Page 21 of Mafia Crown

"Define ‘matter.’" Like kidnapping girls?

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he leans back against the wall, arms folded, watching me like I’m a puzzle he hasn’t solved yet. Fine. Let him think I’m complicated. It’s better than him realizing how badly I want to crack him open and get the fuck out of here.

I push my plate aside. "Loyalty’s a funny thing," I say, leaning back against the headboard. "It can make you blind. You think you’re doing the right thing until you wake up one day and realize you’ve given away parts of yourself you can’t get back."

His gaze sharpens, but he doesn’t take the bait.

“My brother John is gay.” I blurt out.

I think I see amusement in Kieran’s gaze at my outburst, but it’s hard to be sure. I’m waiting for him to shut me down and tell me he doesn’t care, but he hasn’t moved from his position against the wall.

“I’ve always known it. But my parents are old school. John didn’t want to upset my mother, and he was afraid of what our father would think.”

“What would your father think?” Kieran asks.

The question catches me off guard. What would my father think? “That it’s unnatural. That something went wrong at birth to cause a defect.”

“Do you think it’s a defect?” Kieran asks.

I’m wondering how this became about me and not him. But he’s talking and not leaving the room; maybe if he sees me as a person, I might survive this.

“No. I think….” A lump forms in my throat. “It’s colorful, vibrant, and it’s John. It’s his truth.” It’s so hard to explain all of this, but somehow Kieran nods in agreement.

“So, you only have a sister?” Iask quickly, remembering him mentioning how he had to raise her.

“Yes.”

Before I can press further, a sudden commotion from the living room breaks the tension.

Followed by the sound of galloping paws against the hard wooden floor.

"The dog," Kieran mutters, already moving toward the door.

By the time I catch up, the door to the safe house is wide open, and Charlie is sprinting down the driveway. The door was left open?

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Kieran growls, pulling a gun from the back of his waistband.

"You’re not seriously going to shoot my dog, are you?" I know he kidnapped us, but I never thought I’d witness him hurt Charlie or me. Cold dread spreads across my body; how stupid have I been?

"Of course not. Stay here."

"Not a chance," I say, stepping out onto the porch. "You need someone to help lure him back."

He looks like he’s about to argue, but then his eyes narrow. "Fine. But stay close."

“I left the door open; I was about to move your car after bringing you breakfast,” Kieran speaks mostly to himself.

“Charlie!” I call. This isn’t like him to just leave, but I never thought he would favor someone over me. I don’t think I know Charlie as well as I believed.

We follow the dog’s trail into the woods, the smell of damp earth and pine surrounding us. Branches snap under our boots, and somewhere in the distance, birds scatter into the gray sky.

I can’t help but notice how Kieran moves—silent, precise, like a predator who’s spent his life hunting things more dangerous than a runaway dog. He hasn’t put the gun away.

"Why are you holding a gun?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"It’s not like Charlie to leave; someone may have lured him out," he says without looking at me. "Someone might be using him as bait."

A surprising warmth creeps into his voice, and for a second, I see it—his humanity, the thing he’s so good at hiding. He cares about Charlie.

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