Page 42 of Possessive Mafia Vows

“Sienna, I need you to listen to me, and I’ll try to explain.”

“Oh, please do.” My breathing is shallow, and my brain is spinning, trying to keep with this new revelation.

“Nick was right, I was investigating his background.” Pause. If he’s doing it for dramatic effect, it’s working. “It turns out that we share the same father. Nick’s father is Caelan Murray. He murdered Nick’s mom and tried to murder our mom too.”

“I… What does this have to do with me?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

10

KYLE

Her face grows pale,her eyes larger than ever. She doesn’t belong in this world. I knew it when I first met her, but I understand it far more clearly now. Which is why I want to take her away from the city, away from the family, and start over somewhere new. We could be different people in Ireland. Maybe then we’d have a chance to make this work.

“No.” She shakes her head. “There must be some mistake.”

“I wish I was wrong, Sienna. My father is serving a life sentence in jail; the last thing I want to do is rake up the past when it’s best left buried. But whatever Nick is up to, it’s connected to my family.”

“But I’ve known him for years.”

I want so badly to fold her into my arms and make this all go away, but I’m acutely conscious that one wrong move will send her fleeing. And I need to keep her close.

“Sienna, did he ever ask you on a date before?” I try to keep my tone devoid of emotion. She already believes that this is a rivalrybetween me and Nick Morris, and I’m not adding fuel to that blazing fire.

“No, never. He never … looked at me that way before.”

“Ask yourself: why now?”

She’s picking at the skin around her thumbs without even realizing what she’s doing. “What do you mean?” Her voice is tiny. Vulnerable.

I clench my fists to stop myself from taking her hands in mine and kissing the pulpy flesh around her thumbnails.

“Why did he never ask you on a date before? Why didn’t he ask you last week, or last month, or last year?”

Her eyebrows lower and her bewilderment morphs into narrow-eyed mistrust. “You think he only wants me because of you?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“What are you saying then, Kyle?” Her voice has become brittle.

“I’m saying that he waited till now for a reason.”

“And the reason is you?” Her eyes are all over the place. “I’ve been busy with the gallery in case you forgot. Maybe Nick was waiting for the gallery to open before he asked me on a date. He’s been a perfect gentleman. Unlike you.”

“I’m not going to argue with you about this, Sienna. I’ll make sure you’re safe, but I’ll keep my word. No pressure. This is not some fucked up ploy to trap you.”

“Fine.” She squares her shoulders, but her breathing is a dead giveaway of the turmoil going on inside. “I’m leaving then.”

She turns around and crosses my office to the private elevator.

“No, wait, Sienna.” I reach the door before she can open it and cover the control panel with my hand.

“Move your hand, Kyle.”

“I can’t let you go back to your apartment.”

“I’m going to work. Some of us don’t have the luxury of knowing the billions in our bank accounts will keep a roof over our heads.” Her gaze is steady.

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