Redemption (A Dark Romance) (Fragile Ties Book 3) Read online

  “Right,” she mumbled back, reaching up to cup his face so she could look into his eyes again, tracing his cheekbones with her thumbs. “But you’ve got me now, David. And you’re definitely not a charity case anymore. So... you can be whoever you want to be with them. You can get closer if you want, but if you’re just doing this for me then—”

  “No.” Shaking his head, he blew out a breath and gripped her hips. “I’ve spent a lot of time talking to Harry the last year, and he’s brought up a lot of things I haven’t thought about in a long time. I loved my dad, I always will, and while it may not have been the best thing for him to do, the time we spent researching and figuring out all of your father’s dirty secrets, trying to find his weaknesses... that was how we connected. Both of us working to avenge my mom’s death. I’ve spent my entire life just wanting to make him proud of me, and I was so focused on our mission that I didn’t really pay attention to the bad stuff. Hell, I’m pretty sure I blocked it out. But... Harry was always there. Even after my dad stopped talking to him, he watched out for me. Kept me fed and clothed and did all the stuff my dad should have been worried about.”

  Clenching his jaw, David closed his eyes, and Lianna stayed quiet, her arms looped around his neck so he’d know she was listening. When he opened them again, she could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, but he was. For her.

  “My dad did his best, and I wish I could believe Harry that he would have accepted you, maybe even liked you eventually... but he’s been gone awhile, and I’ll never know what he’d have to say about the shit I’ve done, or about us ending up like this. But Harry’s still here. He’s always been here when I needed him. His entire family has, and... being here feels more like coming home than anywhere else.”

  Oh, wow.

  “Family doesn’t have to share blood, David,” she whispered, trying not to push him. “Based on everything I know about Harry, everything I’ve seen... he loves you like a son. I mean, everyone here seems to care about you, to love you like family — you just have to decide if you want it.”

  “I know.” David pulled her away from the wall and into his chest, leaning down to bury his face in her hair, and she just held on, waiting for him to work through whatever was going on in his head. It seemed to take a few minutes, but eventually he spoke again, quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. “Wanting this... wanting to be a part of this family... it feels like even more of a betrayal than wanting you.”

  “This isn’t a betrayal.” Leaning back, she waited for him to look her in the eye so he could see that she meant it. “You got your revenge, David. My father’s company is destroyed. He’s dead. Marc is dead too, and even though we might never know how much of that shit he was involved in, it doesn’t matter, because he’s gone. And the Faures are headed in a new direction under Rémi. You didn’t just fulfill your dad’s plan, you exceeded it. You told me that you guys never even expected to take on the Faure family, but we did. We exposed the corruption that was still there. And if you don’t think your dad would be proud of that, then what the fuck would he have wanted from you?”

  “I don’t know,” David answered quietly, and she sighed, biting back her frustration.

  “That’s because there isn’t anything else, baby. It’s done. All of it.” Lifting onto her toes, she kissed him, holding it for a moment so he’d understand how much she loved him, and that she wasn’t going anywhere. “You made your dad proud, and he would want you to be happy. He’d want you to stay connected to the man that was his best friend for God knows how long. There’s a reason Harry was in your life, and it’s because your dad let him in. He let him be that close to you, he made Harry a part of the family you two had together, and your dad may be gone, but you still have Harry. And now you have a chance to make Harry proud of you too.”

  “Dammit, angel,” he whispered, voice rough as he pulled her back into the kiss, pressing her against the wall again as he slowly took control of every movement, every careful brush of lips, every flick of tongue and nip of teeth. It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t possessive or dominating in the way it usually was... this was different. A whole new kind of intimate that had nothing to do with sex. It was just about the two of them, and even though every kiss from David sent a thrill through her blood, heating her skin everywhere he touched, in that moment she didn’t want or need anything more.

  It was perfect.

  “Come on, man, my kids are here!” One of the McConnell brothers shouted, groaning just as another started laughing, and someone whistled. They broke apart, and she felt distinctly like she’d been caught doing something terribly wrong.

  “Shove it, Tommy,” David said, flipping him off, which only made the man laugh harder.

  “Was this how you planned to win the bet?” Another McConnell asked, grinning. “Make out with her in the hallway until someone walks by to ‘catch you?’” he asked, holding up air quotes before he nudged his brother.

  “You didn’t even join the bet, Liam,” the younger one added, and she finally remembered his name was Sean.

  Tommy. Liam. Sean.

  “Wait, wait, we gotta settle this,” Tommy said, holding his hands up to quiet his brothers. “Lianna, just tell us the truth. Did David pay you an extremely large amount of money to come here today and pretend to be with him?”

  “If I didn’t love him so much, there wouldn’t be enough money on the planet for me to put up with his shit,” she answered, and for a moment all four men had looks of surprise until they exploded with laughter, coming forward to slap David on the back as he started laughing too, giving her a look over Liam’s shoulder.

  When he mouthed, ‘you will pay for that later,’ she just grinned and followed the men into the living room.

  “I like her,” Sean said.

  “Finally, someone else to put David in his place. We’ve been handling that shit solo for a long time,” Liam added, and then Jessica walked in behind him, immediately reaching up to smack the back of his head.

  “Language, jackass. The kids are coming.”

  “You just cursed!” Liam argued, grabbing his wife by the hips to drag her back to him when she tried to move past. She started laughing, squirming in his arms, and Lianna wondered what exactly Liam had done to get that reaction.

  Maybe David isn’t so different from them after all.

  “I am not changing the next diaper,” Claire announced as she walked in behind Connor, who ran for his dad at top speed. Tommy grabbed him from the floor, immediately flipping the toddler upside down and making him squeal with delight as Claire bounced Dylan on her hip. “I swear, if you drop him, I’m going to tell him when he’s older.”

  “I’ve never dropped him,” Tommy argued, righting his son before he set him on the floor and nudged him toward David. “Go say hi to Uncle David.”

  To Lianna’s surprise, David actually leaned down to talk to the toddler, which looked ridiculous and cute all at once. He was so big, so muscular, and the girls had been right that he’d always had the whole tall, dark, and brooding thing down — but the way he talked to Connor made him look anything but scary.

  “You two finish your make-out session?” Claire asked under her breath, and Lianna turned to look at her, knowing she had to be bright red. “Don’t worry about it. I just went upstairs to clean the boys up and give you guys some privacy.”

  “That... is mortifying.”

  “Nah. When we open the wine later, ask me to tell you about Shannon walking in on Tommy and me when we lived here for a bit.” Rolling her eyes, Claire laughed quietly. “That was mortifying.”

  “Everyone needs to wash up!” Shannon called from the kitchen, and Lianna waited for her turn to wash her hands in the sink before returning to sit next to David on the couch so she could pretend to watch the football game.

  The way the McConnells, and David, reacted to the game was way more entertaining. They argued over the ref’s calls, made stupid bets about different plays or who would catch the ball, and Jes
sica was right there next to Liam shouting at different players. During a lull, David leaned over and whispered, “I love you, angel.”

  She smiled, leaning down to kiss him, but the second their lips touched the brothers started shouting.

  “Ohhhh! Look at that!”

  “My kid is sitting over there!”

  “Get it, David!”

  Rolling her eyes, she sat up straight and called back, “If you’re jealous, go kiss your wives!”

  “I can do that,” Liam said, grabbing Jessica and kissing her hard even though she started laughing.

  “Who is Sean gonna kiss though?” Tommy asked. “Oh, wait, I know. Mom!”

  “Shut up!” Sean growled, shoving his brother.

  “Leave Sean alone,” Shannon called from the kitchen table where she was enjoying a glass of wine. “He’s going to find the perfect girl for him when the time is right.”

  “Aww, Mommy to the rescue,” Liam said, and Sean flipped him off.

  Everyone’s laughter morphed into cheers as Harry finally came inside holding a tray of steaks along with a few hot dogs for the kids. Raising it high, Harry tilted his head to the table. “Come on, better get it while it’s hot!”

  Shannon directed everyone to their seats while Jessica helped her get the dishes out of the oven and onto the table. Beers were distributed, and Lianna was grateful for her glass of wine.

  Just as everyone got settled, Harry stood up, holding his beer in the air. “I know we’re all hungry, but I want to welcome David and Lianna to the first of many Sunday lunches that they’ll be joining us for.” Glancing at David, Harry lowered his voice. “Not getting out of it now, boy.”

  “Cheers!” everyone shouted, clinking glasses and bottles, and Lianna felt like she was glowing when Shannon winked at her just before their wine glasses touched.

  “Okay, now—”

  “Wait, wait,” Liam said, standing up as he cut his dad off. “I’ve got an announcement as well.”

  “Go on then, we’re hungry!” Sean yelled.

  “Shut up, Sean.” Grabbing his wife’s hand, Liam raised his beer with a wide grin and said, “Since we’re all here this weekend, Jess and I wanted to announce that we are expecting another little McConnell in May!”

  “About time you start catching up. I’m already two ahead!” Tommy called out.

  “This is not a competition,” Jessica shouted, shaking her head, and Claire burst out laughing.

  “I am so happy for you both!” Shannon covered her mouth, standing up to come around the table and hug Jessica. “I just want a girl. Please have a girl!”

  “Mom! You’ll love the baby no matter what,” Liam replied, and Shannon waved a hand at him.

  “Of course I will, but please give me a girl. I’ve been outnumbered by you boys my entire life!” Laughing, she turned to hug Liam, and Harry stepped in to hug them as well, a round of congratulations flooding across the table before everyone returned to their seats.

  Tommy reached across his wife to shove David’s shoulder, his grin wide. “What about you two? When are you getting married and having some kids?”

  Flipping him off, David laughed and gave a quick shrug. “We’ll get around to it.”

  “We will?” Lianna asked, stunned, and he turned to look at her. Still so hot. Still tall, with his tawny brown eyes and his dark hair... but he wasn’t brooding. He almost looked bright, like he was glowing from the inside out, that inner light showing in his grin even as it turned wicked.

  “Eventually,” he answered. “I’m having more fun practicing right now.” Leaning over, he pulled her into a kiss, and she couldn’t hide the smile as the boys started whistling, harassing them both for the public display of affection and for David’s dirty comment, but mostly... everyone was just overjoyed for them. For each other. For the whole family.

  And they were a part of it. She didn’t know the McConnells very well yet, but she could feel the love. It was the same kind of love she’d felt when her cousins had accepted her, when Jean-Luc and Cécile had welcomed her into their home — and, blood or not, the McConnells were her family now too, because they were David’s.

  When they finally separated, he reached over to squeeze her thigh, and she knew there’d be plenty of fun to be had that night. For now, they returned their focus to filling their plates and listening to everyone catching up, sharing stories, teasing each other like a real family.

  As Lianna watched them, she was overwhelmed by how completely whole she suddenly felt. There was still sadness mixed in with all the joy, but she felt loved. Not just by David, but by the McConnells here, and by her cousins in France. In less than a year, she’d lost everything, reached the lowest and darkest point in her life, suffered and struggled... and somehow, by some kind of miracle, she’d managed to come out the other side of tragedy with a life more full than she’d ever expected.

  Not just one family that cared about her, but two.

  And a man that would happily burn down the world for her, as long as he got to fuck her until it hurt amid the ashes.

  She’d always said that she and David were two sides of the same coin, one dark and one light, but she didn’t think that was true anymore. They still had their dark side, but they weren’t on opposite sides of the coin anymore.

  Now they were both in the light, both loved, both discovering their place in the world... and their future had never looked brighter.

  THE END

  Keep reading for a note from Jennifer Bene.

  Author’s Note

  Hello lovelies,

  It’s taken a long time (much longer than I ever meant) for us to get to the end of David and Lianna’s story. I’m sorry for making you wait so long, but I do hope you loved getting to walk the path of redemption with them, and all of the other characters.

  There was one scene in this book that I wanted to include, but it wasn’t possible to fit it in with the flow of the actual story, so I’ve included it as a bonus after this note.

  So, if you want to know what happened with Jean-Luc… all you have to do is turn the page.

  - Jennifer Bene

  Jean-Luc

  Shifting the SUV into park, Jean-Luc reached into the cup holder to check his phone again. It seemed to be all he did, but whenever his mind went quiet, it always returned to Lianna’s anger, the things she’d shouted at him before she left — and her continuous silence since.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised that there were no missed calls, Marc’s home was only a twenty-minute drive from his own, and he’d checked the phone before he left. Still, there was that ever-present tug at the back of his mind that once she’d calmed down, she would take the time to listen to his apologies. He just had to be patient, give her space, and hope that in time she would see why he’d taken action against David. All he’d wanted to do was keep her safe, but he’d crossed a line. It didn’t matter that her decisions made no sense to him, or that the bastard didn’t deserve to touch her again... she’d chosen him.

  Smiling bitterly, Jean-Luc turned off the car and got out, tucking the phone in his pocket as he looked out over the vineyard on his brother’s property. The view was beautiful, but in his mind all he could see was David standing in front of his desk, so full of rage as he’d whispered, ‘She’s going to hate you if you do this.’ To his surprise, the monster had been right, and the error had cost him all of the trust he’d worked so hard to earn from his lost niece.

  However, there was plenty of blame to go around for the situation he found himself in.

  Of course, David bore the brunt of it for his vile, abhorrent actions against Lianna... but he wasn’t alone. Alain had spent years isolating her out of some kind of petty spite, refusing to even acknowledge the family waiting for them both. Joseph Blanc had failed to be honest with him about Alain’s business dealings on more than one occasion and had almost failed to protect Lianna — it was David who blocked Alain’s bullet — but Joseph had put Alain down when it was clear he was to
o far gone.

  And then there was him.

  He could have pushed harder, could have insisted that Alain bring Lianna home... but he’d been more concerned with pushing Alain away than pulling Lianna closer. If he’d reached out earlier, if he’d welcomed her into the family despite her father’s arguments, perhaps David would have never got his hands on her.

  So many things could have been different if he had only acted.

  And he wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

  One of the last things Lianna had said to him was about seeing Marc at her father’s home in New York. She had felt so betrayed, had called him a liar, and he’d seen Alain’s rage in her then. The walls had come down between them just like they had when he’d refused Alain’s requests when they were both so much younger. But if he could get her answers, if he could explain why Marc had visited Alain... there was a chance he could repair with Lianna what he was never able to mend with his youngest brother.

  “Jean-Luc!” Marc called out, raising a hand as he walked across the gravel drive. “I apologize that I’ve been so busy, I know you’ve wanted to talk.”

  “Yes. I wanted to speak with you about Lianna, but you’ve been surprisingly difficult to reach.”

  Shrugging a shoulder, Marc laid a hand on his back and turned him toward the vineyard. “I am sorry for that, but you’re here now. Let’s talk about our niece’s behavior.”

  “So, you have heard that she left?” Jean-Luc asked, turning to watch his brother’s face as they moved down one of the paths between the vines.

  “Our children text at the speed of light,” Marc replied, chuckling softly. “It seems our American niece left in quite a dramatic way?”

  “She was upset with me because I sent David home.” Tucking his hands into his slacks, he debated sharing the reasoning behind it, but decided that would only damage his relationship with her further in the future. He’d already mentioned too much of it to Rémi.