Page 107 of Assassin's Obsession

"Don't be sorry for the actions of others. I wasn't worried about you until Mr. Bianchi showed up. And for goodness's sake, don't apologize for finding your soulmate, sweetheart. I always promised myself I would never put you through what my mother did to me when Jakub and I started dating."

Candi rushes over and gently lays one hand on her mother's shoulder. "You're the best mom. Don't ever believe any different."

"I'm the only one you've got, so I have to get it right," Mira says like she's said it many times before.

"Are we spending the night?" Cookie asks hopefully.

"Yes, I think we will. This old body isn't up to the trip home." Mira sighs. "I could really use one of those magical massages the therapist Petra sent me to gives."

Pulling out my phone, I send a message to the therapist. When I hired for Mira's care, he agreed to be on call for a situation just like this one.

"He'll be here within the hour," I tell Mira.

Mira stares at me. "I know you're a big time mafioso, but how are you getting my therapist to do a weekend house call?"

"It's his job."

"Somehow, I think there's more to it than that, young man, but thank you."

A weird warmth unfurls in my chest at her calling me young man.

Chapter 29

CANDI

"I noticed some clothes in the closet and drawers," Cookie says almost diffidently to Angelo as we leave mom's room.

"They're yours," Angelo answers the question my sister does not ask.

"So, I can change into some of them for dinner? Only this place is kind of fancy for what I'm wearing." Cookie indicates her favorite pair of jeans with a chunky belt and a short sweater that shows some midriff.

Middle school fashion is very exacting. Who cares about warmth when you're on trend?

But the thing is, this is one of Cookie's nicest outfits and she must have worn it to impress Angelo when she met him.

"You can wear whatever you want, Cookie. Those clothes are yours."

"Great!" Cookie turns to head back into her room. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Okay," Angelo replies. "But Cookie?"

She stops in the doorway and faces him. "Yeah?"

"You don't need to change if you don't want to. The house is just a house. You being comfortable here is what matters."

Which is why the sociopath had a bedroom designed specifically for her.

Emotion clogs my throat and I have to clear it to say, "You look great, little sis. As always."

"You have to say that. You're my sister and you love me." Cookie looks expectantly at Angelo.

For a second, I think he's going to miss the cue and then he winks. "Well, I'm practically your brother, but for what it's worth, I think you look great too. That's exactly the kind of outfitthe personal shopper I hired told me was in style for girls your age."

"Yeah?" Cookie asks. "You hired a shopper to buy that stuff for me?"

"If I'd bought your clothes, your closet would be filled with black cargo pants, turtlenecks and steel-toed boots for kicking boys in the junk who get too close."

Cookie grins. "You wear a lot of black. Maybethat'syour favorite color."

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