Page 18 of Tomorrow's Never Promised

He gently tugs the scarf around my neck, slowly pulling it loose. My pulse picks up even more. He shrugs out of his jacket and then helps me take off mine, handing them to the waitress. “I will have an Old Fashioned, and Ms. Marrone will have a glass of our finest champagne. Please have a couple of bottles delivered to VIP suite two. Thank you, Olivia.”

“Would you like me to bring an NDA as well?” she asks, directing her attention to me.

“That won’t be necessary,” he says firmly. With a nod, Olivia walks away, but not before giving me a nasty look. She is not pleased that I am here with Killian. I hold back the desire to be a two-year-old and stick my tongue out at her.Bitch.

* * *

Killian takesme to a secluded room behind one of the frosted doors on the left. We are sitting on an elegant suede couch. A glass table holds our drinks and two more bottles of champagne in an ice bucket. A vacant stripper pole is in the center of the room. White tufted walls with blue ambient lighting line the ceiling, making it feel more relaxed and private than the main room—which is the complete opposite of how I feel at the moment.NDA? And why are we in a room with a stripper pole? He said he wasn’t trying to sleep with me on the first date.

“I can see your mind running a million miles an hour,” he rubs my knee. “I didn’t have you sign an NDA because even though we just met, Itrustyou.” He tucks my hair behind my ear and lifts my chin until we make eye contact. I’ve been avoiding looking at him since we came in here.

“Why would I need to sign an NDA?” I ask harsher than I intended to.

He sighs, removes his hand, and takes a sip of his drink. “There are many high-profile people who come here, including celebrities. We have all our guests sign them.”

The butterflies are back, assaulting my stomach. Warning me something is not right here. I take a few sips of my champagne with the hopes it will help.

“Madison, look at me.”

I do and what I see there are a set of kind, warm eyes. “Ask me anything at all, I promise to tell you the truth. If you feel uncomfortable or don’t think this will work, I will take you home and you won’t ever have to see me again,” he declares.

“You aren’t just an exclusive underground club owner, are you?”

He finishes off his drink and returns his full attention to me. “No. I’m not. My Da is the head of the Tri-State Syndicate and I am next in line to run the organization.”

“Meaning…” I trail off, already knowing what he is going to say.

“Meaning, I am about to become the head of the Irish Mob in the Tri-State area,” he confirms.

My mouth goes dry.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Here I was worried about Liam being in the mob when I am literally dating the fucking head of it!I grab my glass and drain the rest of its contents. I know I said I wouldn’t care, but that was when I was seriously lusting over Liam. Rose-colored glasses had tinted my vision.I am so naive.So stupid. The signs were there. I just ignored them and my intuition.What have you gotten yourself into Maddy?

She’s scared.I don’tblameher—she should be. I just dropped a huge bomb on her. If I am being honest, I am already falling for her. Her looks are abonus. It’s her mind, her drive, and her passion for the people and things she loves, that make me want her.

To prevent both of us from future heartache and complications, I needed to be completely candid with her.Madison needs to know what she is getting herself involved in. I don’t want to hide my life from her. Certain things she may need to stay privy to, while others may be better left unsaid. But not the fact that I am a very dangerous and powerful man. If we continue this, she’ll have my security following her whenever I’m not around.

I pop open another bottle of champagne and grab myself an empty glass. I pour myself some before pulling her shaking hand closer to mine to refill hers.

“Why would amobsterlike you want anything to do with a girl like me? Look at this place,” she says, fanning her arm out. “You have gorgeous women all around you.” She takes another large sip of her drink, her eyes shooting daggers in my direction.

A deep, boisterous laugh escapes me. I haven’t been called a ‘mobster’everin my life. “Sweetheart, do you realize how much this lifestyle bothers me? The majority of the women here are fake as fuck and don’t hold a goddamn candle to you.” Clearly, this woman doesn’t see how amazing she is. She is the full package.How can she not see that?Men would kill to be in my position right now—women too.

When she doesn’t say anything, I try to explain myself better. “I never wanted to take over my Da’s position. Ienviedthose working a 9-5 or those with a ‘normal’ career. As a lad, I wanted to become an engineer. Find a wife one day, get married and build a family. A simple life. But I wasn’t born into asimple life, love.”

Her eyes reach mine again.There she is. “Will you kill me if I walk away?” she whispers.

Another laugh slips out, and she stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. “No, Madison. I won’tkillyou. I told you, you’re safe with me. And I meant that. I care about you a lot.”

The tension dissolves from her face before she speaks. “If—she holdsup a pointer finger—“and this is abig if. If I decide to continue dating you, will I be able to finish my nursing degree and get a job in a hospital?”

She is too fucking cute, worrying about a nursing degree after what I just told her.

“You can have whatever you want, sweetheart. Whatever makes you happy. But you don’t need to work if you don’t want to. You’ll be taken care of.”

“I want to help people, Killian.” She contemplates, biting on her black polished thumbnail.

“Then you will,” I promise. My thumb slides over her flushed cheek. “Please give me a chance, Madison,” I beg, feeling more vulnerable than I ever have.I don’t beg anyone. Ever.

“Alright.”

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