m not in labor—oh!” She doubled over as another contraction gripped her.

  Keenan shoved the towel at Vince, trying to offer up a reassuring smile. Killian and Vince helped her down the steps, across the lawn and to Killian’s car, where they helped her into the backseat. Vince ducked into the sedan after her, shouting to Killian to get a move on.

  Carrigan came running out of the house, keys in hand. “Follow me!” he commanded Killian. When he placed the cherry atop his roof, Killian nodded with gratitude. “Police escort,” Carrigan explained to Declan, Danny, Finn and Seamus, who piled into his sedan without question. Carrigan led the way, breaking several traffic laws to ensure his sister arrived at the hospital not ten minutes after they left the house.

  Killian pulled into the maternity ward parking, but Vince was unsure. His voice came out pinched and laced with agony he wished he could order away. “Should we take her to emergency? There’s a lot of blood, Kill.”

  “Let’s just get her inside quick as we can. I’ll grab a wheelchair.” Killian ran into the hospital, returning in a blink with a wheelchair he and Vince helped Fallyn into. Her legs and white shoes were drenched in thin ribbons of blood that painted the concrete of the parking lot as Killian ran Fallyn toward the enormous building.
r />   Finn grabbed the clipboard from the woman who insisted they needed to fill out more forms before Fallyn could be admitted. “I’ll fill these out. Go!”

  Killian, Vince, and the rest of the guys wheeled Fallyn into the elevator. Each man held his breath when Fallyn let out a bitten-off scream as another contraction hit her. “They’re getting worse!” she complained, looking down. “That’s a lot of blood, Vince. The book said a little blood was okay. This is way too much! Something’s wrong!”

  Vince held onto her hand even as Killian wheeled her to the triage desk. “Family only!” the nurse protested when they all moved to run through the sliding double doors. She had a stack of papers spread out over her desk, and looked in no mood for shenanigans.

  “They are family,” Fallyn explained. “My husband, my brothers, and my dad.” She closed her eyes at putting the label of paternity on her eldest brother, who had, in many ways, raised her. Killian gripped her shoulder before surrendering her to a nurse, who directed them to a private room where yet more blood flowed out of Fallyn.

  27

  The Miracle and the Horror

  The miracle of birth felt more to the men like a horror film being played out on their collective treasure. Only three people were allowed in the room with Fallyn, so the brothers took shifts since Vince and Killian demanded they be permanent fixtures by her side for the duration. There were numerous complications with both Fallyn and the baby, and as the decisions grew tougher to make, Fallyn let Vince and Killian make the calls since she was being driven borderline insane from the pain that just kept coming. “Oh! It hurts, it hurts! Make it stop!” She clawed at the air, grasping onto Vince, who had long since lost his mind to panic.

  Seamus was afraid to touch his sister, but she wouldn’t let go of his hand. “Maybe I should give one of the other guys a turn. I’ve been hogging all the time with you.”