Page 76 of Twisted Hearts

I barely had time to watch her perfect peach-shaped ass before she walked away.

I took the time to fold the blanket and drape it over the couch, fixed the pillows we’d thrown every which way, and had a beer in my hand and her wine glass on a coaster when she returned. She shuffled in wearing the clothes I’d grabbed, the sweatshirt hiding her curves, hair pulled up in a messy floppy thing at the top of her head and hands in front of her, twisting with worry.

“Sit.”

“I feel like I’ve just been called into my dad’s office, which was never a pleasant experience.”

She still complied, grabbing her wine and cupping the stemless glass in her hand, swirling it slowly.

“MaryAnne Johanssen.”

She shook her head, confusion tugging her brows down. “I don’t get it…we’ve already talked about her.”

“Yeah, but when I first brought her up, I didn’t tell you everything we knew.”

“What is it?’

“She has…connections…family. In New York. That’s putting it mildly, I guess you could say.”Shit.Now that I was doing this, it seemed harder than I’d thought it would be. As it was, my heart was racing and my palms were getting sweaty.

I shoved them down my thighs and grabbed my cold beer.

“I don’t…I don’t understand.”

“Mafia, Addi. MaryAnne is related to the leaders of one of the head Mafia families in New York.”

Her brows arched more with every word I spoke in conjunction with her bottom jaw becoming unhinged. “What? That’s…like, a real thing?”

Her voice was full of awe, almost more enamored than terrified. It was the terror I needed to make clear to her tonight. Some nights my job seriously sucked. Giving bad news was never my forte, but I had years of experience doing it without making it personal.

With Addi, everything was personal.

“Yes. The Mafia is very much real, and they have connections everywhere, either by forcing them, extortion, or…through families.”

I let that settle, hoped she’d catch what I was trying to say.

As her eyes grew larger, she seemingly remembered she had a glass of wine in her hands. She took a long drink and set it on the coffee table. “Are you tell me you think theJohanssensare connected to theMafia? InCharleston? That’s crazy.”

“Theyareconnected, Addi. They’re married to it. Literally.”

She pushed her lips to one side. “Okay…so what does that have to do with me? Or any of this?”

“That guy you saw leaving your dad’s office? That’s Saul Mancusso, MaryAnne’s nephew.”

“What?” She gasped and stood.

Like I was starting to realize she did when she was stressed, she paced. Back and forth through her living area, chewing on the knowledge she’d received.

Only it wasn’t the worst I had to give her.

“There’s more, Addi.”

“What more? So far I’ve learned my dad practically sold me to Daniel so he could keep his job. Now you’re telling me the guy I was going to marry is somehow connected to a Mafia family. I know, deep down, they’re looking for me. Humiliation isn’t something Daniel will tolerate, and now he might have mobsters on his side? What more can you tell me that I don’t already know?”

I scooted forward to the edge of the couch, trying to remain calm and relaxed, but I was ready to pounce in case Addi needed me.

“The Mancussos are not good men. They don’t have legitimate dealings. They peddle heroin—”

“Drugs?”

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