Page 29 of Ruthless Sinner

“Leave him sleeping with the fishes?” Kennedy joked.

“Basically.” I wished it was as bloodless as that. “I’m still trusted but I’m not an organizer, I’m not one of the lieutenants, so to speak. I like it that way. But lately my brother’s been sending me on assignments that don’t make any damn sense.”

“…Vincent?” Kennedy asked, guessing at which brother I meant.

“Yeah, Vincent. Dante’s the baby and a lawyer. Thinks he’s above all of us.”

Kennedy didn’t offer any words of sympathy, which I appreciated. They would’ve rung hollow, anyway.

“I’m not sure what Vincent wants, but he’s having me deliver packages all over the place. Different sizes but all on the smaller end, and usually at the dead of night. Then tonight I pick one up, and I get jumped. I got away, obviously, but these were real professionals. No accents but I’m pretty sure they’re Russian. And I delivered the package to a Chinese restaurant of all fucking places. So I want to know what I’m risking my damn life for.”

“I thought in the mafia you were always risking your life,” Kennedy pointed out.

“Look, I’d die for my family, okay? Including Dante. They’re my blood. You don’t go against family no matter what and I love ‘em even if sometimes I can’t stand ‘em.” I felt her tie off the end of the stitches and I turned to look her in the eye. “But this is different. I want to know what I’m risking my lifefor.”

Kennedy made me turn around again so she could finish cleaning up. “Sounds like you want your brother to trust you and you’re afraid he doesn’t.”

“This feels like a test,” I admitted, rubbing my fingers across my weary brow.

“Finished,” Kennedy said quietly. Then I felt her lips press right below the closed-up wound, a brush of warmth and affection before she pulled away.

My heart clenched and I had to swallow a few times. I stood up, then examined myself in the mirror. “Nice work.”

“Thanks.” Kennedy cleaned everything up. “I think you should ask your brother what he’s up to. And without yelling,” she added.

I glanced at her. “Are you serious?”

She shrugged. “You were attacked. This is dangerous. You deserve to know what he’s planning. And let’s be honest here if your brother were to have a heart attack or something, you’re the heir. Wouldn’t you need to know his plans? Especially if those plans got him killed?”

“You know,” I said, bracing a hand on the sink, “you think like amafioso.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Kennedy replied ruefully.

“Good, it was meant as one.” I watched her as she put everything away. “Would you like to go to my brother’s wedding with me?”

Kennedy nearly dropped the kit. “I—what?”

“Vincent’s getting married. I’ve been told to bring a plus one.” I tactfully didn’t mention that I’d been requested not to bring a stripper. “What do you say?”

“You really want me there?” Kennedy finished putting the kit away and stood up. “You want me to… meet your family?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re more than your profession, even if some people still think it’s something to sneer at.”

Kennedy bit her lip. “I just know how… close mafia are. I don’t want to… intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be. You’d be my honored date. Nobody would bother you.” I’d bust their heads open if they tried it. “It’ll be fun. And you can meet the people I’ve been complaining so much about to you.”

Kennedy cracked a smile at that. “Well, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“Then all right. I would like to meet your family.” She paused. “Only if you take some medication andnotalcohol and get an x-ray tomorrow.”

I snorted. This woman was going to get crazy ideas if I let her boss me around about this.

I let her boss me around about it anyway.

CHAPTER12

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