Page 7 of Mated to the Kingpin

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, talk to me girly. What’s going on?”

I breathe in harshly, willing myself to settle the fury I’ve wound myself up in so that I can explain as best I can without sounding absolutely insane.

“You aren’t going to believe this,” I warn her before I laugh bitterly. “Hell, I don’t even believe this and it’s my life! I feel like this should be one of those Am I the Asshole fake reddit stories. You know how I was supposed to meet someone last night?”

“Yeah, wasn’t his name Todd or Paul or some other bullshit boomer name?”

“Greg, but whatever, he didn’t show—“ Lizzy starts to say something and I shush her, starting to pace through my apartment again. “This isn’t about him. This is about the fact that a man I haven’t seen since I was sixteen showed up with a damn ring and told me—told me, Lizzy—that we are getting married.Tonight.”

“What?!” Lizzy’s voice is loud and sharp, and she sounds quieter for a moment as she says an apology. She’s probably on the bus still on her way into work. Her voice is louder again, but more reasonable as she hisses into the phone, “What the actual fuck? Who is this guy? Is he crazy? I don’t mean like normal crazy, I mean like actually psychologically insane? Did you say yes to make sure he didn’t follow you home and murder you?”

I brace myself, knowing what I’m about to say is going to make her freak out even more. “It’s Liam O’Reilly.”

Absolute silence follows, save for the background noise of the CAT bus. I sigh and sit on my small couch, tucking one leg under me as I prop an elbow up on the arm.

“Yeah,” I confirm. “It’s the Liam you’re thinking about.”

“How the hell do you know this guy? He’s in the mafia, you know that right? And isn’t he said to be one of those...” Lizzy is the rock in our friendship, nothing able to face her and able to withstand anything the world throws at her. Except this seems to have pushed her into the freak-out zone right alongside me.

“It’s a long story—actually not really,” I amend. “But yes, I know he’s in the mafia. His dad is the head of the O’Reilly family and pack. Because, yeah, he is a werewolf.”

“Okay, I’m almost at my stop. Tell me everything.”

And, for the first time in my life, I do. I tell her about Liam and Seth being best friends, how I first met Liam when I was 13. How I had a crush on Liam and by the time I was sixteen, convinced he was my true love even though he barely paid any attention to me. The embarrassment and shame from then returns as I whisper the confession of how I had thrown myself at Liam, declaring my love for him and how I was ready to give him everything.

How he rejected me, like he was horrified and disgusted. How, heartbroken and stinging from his cruel words, I went to a party and got drunk for the first time in my life. I told her about the attention guys gave me at the party and how it helped me feel better. Like it was a big “fuck you” to Liam, how I let them touch me and didn’t even care as one of them started recording on his phone.

“Oh, god, Claire. I want to go back in time and hug you so bad,” Lizzy says, her voice absolutely free of judgment. It’s a relief, though I knew logically Lizzy isn’t the type that would think badly of me. “What happened, then? Were you okay, or did they...?”

“So, this is where it gets even more complicated. One moment, I’m drunk and determined to enjoy the attention and then the next moment the guys are freaking out. Liam showed up somehow and he was beating the crap out of them, even though it was him against four. I started screaming at him and he threw me over his shoulder and carried me out of the party.”

“Good on him, even though it doesn’t make up for him being an asshole.”

“Yeah, so, the next day when I wasn’t drunk, it hit me what I let happen.” She knows my dad is fairly well-known in the region’s business world. I explain how, once I was sober the next day I started freaking out because a video like that of me could screw up the contracts he was negotiating at the time. I was sick for three days, barely able to get out of bed, as I waited for my world to crash around me. Then it did but not in the way I expected. Liam walked into my house when no one else was there.

“He said he took care of it. That I didn’t have to worry about anything. I told him I owed him one, and he agreed. Before he left, he told me he’d collect eventually.”

“And he finally has? Damn.” Lizzy doesn’t seem to expect an answer, and I don’t offer one. We sit in silence, my stomach twisting with too many emotions. Anger at Liam. Shame of my past. Embarrassment. Lust. Shame at my attraction. Anger at myself.

“You don’t have to,” my best friend says at last. “You know that right? Like, I don’t care if he’s in the mafia, you always have a choice. This isn’t the fucking medieval ages. Have you told your parents? They wouldn’t approve, right?”

“I don’t know,” I state vaguely, knowing my dad’s business has ties to the O’Reilly family. “But he’s supposed to be here at eight to pick me up and take me to his family estate to get ready for it. He’s not going to take a no for an answer. I already tried.He threatened to release the video and make sure the charity I’m interviewing for knows about it.”

“That fucking asshole bastard.” The fire I love about Lizzy heats her words. If anyone is as stubborn as Liam O’Reilly, it’s Lizzy. “I’m only two stops from my office. When he gets there, you tell that fucker to pick me up.”

“You have work?—”

“Nope. My best friend is being blackmailed into marriage and I refuse to let you go through this alone. We’ll figure a way out, together. And if we can’t get you out, we’re going to make his life hell.”

My eyes water at the determination and loyalty in her voice. Lizzy has always been my platonic soul mate. A sharp knock comes three times. I pull my phone away from my ear to see it’s exactly 8:00 am. I bring the phone back up. “I have to go, he’s here.”

“Okay, babe. Stay strong. I love you and we got this. And if you don’t get here in the next 45 minutes, I’ll call the police until they threaten to charge me with harassment. I don’t care if the O’Reilly’s have connections with them or not.”

Hanging up, I groan as he knocks again. How can he make a knock sound so arrogant?

I open the door, greeting Liam with a scowl. My irritation doesn’t last long, not when I’m confronted by how damn good he looks. No one can hold onto their anger when confronted by savage beauty wrapped up in an expensive navy Italian suit. If teenage me had thought Liam O’Reilly the sexiest person alive, I’d have been a puddle of goo at how good he looks as a full-grown man.

Nope. I shut those thoughts down. I’m furious at Liam and I’m planning to make him regret forcing me to marry him.

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