BRIDE TO THE MAFIA HEIR

ie

physically shrinking around me. I had my arm linked with my dad's, and all I could think was how much I wanted to bo

umbing hum, and my heart-Jesus, my heart was thudding so hard, I thought it might explode. I felt like I was on the edge of something like I k

ss you, big brother," I whispered in my head. "If you were here, none of this would be happeni

wasn't there to stop it. My throat tightened, but

e everything was to falling apart. I could see it, even if he couldn't. The business, the alliances, the shady deals-it was a

so different-him, the invincible one, the man everyone feared. Now? Now, I was the one holding everything up. The one who had to sta

nausea. The place was packed, sure. But there were too many unfamiliar faces. I spotted s

Of course, the Connollys were here. It was like a bad joke. The past, the bloodshed, the

opped. He was talking to Seamus. I swallowed hard and tried to keep my expres

crawl. He smiled-if you could even call it that-and then h

u promised, Don. Robert w

right. I stared at him, my mind racing, trying to make sense of wha

me to Robert. I was being sold off again, like some piece of property. Like I hadn't already done th

pounding so hard it hurt. I couldn't breathe

e I turned and practically sprinted out of the hall. I didn't care if I looked like a f

nough to calm me down. I stumbled into the alley, leaning against t

just thinking about him. That cold, cruel bastard who didn't give a damn about me just saw me as a way to strengthen his e

t was Aiden. He'd always been the one with the plan. The one who would've found a

the park. We'll be at the airport

right move. We used to talk about it all the time-running away, ditching the family, starting over somewhere new, somewhere

ushing me. I'd wanted to change things. I'd wanted to be different, to make the Morgan name mean something more than j

way out.

into the night, hopping a plane to God knows where, starting over somewhere ne

ot now. As much as I hated it, I was in this for the long haul. And I

to straighten up. I could feel the weight of it all pres

back inside, back