Page 72 of Mafia Wedding

"Yes."

Rake rubs his jaw at this, and I automatically grit my teeth to avoid betraying myself with a smile.

"There's more to this than what you're telling me."

"I just do what most others would say no to."

"I don't think that's it."

"I also don't feel fear the way others do?"

Rake shakes his head. "Still not that."

"You're imagining things."

"Doubt it."

"There's no great mystery to solve here—-"

"Not buying it."

I lift my shoulders in a shrug. "Then don't."

"Just make this easy for yourself, darling."

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"Yes, I believe I am," he says pleasantly, "and if you don't tell me the truth, you'll find yourself tickled to death in public—-and it will embarrass the hell out of you, I promise."

Aargh.

It would have been so much better if he had simply threatened to kill me, darn it.

"I'm the only one who accepts jobs that involves non-human elements."

"Still not buying it."

I can't remember being this humanly tempted to freak out. Why, darn it? Why does this man know me so well?

"Last chance, Kayra." He leans towards me and actually wiggles his fingers like we're a couple about to giggle over tickles.

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

I'd rather die than have someone see me being tickled, so fine. We're already dating anyway, so it's not like he won't know the truth sooner or later.

I take a deep breath...and just grumble the words out in one go.

"Everything about this is pro bono."

It's the most painful admission I've ever made, and all I can do is snarl as he suddenly hauls me to his lap with a laugh that patently rubs salt in my wound.

"You adorable little hypocrite," Rake purrs. "Who's the killer with a soft heart now?"

Grrr.

"I do not have a soft heart."

"Do you know how cute you are when you're angry?"

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