Page 10 of Broken Innocence
Murderous family members included.
I don’t know what Enzo’s endgame is. Maybe he truly wants to reconnect with the son he abandoned. Maybe this is all an elaborate ruse to secure an alliance with Blackthorn.
At this point, it doesn’t matter.
His time's almost up.
And my top priority now is protecting Eden from my asshole half-brother by any means necessary.
CHAPTER SEVEN
EDEN
Day four since my life was blown to smithereens.
I cried Sunday night.
Then again Monday and last night.
All the tears and worrying about my future must have screwed with my brain, too, because I dreamed of a mystery man coming to my rescue. The fantasy breached so far into reality that it felt like he was in my room, stroking my cheek, and comforting me with his protective presence.
If only.
“Damian, pull your pants up, please!” I call to the toddler with his navy joggers around his ankles. I don’t know what it is with little boys wanting to get naked whenever and wherever they can, but it’s a constant battle between us daycare providers and our male charges.
“I swear these kids are aging me before my time,” Corey grumbles good-naturedly. At twenty-two, she’s fresh from college and my boss’s niece. She’s still learning how to balance the two sides of Rainbow Childcare—the helpless babies who hang out in the nursery and the wilder toddlers who rule the playroom.
“Try a different perspective,” I tease, dabbing at the smears of paint Raya left on my work polo. “Instead of aging you, they’rekeeping you young at heart. All that energy can be contagious if you let it.”
Corey’s expression turns contemplative before a crying match between two girls tugging on opposite ends of a stuffed dolphin toy distracts her. Her aunt and owner of Rainbow Childcare heads that way to calm the girls, and we both watch as one dolphin toy miraculously becomes a pair.
“We’ll see…” Corey drawls, then smiles. “But thanks for the advice. How are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve seemed off this week.” She shrugs. “I don’t mean to pry, but it looked like you were crying Monday morning.”
Crap.I didn’t think anybody had noticed the puffiness around my eyes. I’d been careful to splash cold water on my overheated face. Throwing the wet paper towel I’d been using on my shirt in the trash, my mind races for an acceptable excuse to explain what’s wrong.
It’s not like I can blurt out that I’m being married off to a mafia man.
That would raise all sorts of red flags.
“Just family stuff.” The lame reason is close enough to the truth that I don’t feel completely awful for lying to her. “I’ll be okay, though.”
“Are you sure? If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.” Corey squeezes my bicep then adds a quick goodbye when her aunt calls her name.
As kind as the offer is, I won’t be confiding in Corey anytime soon. It’s safer to keep my personal life separate from my professional, especially now that I’ve failed to distance myself fromThe Family.
Besides, Corey can’t help me.
No one can.
I’m on my own.
***
“Stand straight. We need to get proper measurements for the wedding dress.” My mom circles the round platform I’m standing on while the seamstress calls out numbers to her assistant.
