BRIDE TO THE MAFIA HEIR
the library like a hurricane in an Armani suit. I don't
," he announces, voic
react. Daniel Hayes. Now there's a name I hadn't expe
g my tone as flat and u
feel the manic energy radiating off him as he plops his designer clad ass rig
natching my book away. I resist the urge to s
er scheme he's cooked up this time. "Should
opping to a conspiratorial whispe
sometime around my tenth birthday. I tense up, ready to tell him ex
Just
dress. She closes the door behind her with a soft click
she says, her voice sweet a
ps a hand on my shoulder, pinning me in pl
couch, defeated. "Yo
f innocence, which immediately sets off warning bells in my head. My sister hasn't bee
ed," Sophia says,
yself for whatever brand of in
ry, we have an opportunity if we move fast," Sophia beg
s out of your mouth had better not be that we should take this chance
"What, are
lso not suicidal. And that taunt st
und that would be charming if I didn
d and tell me," I growl,
innocent and distracted, but I know it's just another one of her tricks. "The Morgan daughter, th
d. "I hadn't heard anyth
ays, her smile widenin
oing with this. "It sounds like the girl dodged a bullet," I s
lly. "Most definitely.
nd my stomach drops. Whatever they're abo
lliance with the Morgan family," L
my face as the implication
you on your impending nuptials," I f
ly further. "Actually, we'r
mble for an out, any out. "What about Umberto?" I blurt
k, their smiles growing wider, an
obably meant to be comforting but just makes my skin crawl. "You know as w
in partying and blowing through his trust fund than any
unable to keep the bitt
mart one, Roberto. The levelheaded one. The one w
dropping to a stage whisper, "y
that. "Flattery wi
t," Liam chuckles. "It's go
yself and my conniving siblings. I pace over to the firepla
you, Liam? Or you, Sophia? You're both older and more estab
ow why, Roberto. I'm damaged goods in the eyes of
ticular scandal had been ugly,
ard. The Morgans would never trust me with thei
I can't keep the skep
th the clean record and the good reputation. The one who actually
pectable. Trustworthy. The
ve always been the responsible one, the one who tried to stay above the fray of family politi
" I ask, already k
is heavy, loaded with uns
finally, his voice unch
t's at stake," Sophia
pressing down on my shoulders. The family legacy, the empire
of yours?" I ask though I'm pret
am says, "onc
ressions, the mix of hope and calculation in their e
alizing I don't even know her na
ork those out later. The important thing is to ma
g me. "You make it sound like we're talkin
am counters, ra
ness, personal choice – those are luxuries for other people. For us, ever
ith a heavy sigh. "You really think this is nece
d Sophia exchang
brother," Sophia says gently. "Things are... no
f we fuck it up,"
y we were raised to hate," I say, turning back to face my siblings. The ridiculou
hose loaded looks that make me want to th
naturally melancholy. He pauses, and it's lik
it into the flames. But come on, it would be a horrible waste, because if there's one thing a Connolly never does, it's squander good wine.
ts. The person knows us better than we know ourselves, which is pretty messed up if you think about it. I learned that lesson the hard way when I was still naive enough to think there was some other life out th
weight of their expectations, Father's demands, and this whole messed-up situation is crushing me. Every breath I breathe seems like I'm breathing their damn legacy, choking on it. I need to get out, cle
t I do, I'm always going to be exactly what they want me to