Page 126 of Mila: The Godfather

Gus with a slight accent.

An Irish one.

He was good at hiding it all these years. The sneak.

Turning away from Maeve, I stare at Gus or Bain, as that’s his legal name not the fake one he went by for years while he was undercover working on behalf of Riagan. “Sunshine…” he says softer now while his eyes look remorseful.

“Ah, I’ll give you both some privacy.” Maeve looks between us, noticing the change in the room and decides to leave. “Be nice, ass-face.” Maeve says over her shoulder at my friend as she exists the kitchen.

“I’m always fucking nice to my favorite girl.” Bain says cheekily.

Once Maeve is out of the kitchen, I focus my gaze on my friend, who is standing a few short feet from me, looking strong and healthy and a whole lot worried.

I could give him a hard time, but I chose not to.

Life is too short to hold grudges, that I learned.

Moving towards him, I hug him. I squeeze him tight, then I lean back and punch his arm, but it does absolutely nothing. He doesn’t even flinch. “I deserve that.”

“You do.” I snap. “You lied and friends don’t lie to each other.”

He grimaces. “Had no choice, princess. You were and still are my duty.”

I understand duty.

I also understand he couldn’t tell me who he was and what he was doing all those years by my side. He’s loyal to his boss, and that is commendable.

Huggins him once again, I whisper. “I’m glad you’re safe, Bain.” I call him by his name. I kind of prefer it to Augustus. He never looked like an Augustus to me, anyway.

“It’s so fucking good to see you, kid. So fucking good.” He breathes out.

I feel the same.

I knew he was safe. Riagan said he was, but a part of me still felt guilty that he was in danger because of me. That he could’ve been seriously hurt, or even worse, killed because he was with me that day. A tear slips while he holds me close.

“Hey, no crying. You know how crying women make me fucking nervous.” He shudders, making me laugh.

Looking up at him, I smile through my blurry eyes. He’s safe, and even though he lied, he is still my friend.

“I want to know everything.” I narrow my eyes on him under the rim of my cap. “And leave nothing out.” I want to know how he came to work for my father and how he managed to fool my sister. More than that… I want to know why Riagan planted one of his loyal men in my family. “Friends don’t have secrets, remember?”

If he had any intention of keeping the details to himself, that ends the moment his eyes soften. I’ve witnessed the things he could do with his bare hands, yet he has never, not once, made me fear for my life or made me feel threatened.

He never crossed boundaries and always made sure I was okay, even when I was still living in the hell of my family’s making.

Nodding, Bain gives me his pinky finger, something we do because he knows my aversion to unwanted touch. Gripping his thick finger, I let him stir me away from the kitchen and into the back area of the mansion.

I hesitantly wave to the first guard I see. It’s a habit of mine. I used to do it a lot when I was younger on the rare occasions I could leave my room. The only difference is that where none of the men who worked for my father acknowledged my existence, the tall and muscular man standing guard at the back door that leads to the outside area gives me a subtle nod with a small smile on his face.

Wow.

These people are not like any of the criminals I’ve met before.

These polite criminals.

Who would’ve thought it?

“Mrs. Sullivan.”

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