Page 71 of Day Shift

Conan snorted. “Sounds like a convenient arrangement. But I didn’t come all this way for a woman who’s just a casual fuck.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Funny, it didn’t sound like you were invited. Maybe she didn’t want you here.”

“Well, it’s obvious she needs me here. If she had the kind of man she deserves in her life, she wouldn’t have ended up wrapping a car around a tree, nearly killing herself. But don’t worry; I’ll take it from here. No need for you to add complications to your life now, is there?”

A smirk played on Lucian’s lips. “Maybe she likes having options. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little variety, is there, Conan?”

Conan’s eyes narrowed. “No need to shop around when you’ve found exactly what you want.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes at their macho posturing. “Both of you, cut it out.” I huffed. “Conan and I had a chance to get to know each other without all the family drama casting a shadow over us. I didn’t have any memories, so I didn’t have a marriage contract or a fake identity hanging over my head. We had an opportunity to see each other for who we really are. But then my memories and all the ugliness of my life came back and slapped me back into reality. So I don’t know where things could have gone. Now we’ll probably never know.” I shrugged, my mind a chaotic mess of worries about what my future held.

Conan grasped my chin and turned me to face him. His gaze locked onto mine, burning with a raw intensity. “Eyes on me, Angel,” he commanded, closing the space between us, his breath brushing across my lips. “I’m going to know everything about you—your fears, your dreams, your past, the best and the worst. I want to be the one who stands by you when you’re at your lowest and lifts you up higher at your best. I’ll be the one who fights off anyone or anything that tries to hurt you. You’re mine now, and I will know every part of you, even your darkest origins. Nothing will get in my way. Nothing.”

My breath hitched, my surroundings evaporated, and then there were only the two of us. I took his face in my hands and lost myself in his kiss. A sudden movement to my right broke me out of my trance. Lucian stood there with his hand on Conan’s shoulder, pulling him back.

“All right, buddy. You don’t get to just waltz in here and lay claim to a woman you’ve just met. She might be a little caught up in her emotions for a guy who provided her care in the hospital when she was at her worst, but you don’t even know her.” Lucian cupped my cheek and gave me a kind smile. “Ana, you know you can always count on me. We’ve got years of history. And you know you can trust me. Your happiness is what matters to me.”

The two men exchanged possessive glances, each trying to outdo the other. Annoyed to my limit, I shook my head. “Listen, neither one of you is the boss of me.” I let out an exasperated breath. “Besides, by contract, I’m owned by the Moretti family, and in particular by that weasel Frankie.”

Conan and Lucian both scowled at the mention of Frankie’s name. “That marriage contract is bullshit,” Conan growled. “How’s it even possible in today’s world?! You should be free to choose.”

Lucian nodded in agreement. “You’re not some commodity to be traded. We need to find a way to get you out of that situation. When is this wedding anyway?”

My lips rolled in tight, as if they were barring me from speaking the truth. I squinched my eyes closed; it killed me to say it out loud.

“Angel?” Conan prompted.

“June twenty-ninth.”

There was a collective gasp.

“What the fuck? That only gives us two and a half days to figure this out!” Braxton shouted.

I opened my eyes and glanced around the room. All of their stunned expressions were gut-wrenching.

“No way, Ana,” Lachlan said, shaking his head. “You’ve got to get out of here. Go live off the grid long enough for us to figure things out.”

Their protectiveness was touching, but I needed them to understand I wasn’t a damsel in distress—I was just shit out of luck. “Thanks, guys. But remember, this is an alliance between some of the world’s most powerful mafia organizations. It’s not like a handful of well-intentioned guys can take them on. It’s my cross to bear, and I don’t want you all to get involved any more than you already have.”

Conan placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “We know that, Angel. But we’ll be damned if we let you be forced into something you don’t want.”

Lucian’s gaze softened, but his protective bravado was still evident by his consternated expression. “We’ll figure this out, Ana. Together.”

Lucian and Conan passed each other a knowing look—a truce.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “Anastasia, tell us about your brother. You haven’t mentioned him until today, but it’s obvious he means a lot to you, seeing as you took off across the country when you were worried about him. Is there any possibility he might be able to help?”

I nodded, rubbing my temples. “Nik means the world to me. But it’s complicated. He hates the mafia business, but Viktor controls him. He’s a Russian citizen, not American, which makes it harder for him to get out from under Viktor. Since childhood, he’s been forced to do Viktor’s bidding and prove his loyalty to the Volkovi Notchi. He wants out but doesn’t think he can do anything about it yet.”

Braxton frowned. “How deeply entrenched do you think he is? Maybe it’s better if you don’t contact him.”

Anger surged through me. “Nik has always been there for me. I’ll do anything to protect him like he’s always protected me.” With that, I stood up. “I need to go home. I’m exhausted.”

Lucian and Conan both turned toward me. “I’ll take you home,” they said in unison, then glared at each other.

I shook my head. “No, I need to be alone.”

Conan stepped closer. “We’re staying at the High Line Hotel and have a rental car. We can come pick you up for dinner.”

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