Page 22 of Her Michigan Mob Boss

I shook my head. “No way. You know Emily. If I bring a woman home for dinner, she’ll be picking out bridesmaids’ dresses before the food’s even on our plates.”

“Aye,” Sean agreed, because he’d been on the receiving end of Emily’s well-intentioned matchmaking as well. “But you can’t blow off dinner. Ma’s not flying up for it and Erin’s got an exhibition in New York that’s apparently too important to miss. You can’t leave poor Em with just me and Will for company.”

I rolled my eyes at his obvious attempt at manipulation. Our sister had just Sean and Will for company most nights and so far, she’d survived just fine.

“I’ll send her something nice to make up for it.”

“Fine.”

The disapproval in that one word almost crushed me. I hated to hear such disappointment in my brother’s voice.

“But you’d better make it good,” he added. “You know flowers and shit won’t fly with Em.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll get Marcie on it.” My personal assistant was better at choosing gifts than I was, and she’d known my sister since the day she was born.

Sean sighed dramatically, then pulled me in for another hug. “If you decide to keep this woman around, I want to meet her.”

“Sure.” I patted his back, and he released me from his embrace.

Max and I got into the back of the car we came in. Anthony, our driver, met my eye in the rearview mirror.

“My place,” I instructed him. I needed to get changed out of my now-bloody clothes before I went into the office. With Annie relaxing at the spa, I could get a few hours’ work in before it was time to meet her.

As we drove off, I reconsidered my plans. Seeing me with my family could be a good thing for Annie. If I was going to keep her, and I was sure I was, then meeting them would help ease her into her new life. Perhaps taking her to the lake house wasn’t the worst idea after all.

ChapterNine

Annie

My afternoon at the spa had been sheer bliss. The manager, Lisa, had organized an incredible schedule of pampering for me. I started with a hot stone massage, which I found bizarre but relaxing. Then I was treated to a facial which was finished off with a cream I would swear was made from angel’s tears. With an indecipherable scent that was pleasantly soothing, it left my skin feeling softer than it ever had.

After that, I’d been treated to a manicure and a pedicure, both of which involved an element of massage. I’d never liked people touching my feet because I’m ticklish, but Zara’s hands may have changed my mind.

I’d been plied with an endless supply of non-alcoholic drinks, including a cleansing juice that tasted way better than its lurid green color had suggested. Presented with a lavish fruit platter, I’d feasted on strawberries, dragon fruit and papaya. By the time I left the spa, I felt rejuvenated.

When I returned to the hotel with Jace, who’d waited patiently in the spa’s reception area for me, I found a note on my bed. It was from Ciaran, telling me there was a dress hanging in the closet for me to wear tonight. I had mixed feelings about that. Was it a romantic gesture for him to pick out clothes for me, or was it a sign of a controlling nature? Wanting to make the most of this evening, I chose to see it as the former.

The dress was beautiful and something I’d have picked out for myself. Though Ciaran had only seen me in a couple of outfits, he’d clearly realized I favored a feminine style with floaty skirts. In a cream floral-patterned chiffon, the dress was clearly more expensive than anything I could afford. Perhaps if I had a summer wedding to go to, I’d have splashed out on something like this.

When I put the dress on, I felt like a princess. The only trouble was, I didn’t have shoes to go with it. Sneakers would be all wrong with such a delicate fabric and my black pumps would be too stark against the cream. The moment I mentioned that to Jace, who’d plonked himself down on the sofa in my suite, he got on the phone. I don’t know who he called, but fifteen minutes later, a pair of delicate cream-colored high heels arrived. They were perfect with the dress, if a little higher than I’d usually wear.

Now sitting in the hotel bar, I sipped my drink and looked around to see Jace still standing in the doorway. He’d excused himself to take a phone call two minutes ago. As I scanned the room, playing my favorite game of guessing which couples were in a full-time relationship and which were conducting an illicit affair, my eyes landed on a short balding man in a gray suit, who was heading straight for me.

Picking up the drinks menu from the table, I studied it with exaggerated concentration, hoping he would get the message I wasn’t interested. It didn’t work. He kept coming. As he stopped next to me, I glanced over at Jace, who was still engrossed in his phone call. It looked like I’d have to get rid of this man myself. I wasn’t afraid to tell someone to get lost, but I hated to sound rude.

“Miss Calder?” he asked, before I could tell him to take a hike.

I relaxed a little. If he knew my name, he must work at the hotel. “Yes.”

“I work for a man I believe you’re interested in meeting.”

“Oh.” My eyes widened in surprise. He wasn’t a hotel employee, after all. “You work for Danny Mulhearn?”

He offered me an oily smile that made my skin crawl. “That’s right. I’m James O’Hara, Mr. Mulhearn’s driver. He sent me to pick you up.”

I couldn’t explain why, but I got a bad feeling, and my brain screamed at me not to go with him. Still, finding Danny was what I’d come here to do, and I couldn’t help but be a little bit curious. “How does he know I want to meet him?”

“A friend of his made him aware of your search. She said you believe you’re his cousin.”

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