Page 122 of Assassin's Obsession

"With more than a million dollars a year, you can donate plenty to charity and do whatever you want for your mom and sister."

Candi's knees buckle. I have to grab her tightly against me so she doesn't fall.

"This is probably a bad time to tell you I've already set up a trust fund for Cookie's future education." But I'm not going to let her believe she ever has to worry about her sister's future again.

Regardless of what happens with the Bianchi holdings.

"What? Why would you do that?" she asks in a stunned voice.

"Because she's my sister too."

That has Candi straightening her spine. "Not yet, she's not."

"It's just a matter of time." But first I have to figure out how to give Candi the perfect proposal and I have no clue what that should look like.

I am not a romantic guy.

Chapter 32

CANDI

I find mom sitting on a wicker chair, her feet up on an ottoman enjoying the fall sunshine in the conservatory.

She smiles. "What do you think? I feel like the Queen of Sheba with the way Boomer follows me around to make sure I can sit where I want and do what I want."

"I'm glad." And even more glad she lets the veteran help her like that.

I didn't get my sense of independence from a stranger.

"If he's not careful, I could fall in love with that kind of attention." Mom winks at me.

"Do I need to have a talk with him?" I ask, only half-jokingly as I sit down in the other wicker chair near mom's. "Warn him about playing with my mom's affections?"

Mom smiles and shakes her head. "He's being paid to do what he does. I'm just kidding, Candi. I know my days of romance are well past. "

"That's only true if you want it to be, mom. You are such a beautiful soul," I say fervently. She's also gorgeous, but mom isn't impressed with compliments about appearance. "Any man would be lucky to have you in his life."

"Well, I love that you see the world that way." She pats my hand, none of her fingers curled in from pain. "Maybe that's why you can see the good in your assassin."

Looking at my mom's more relaxed appearance and her face uncreased with pain is all I need to see the good in Angelo.

He's behind the foundation that brought Petra into our lives. And the new wholistic regime she's got mom following is making a difference. The nurse brought in a dietician, a physical therapist who specializes in joint pain and an acupuncturedoctor. All of whom are focused on minimizing mom's joint pain.

It's working.

Six months ago, even mom's indomitable will wouldn't have made it possible for her to show up here, demanding to see me after a car ride from Queens.

"He's more than an assassin," I remind my mom.

He's a man who cares deeply about a select few and I'm one of them. Every day that hits me more deeply.

Angelo doesn't want to own me, he wants to empower me. He wants to make it possible for me to do the things that matter to me. He installed a dance studio in the house. For me.

Because I love to dance.

But it's more than that. When I'm with him, my heart is happy. Do I need a logical reason for that?

I've got them but it's really not logical. It's pure emotion and he calls to my heart like no one else does. Not even mom and Cookie. They're different.

---