Between Two Rourkes

Chapter 7

Lyra's POV

Luca was more than pissed this time. His feline eyes had gone dangerous.

"Maelis, you have no right to call Cassian here. You have no right to stalk me, or to stalk Lyra. This is her house, in fact, this is practically an invasion of privacy. This is—"

"Oh, shush, boy. Shush." Maelis waved her hand dismissively, then clapped her hands together. "Cassian should be here any moment now."

As if on cue, I heard footsteps.

Before I could even process it, a shadow fell across the doorway covering Maelis.

"Lyra."

His voice was cold. Devoid of any emotional warmth, unlike what I remembered.

My lips parted, but I couldn't bring out any words. They stuck in my throat like stones.

Cassian pushed his way past his mother without ceremony. Luca immediately stepped in front of him, crossing his arms.

"Back off, brother," Luca said firmly. "She did not invite you in. Step back outside."

"Move, Luca. You goddamn betrayer"

"No. I did not know prior to my arrival here. I only found out when I saw the kid. But then again, it's none of your business. If she doesn't want you in her child's life, that's her right."

Cassian's jaw clenched. "I've earned my rights—"

"Have you? Make your own child with someone else then"

"Stop!" I stepped between them before things could escalate further. My hands were shaking, but I forced my voice to stay steady. "Luca, please. Take Eleanor to her room for me."

Luca looked at me, concern written all over his face. "Are you sure you'll be good here, landlady?"

"Please."

He hesitated, then moved toward the dining room. I heard him crouch down by the table. "Hey, little troublemaker. Come here." His voice was soft. Eleanor crawled out, and he scooped her up, shielding her face against his chest, blocking her completely from Cassian's view.

Cassian took a step forward, like he wanted to follow them, but I blocked him too until they were gone, disappearing up the stairs.

I didn't want them in my house. I really didn't. But I couldn't leave them outside either, I didn't want a scene that would be seen by my neighbors. Some of them deserved Oscars from the way they gossiped.

And Cassian looked so angry.

I stepped aside and gestured them in.

They entered, and I closed the door behind them.

I turned to face them, Cassian and Maelis, two Rourkes standing in my living room like they owned it.

"I'm sorry I left on such short notice. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was with child."

Cassian's expression hardened all the more.

"But it wasn't necessary," I continued. "I mean, you were in love with someone else. Our arrangement was long overdue. I had to leave. I didn't want to complicate things further by telling you I was carrying your child. Because then you'd feel obligated to stay with me even more, out of duty. And I was tired, Cassian. I was so tired of being in a loveless marriage."

"That's not enough of a reason," Cassian crossed his arms. "For you to alienate me from my child. Do you know that is parental alienation?"

"I'm—" I started, but he cut me off.

"Don't." His slate-blue eyes were ice. "Don't even start to beg or form nonsense excuses."

"Cassian, please—"

"Where is she?" He took a step toward the stairs. "I want to see her. Where did Luca take her?"

I moved to block his path.

"Don't. Please, I have not allowed you access to my daughter yet."

"Our daughter," he corrected, and tried to push past me.

His hand closed around my wrist.

"Brother." Luca's voice came from the top of the stairs. "I dare you to lay one finger on her."

Cassian released me, but his eyes never left mine.

Luca descended the stairs until he stood between us and crossed his arms.

"This is selfish, Cassian. Really, really selfish. How selfish can you be?"

"Luca." Maelis called out.

"No. Let me finish." His jaw was set. "Deep down, you know that if she had told you she was pregnant, you would have never let her go. Your condition would never have allowed that."

Condition?

"What... what condition?"

Maelis shifted uncomfortably. Cassian's expression went carefully blank.

"What are you talking about?" I looked between them. "What condition?"

Was Cassian terminally ill?

Luca glanced at Cassian, then back at me.

"Cassian is infertile."

Huh?

"Infertile like....?"

I wasn't understanding.

Luca smirked.

"Phew phew. He shoots... blanks. Low sperm count, however you want to term it. The fact that he was able to get you pregnant at all is a miracle that might not happen again," Luca continued. "And with this condition...the moment you would have told him you were pregnant, the chances of you leaving that marriage would have been zero to none. Because you would have been trapped. Like a golden egg. And you would have been forced to stay in that same loveless marriage, all your life."

My brain was reeling. Infertile. Cassian was...

"Cassian could pretend at some point," Luca said, "but I'm not sure he could ever love you, not the way you deserved."

"That's enough," Cassian huffed.

"No, it's not." Luca stepped closer to his half-brother. "Look, I know you don't like hearing this, but it's the truth. You like women like Seraph. Lyra is too... soft, too easy, too less-foxy. That's probably why you never fell in love with her."

Each word felt like a sudden Pandora's box that had just popped out from nowhere.

How come he never said this? We trusted each other with our secrets, even if he hadn't been in love with me, we were still transparent.

"So she's lucky," Luca continued. "Lucky that she didn't tell you. She did the right thing by leaving, and you know it." He gestured around the modest living room. "Sure, she didn't tell you about your daughter, and I'm glad she didn't. Because it was self-preservation. The Rourke family doesn't care about anybody other than themselves, and she took care of herself, her sanity, her mental health, and her child."

Maelis scoffed. "There are women out there who would kill to have children with Cassian, to be a part of the Rourke family. She cannot deny Eleanor a father figure in her life, someone strong, someone financially capable of raising a child, someone capable of giving her the best in life, to make her the envy of her peers. A Rourke."

Cassian nodded in agreement, running fingers through his gelled haircut.

"And that is why I have come to file for custody of my daughter."

My eyes snapped to Cassian.

"W-What?"

Luca crossed his arms. "That is not going to happen, brother."

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you to tell me what is going to happen or not?"

Luca's fingers intertwined with mine.

"Because Lyra and I are getting married in a few weeks.”