Page 122 of Vengeful Union

“Enough to leave this life behind?” Raquel tilts her head as she asks, clearly curious.

I swallow hard. That’s something I haven’t considered. I could ask Rory if I could go with him. Change my whole life. Become an accountant’s wife.

But I’d have to leave my family behind. I know that Rory doesn’t want to be a gangster. It’s not like I need to be one either. But could I deal with only visiting my family now and again?

“I don’t know.” My words are an almost whisper.

“I guess it’s something you’ll have to think about.” Raquel stands up. “And you’ll have to talk to him. Actually find out what he wants, even if it ends up hurting you.”

“You should take your own advice,” I point out. “Leave her a voicemail if you have to. Tell her how you really feel.”

Raquel nods. “You’re right. But in the meantime, do you want some mimosas by the pool? I can make those, at least.”

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask.”

We head out to the pool, and Raquel mans the poolside bar, making a big pitcher of mimosas and filling up two champagne flutes.

I start to feel better after the first one, wiggling out of my shorts and jumping into the pool. It feels good to do a few laps, the water and the exercise seeming to stretch out my sore muscles.

As I swim, I can’t stop thinking about what Raquel said.

Would I leave it all behind for Rory? It’s not like I’ve ever been particularly interested in my father’s business. In fact, I’ve kind of kept my head in the sand when it came to the particulars of the clan.

But my family is so close-knit. After all, I’ve been living with them my whole life. I’ve never really lived on my own. Even in college, I commuted.

After Ma died, it seemed like my family needed me as the eldest daughter. But things are different now. In all the time I’ve been away, nothing fell apart.

Maybe I could go with him. Start a new life. Not be known all over town as Patrick Burke’s daughter. Instead, I’d be Rory Murphy’s wife.

Rory, true to his word, comes home while Raquel and I are still out at the pool. I’m working on a pretty good tan when his shadow falls over me.

I peer up at him from over the tops of my sunglasses.

“Honey, I’m home,” he teases, and I give him a smile back.

He grabs my hand, pulling me up into a standing position.

I bump against his chest, and he laughs.

“Too many mimosas?”

“Only a couple.” I don’t even feel tipsy, mostly because I’ve been so nervous.

I have to ask Rory what he wants. I have to confess to him that I want to be with him, no matter where, no matter what.

I can only hope that he wants the same future as I do.

Once we get back into the house, I immediately take a shower, not wanting to smell like sunscreen and salt water. I half-expect Rory to join me, but he doesn’t.

I towel off my hair, throwing the used towel into the laundry basket.

Rory lounges on the bed, his robe having slipped open.

A tantalizing view of his tanned chest and abdomen makes me want to climb on top of him, but I shake it off. I can’t get distracted by sex right now.

I crawl onto the bed, instead of straddling him just sitting next to him. I bite my lip.

“Everything okay?"

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