Page 61 of The Secrets We Share

“Yes, sir. Nine am on Thursday. I will see you then. Is there anything I need to bring or do to prepare?”

She listens for a little longer before giving him a pleasant sign-off.

“I’m starving, and it smells delicious in here. What are we having?”

I stay planted at the end of the island, arms crossed, as she bounces up to me. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”

“Hmm. It’s personal,” Keira states with mock seriousness.

Shaking my head, I snatch her waist and pull her into my chest. “Baby, there is nothing too personal that you can keep from me.”

Her arms snake around my neck, her soft body shifting further into me. I know she's up to something when those golden eyes light with a menacing tell.

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one,” she says confidently before popping up on her toes to press a kiss to my lips. “Now, back to the food.”

“Keira.”

“Yes.”

“Phone call.”

“It’s really bothering you not knowing, isn’t it?”

“Are you pushing for a punishment? Because if you’d like to sit for whatever this appointment is you have coming up, I recommend you start talking, sweetness.”

Her body shivers and those playful eyes turn dark. It’s exactly what she’s gunning for, but she’s getting in over her head, thinking it’ll turn into something pleasure-inducing. We’re locked in a stare-down, my fingers digging into her hips, refusing to let her squirm her way free. The beginning scent of burning sauce hits my nose and gives me the way to break her.

“You’ve got about ten seconds until the food becomes inedible. And I’m not letting you go until you tell me.”

Her eyes jerk to the saucepan on the stove and back to me. “Fine, fine! Go save it, and I’ll tell you.”

Narrowing my eyes down at her, I slowly loosen my tight hold. She springs back, shoving my body toward the food.

“That was the doctor scheduling the appointment to discuss the procedure.” She stops, grabbing the plates from the cabinet. “Maybe this isn’t the right time to do this with everything happening. You’ve seen the statistics on recovery time. How can we deal with Domenico if I’m weak and can’t handle myself?”

After everything, Keira’s selfless desire to help her niece is the last thing I want her worrying about becoming an issue.With the food done, I turn off the burner, moving the pan to the opposite side.

“Listen to me. The shit with Domenico and my father isn’t your problem. You stepping up and agreeing to the meeting might not even guarantee he lets him go. I wouldn’t put it past him to go against his word. He isn’t exactly giving off the most trustworthy vibes. And we still don’t know what his plan is.”

“But if he?—”

I cut her off, grabbing her hips and lifting her onto the kitchen counter. “But nothing. You want to do the procedure, or you wouldn’t have offered and spent countless hours researching the positive outcome for the patients. Don’t let the bad and unknown take away from doing something life-changing for someone you care about.”

“I don’t even know her.”

“That doesn’t matter,” I add, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “And you know it.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

KEIRA

DISCO - Nessa Barrett, Tommy Genesis

The sterile white office is more unsettling than being shoved in the back of a van at gunpoint. It smells of disinfectant and cheap perfume that wafts behind the receptionist as she leads us to the doctor's office. The chair is uncomfortable, and I shift back and forth, trying to settle in before the doctor arrives. Harkin’s hand lands on my knee.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“That obvious, huh?” I huff out.

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