Page 84 of Worth the Risk

After a split second’s hesitation, which seemed from surprise more than doubt, she leaped to her feet and flew across the room to him.

As she sobbed brokenly against his chest, his arms encompassed her, and he rocked her gently. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he crooned softly, “Baby, stop. You’ll make yourself sick.”

She nodded, sniffled, but burrowed against him deeper.

“Now that you know,” she said between hitching stuttering breaths, “how do you not hate me?”

“Did you work for your dad?”

“He’s not my dad.”

“Did you work for Lorenzo Giordano?” he restated.

“No, never.”

“Did you extort people for money?”

“Of course not, I’d never—”

“What about roughing them up if their payments weren’t on time? Break any fingers? Shoot their dog?”

“Dan—”

He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “Did you launder money from other crimes? Run guns and drugs or pimp women? Did you dump people in the river wearing cement shoes—”

“Okay. I get your point.”

“Do you, Bella? Lorenzo’s sins aren’t yours.”

Her head fell back, and she gazed up at him through spiky black lashes. “But aren’t I just as guilty for taking his blood money?”

His hands framed her face. “Some would blame you for living your life the only way you ever knew. But I don’t.”

“Why? You were a cop and a Marine. You had codes of honor and swore to protect and to serve.”

“Do you blame someone born into poverty for not being able to break free from that system?”

Her brows gathered, obviously puzzled. “I don’t see how that’s the same thing.”

“Was this the first time you tried to get away, for any reason?”

“No, after college I wanted to move to the West Coast and live on my own, outside the family.”

“That didn’t happen, obviously. Why not?”

She dropped her gaze to his chin.

“Bella,” he said sharply. “I can forgive secrets and lies to protect yourself, but not moving forward. Unless there’s more—”

“I told the agents everything. I assume you heard.”

“I did.” He used his thumbs to dry her wet cheeks. “If I’m going to keep you safe, you have to be honest with me. Totally. Why did your move to the West Coast fall through?”

“He wouldn’t let me go. At first, I thought I was just lousy at job interviews, but then I learned he went behind my back with payoffs or outright sabotage. No one hired me. Without money and resources, I had no choice except go home.”

“How did you learn about his dirty deals? Did he actually tell you what he did?”

“No. One of his mistresses did. I lived a lonely life. In front of the boss, the men and women surrounding us—some family, some acting as if they were—were always kind to me. But they were jealous, especially the women, his women.”

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