Page 80 of Mob Bride

“I just texted Sully and told him to get three guys together to pick up Bartlomiej and Jacek for you.”

“Thanks, Dill. Sully’s a good one to use. He’s smart enough to keep his head on his shoulders, but the only men he can get are ones we won’t miss.”

“That’s why I picked him. Shane, we’ll deal with all of this. We’ll make sure Bartlomiej’s not a part of your woman’s life ever again.”

“I could get used to the sound of all of that. Carrie not being in danger, and Carrie being my woman.”

I hear another round of chuckles as some good-natured teasing happens. But because of that, I don’t notice the voices getting a little closer until Shane opens the door and finds me standing right there.

“I gotta go.”

“But—”

“Gotta go.”

Shane snaps at his family before I see him tap his phone screen. He stares at me. Shock and anger clearly radiate from him.

I’ve really fucked it up now because I don’t know how I’m going to back myself out of this. I remain quiet because anything I say will be a lie, and he’ll know. That’ll only make it worse.

“How long have you been standing there, Carys?”

That’s like a knife through my heart. Hearing him use my full name feels so distant. It puts me in my place, and it reminds me I’m with a mobster who can switch on a dime. I’m not scared of Shane physically. But now I’m scared I’ve ruined everything. I don’t think he’d pull my protection. However, I’m on my own now, and that makes me feel defensive rather than ashamed.”

“I was listening. You know that. I heard pretty much everything.”

“Why?”

I’m not convinced he genuinely wants the answer to that. It’s just a natural question to ask next.

“Because all of this involves my life, Shane. I have a right to know everything that’s going on.”

“No, you don’t. You didn’t know where that conversation was headed. There’s so much more you could’ve heard you never should have that would put you in more danger than you could possibly fathom. It’s bad enough you just heard what you did. None of that was for your ears.”

“You’re worried I’m going to turn state’s evidence for hearing you commission a murder.”

I should have kept that to myself. His expression entirely shuts off, and it’s like looking at a marble statue chiseled by one of the master Renaissance sculptors. Absolute perfection, but with no emotion. Instead of leaving well enough alone, I catapult us back to that adversarial dynamic we started with.

“I never said I would do that. Does it mean I’m going to swim with the fishes now?”

That still gets no reaction from him. That’s scarier than anything else. I have an inkling of what men about to die feel when Shane is like this. I still don’t fear for my safety, but I certainly am not picturing a long and happy lifetime together anymore.

“Carys—”

“Don’t call me that. You never called me that.”

“Oh, you’re lucky your full name is all I’m calling you right now. I trusted you to stay in the living room, or even make yourself another snack, or go up to the bedroom, or any number of things. You’ve shown me the moment you’re out of my sight, I can’t trust you.”

“And I’m supposed to trust you would’ve told me what that conversation was about.”

“The part’s pertinent to you, I would have.”

“You were going to tell me you’d have men round up Bartlomiej to take him to wherever this station place is? Youwere going to share that with me? I don’t believe that for a second.”

“I was going to tell you I had a way to make sure he could never be a threat to you again. You would have understood what that meant without me giving details. Now you know information someone could force from you. Information they could compel you to testify.”

I know that’s all the truth. It lurked in the back of my mind.

“Shane, it will never come to that. I would never give you or your family up, and that’s why you should have trusted me.”

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