Page 48 of Stolen Mafia Vows
He rolls his eyes towards the ceiling. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. He said that, and you believed him. You don’t know anything about him. He could be a serial killer for all you know.”
“Ugh!” I clench my fists in frustration. “Sienna fell in love with Kenickie! But I guess that’s okay because you turned out to be a lawyer, so she had nothing to worry about, huh?”
I’m so angry I’m struggling to articulate everything that I want to say.
“You see!” Kyle flings his hands in the air. “You’re still retaliating with childish accusations.”
“He isn’t a serial killer,” I say. The baby is squalling now, Sienna is trying to hush him, and I’m trying to remain calm so that I don’t send him into full-on ‘scream the place down’ mode. “He’s a decent guy. He wanted me to be honest and talk to you all about him because he wanted you all to be happy for us.”
Kyle shakes his head. The disappointment in his eyes wrenches at my heart, but I remind myself that I’m an adult. I’m married now. He needs to accept this or let me go.
“So, why didn’t you?” he asks.
“You want to know why?” I arch an eyebrow. I don’t want to sound catty, but it’s hard when faced with a brick wall. “You only wanted to speak to me about Sienna. Caleb was too busy to talk, and Dad… He just wanted his baby girl to come home.”
“So, you married him to spite us.” Kyle’s voice is flat.
“Kyle.” Sienna’s gentle voice floatsbetween us like a silk ribbon. The baby is suckling on her nipple, a calm silence settling upon the room. “That’s unfair. Emily isn’t a child.”
I’m too angry to acknowledge her intervention, but my lips twitch, and I hope that she knows I’m grateful. “I married him because we’re in love.”
He wants to deny it, to shout and yell and threaten to ground me in my parents’ absence, but he holds back for the baby’s sake, or because of Sienna.
“So, what happens now? What about when you go back to college? You think a long-distance relationship is going to work?”
“I’m not going back to college.”
A snort escapes before he can stop himself. “You cannot be serious, Emily.”
I raise my chin. “I’m staying here with my husband, whether you like it or not.”
“Mom will never agree to that.”
I shrug. “It isn’t Mom’s choice.”
“Terry will?—”
“It isn’t my dad’s choice either. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll use my trust fund to build an animal sanctuary. Eoghan wants to help. He?—”
“An animal sanctuary!” Kyle glances at Sienna as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “This isn’t a game of Happy Families. You have no idea what’s going on, Emily.”
“So, you keep saying.” I walk to the door and hesitate with my fingers on the handle. “Maybe I need to find outfor myself.”
“Don’t walk away from me, Emily.” Kyle’s jaw is still clenched. “When are you going to tell Mom and Dad about this?”
“When I’m ready.” I face Sienna. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you, Si. Skye is beautiful.” I glance at the baby. “I’ll call you tomorrow, but right now, I need to be there for Eoghan because he just found out… He just lost his brother.”
I open the door and step outside.
“Emily, come back.”
Kyle sounds agitated, desperate, and although I love my brother, I’m glad that I’ve made him squirm. I’m proud of myself for standing up to him.
I’m shaking as I walk away, the door closing softly behind me, and Kyle’s voice following me along the sterile corridor: “Terry needs to hear about this right now…”
10
EOGHAN
