Broken Lullaby Novel – Stomping into the bedroom, he slipped on a pair of boxers, socks, a white tailored shirt with French cuffs, and one of his black Armani tuxedos. Pulling off the shelf, the Derby cap toe shoes with double buckles and the Testoni belt to match. After getting dressed, he opened the cabinet door and picked up his Kelly crest cufflinks and Hublot Big Bang watch from the collection. He loved this one because of the 1,280 diamonds that circled the face. He adjusted his family ring and was ready to go. After a text to Rory, he left the apartment using the public elevator. His guard waited on the ground level unless a security breach or an unauthorized person was trying to access the upper floors. All tenants of the building were thoroughly investigated before allowing them to purchase an apartment. Before guests were allowed on the floors, they went through a metal detector and family recognition. As the elevator descended, it stopped on the floor just below him. A middle-aged man was waiting, holding a beaded bag, looking very uncomfortable.
The man looked familiar, but he couldn’t place him. Noah hadn’t seen him before in the building, but that might have been the case since he had only been here a few times and that was usually late at night. The older man stepped into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, Noah cleared his throat. “Nice bag.” Robert smiled nervously. “It is not mine.” “I figured.” “Aria forgot her bag and demanded that I come to pick it up,” Robert said. Scarlett had only agreed to call him Robbie if he would call her Aria. He loved her as much as he did his feisty daughter, Brooke. “Wife?” Noah asked. “No, daughter. Sorry, I am Robert Martin,” he said, holding out his hand. “Noah Kelly,” he replied, shaking his hand. “Kelly? Liam Kelly’s son?” “You know my father?” Noah asked, knowing he did, but wanted to see what he would say. “Yes. How is he doing? I heard about the incident.” “Getting better every day. I am in control of the family business now,” Noah said, his face blank from emotions.
“I hadn’t heard,” Robert replied. He didn’t have first-hand knowledge, though the rumors suggested the Kellys were a mafia family. The business dealings that his company had with the family had been on the up and up. His text message tone sounded from his phone. He looked down, and he saw it was from Aria. She was craving a chocolate bar. He chuckled as he read the text. “Aria is having another craving.” “She’s pregnant?” “Yes, and doing it all by herself,” Robert said through gritted teeth. “The father not around?” “No. She had a one-night stand, and the prick gave her a fictitious name. We have looked everywhere for him, but he just disappeared.” “Baligeard,” Noah snarled. He didn’t know the man who had done this, but if he did, he would take him to the warehouse and teach him how to treat the woman carrying his child.
Robert didn’t know what Noah had said, though the look on his face told him it wasn’t nice. The elevator bell chimed, indicating that they had arrived. “Mr. Kelly, it has been a pleasure.” “It has, and I will be in touch if I need your services.” Robert stepped off the elevator and headed to the town car that was waiting for him. As he opened the back door, he glanced back and noticed Noah getting into a Bentayga, he didn’t know they were available in the States. Noah Kelly was a dangerous man, but the look on his face when he told him about Aria showed that he also had a good heart. Scarlett checked in with the donors to ensure their happiness while circulating through the crowd. Despite the place being packed, she heard nothing but praise about the exhibits. She slipped away from the crowd to text Robbie about her forgotten purse and ask if he could pick it up.
Brooke and Eve had already arrived, but she hadn’t seen them since. She figured they had found a couple of guys and were flirting their asses off. They had been complaining this morning that it had been a long time since they had seen some action. As the minutes ticked by, she felt a strong desire for a chocolate fix, leading her to message Robbie for a chocolate bar. Throughout her pregnancy, he was her rock, anticipating her every need and desire. With her chocolate fix text sent, she breathed a sigh of relief and rejoined the lively crowd. She came around the corner of the Moai statue, or Dum Dum statue from the movie Night at the Museum, and came face to face with Emee Kelly. “Scarlett!” she squealed, putting Eve to shame on hyperactivity and volume, then wrapped her arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze. “Mrs. Kelly.” Emee pulled back and shook her head. “What did I tell you earlier? I am Emee. Mrs. Kelly is my mother-in-law. I like her, but we fight over who makes the best colcannon,” she said, her green eyes sparkling, then leaned closer and whispered.
“Mine is better.” Scarlett couldn’t help but giggle over the confession. “Alright, Emee.” It was then she noticed a man in a wheelchair beside Emee. “My heart, this is the young woman I was telling you about,” Emee said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “Scarlett, this is Liam.” Liam took Scarlett’s hand, bringing it up to his lips and smooching her knuckles. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Emee hasn’t stopped talking about you and your friends.” “Mr. Kelly, the pleasure is all mine.” “Liam,” he said, giving her a wink. “It’s only fair, don’t you think?” “Okay, Liam, and thank you both for your generous donations to the museum.” “Oh, we love the museum. We brought our boys here as soon as they were old enough to enjoy it,” Emee said. “You have three boys, correct?” Scarlett asked. “Yes. Our oldest is Noah and our twin boys are three hundred sixty-four days younger,” Emee proclaimed with a smile. “Yes, the Irish Twins,” Scarlett said.
“Where are Brooke and Eve?” Emee asked, looking around the room for them. “I don’t know. They disappeared a few minutes after they got here.” “Finn and Connor did the same thing when they arrived. I am sure they are at the New World Mammals exhibit. Connor is as big as a bear and Finn loves the cougars,” Emee said with a smile. They are grown men now, all with influential positions in the family business. Nonetheless, in her eyes, they were still her little boys. “And Noah?” Scarlett asked. “He is late,” Liam said with a smirk. Emee had emphasized to Noah the importance of punctuality for the event. The family had not been out in society since the shooting, and Emee wanted to use this opportunity to show their strength together. Emee looked around at Scarlett and grinned, raising her arm and waving. “Here he is now. Noah, come meet the lady who put this event together.” Noah stepped around the deep red-haired woman, not looking at her, instead smooching his mother on the cheek. Then he reached down and gently squeezed his father’s shoulder.
He turned to greet the woman with his parents when his world came to a complete stop. “Scarlett?” She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. He couldn’t believe he had finally found her. Scarlett’s heart stopped at the sight of him. “Tony,” she murmured. The memories of their night together washed over her, his touch, his smpoches, the energy that flowed between them as they got laid. The truth dawned on her like a sudden blow, and that’s when her hormones took over. She stepped back and smacked him across the face. “You liar!” Noah couldn’t believe Scarlett slapped him and called him a liar. Well, he did tell her his name was Tony, but that was for both of their protection. He felt his arm pulled back and his mother stepped around him, placing her arms around Scarlett’s shoulders before he could even ask where she had been. “Sweetie, is there a room we can go to that is more private to straighten out this situation?”
Emee asked, keeping her voice calm. Tears streamed down Scarlett’s face as she nodded and gestured to the back of the room. As they walked away from the crowd, Emee turned to Noah and gave him a look he had only seen a few times in his life. He followed Scarlett and his mom down a hallway, longing to be the one with his arm around her shoulders, comforting her. Memories of their night came flooding back as he glimpsed her face, and she somehow looked even more stunning than he recalled. Emee opened the door and assisted Scarlett inside. Once inside, she saw a sofa against one wall. “Scarlett, let’s have a seat and talk.” “Alright,” she said in a small voice. She searched for Tony for months to inform him about the babies but found no trace of him. Now, to find out he was in New York the whole time. Why had he lied about his name? Emee and Liam were so warm and caring. Why was Noah so cold and cruel? Did he do this with other women? A shiver ran down her spine. How many children are there who lack a father and means of support? “Scarlett.”
Noah began but was quickly cut off by his mother. “Shut up,” Emee yelled in Gaelic. Scarlett wondered what she said, though the tone told her it was not pleasant. Emee sat beside Scarlett, wrapping her arm around her again, pulling her close. “Scarlett, I promise Liam and I will be here for you.” “You will?” Scarlett asked, sniffling and needing a tissue. She saw the box on the corner of her side table, so she stood and reached over. At that moment, she heard Noah’s intake of a deep breath. “YOU’RE PREGNANT!” he yelled. Scarlett turned towards him, giving him a better view of her protruding stomach. “Who’s the daddy? Some other guy you picked up at the bar, where you picked me up?” Noah threw out the insult with no regard, his jaw taut with anger. “I’m not falling for it. You are too big to be only five months. So that means you were pregnant when we got laid.”
Scarlett was about to answer his extremely hurtful insinuation when she saw Emee jump to her feet, pull something from her bag, and point it at Noah’s head. It was a gun. Why did Emee have a gun? Scarlett thought. “One more word, prick,” she hissed in Gaelic, pointing her Jessie James Unlimited engraved 45 caliber 8-shot handgun at her son’s head. “She is five months pregnant with your twins.” Noah’s gaze shifted back and forth between his mother and Scarlett. Could this really be true? How did his mother know so much about her?