Page 74 of Blood Money

“Did you really think I could hide something like that from you?”

“I shouldn’t have it’s just…You asked me why I would fall for you, but that question seems so crazy to me because why would I not? You’re kind and caring, and I’m like I am. My world is full of torture, death, and betrayal. It changes how you see things. I’m everything you don’t want, so I can’t see why you would want to be with me if you don’t have an ulterior motive.”

Was he crying? I reached out, brushing my hand across his cheek and coming back with wetness on my thumb.

“Val, it’s okay.”

He shook his head, slipped from the bed, and went down on his knees. I sat up and stared at him in disbelief. He took both my hands in his and held them tight. “Forgive me. I was scared that I was losing you, that I’d imagined all this between us.”

“Of course I forgive you.” I didn’t even think before the words were out. Val had actually just admitted he was scared. I knew that that to be extremely rare for him.

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you the news another way.”

That this strong, powerful man was asking for my forgiveness nearly made me pass out again. I understood the enormity of his apology, and it made me think he might actually feel as strongly as I did. Maybe this was real after all.

Except, apparently, nothing else in my life was.

When I finished the water and the chocolate bar Val insisted on bringing me, he carried me to the couch. I sat back, and he pulled my legs into his lap so I could turn and look at him.

“I want to know everything.” I said. “How did you find all this out?”

“I’m going to start from the beginning. When you told me the story about the accident, the name John O’Keefe rang a bell. But I figured there had to be an untold number of John O’Keefes in the city. What were the chances your father’s boss was the one I was thinking of, the one with criminal connections? But when you described the circumstances of the accident—the car coming out of nowhere, the way it seemed to accelerate—something didn’t sit right with me.”

“I told you not to worry about it. You should never have?—”

“Liam, you need to know what really happened.”

“I already told you everything I remembered.” I didn’t want those memories back.

Val ran his hand up and down my legs, trying to soothe me. “I know you told me exactly what you saw, and I knew there were possible explanations for the driver’s behavior. He could have been drunk or lost control, then gotten scared and ran.”

I didn’t want any of this to be true, but I saw how serious Val’s expression was. “You’re sure that’s not what happened?”

“I am. We don’t have to talk about the accident itself, but I need to know what happened then to protect you now.”

I leaned into the couch and closed my eyes. “None of this makes any sense. My father was never gone at night. He never….”

“Give me a chance to explain what I know, then we can see if we can piece together anything else.”

I didn’t want to wait. I was full of so many questions, but it would be good to know the facts first. I sat up straighter and looked at him. “Okay.”

“After I realized the man who attacked you had been watching you before you started dancing at the club, I knew we needed answers, so I asked my people to look into your past.”

“Without telling me?”

He sighed. “Yes. If we have people connected to the Irish coming onto our turf, trying to take out someone who’s working for us. I need to know about it.”

“Did that mean you had to keep it from me?”

He rubbed my feet as he replied. “I didn’t want to freak you out if I was wrong.”

“Or you were hoping I wouldn’t find out.”

Val shook his head. “I was always going to tell you if I learned that my suspicions were true.”

It was going to take me a long time to process all this, if I ever could. “My family seemed like a regular family.”

“Your parents were trying to protect you by sticking to their new roles. Let me tell you the rest of what I know.”

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