Page 37 of Convenient Mafia Vows

“Kyle drew up the marriage contract and prenup.”

She nods once. She’ll go through the prenup herself when she’s finished with me—if there’s a loophole to be found on Victoria’s side (which there won’t be), she’ll fill it in with cement and grow daisies on top so that the Murrays come out the other side looking squeaky clean and smelling of roses.

“And how about you, Victoria?” Mom takes Victoria’s hands like they’re about to dance. “How do you feel about this?”

At least she didn’t ask what’s in it for her. She’ll make sure that Victoria is suitably compensated for playing the role of Mrs. Caleb Murray if she doesn’t believe that I’ve been generous enough. Mom will step into her own role of the compassionate mother-in-law with ease, but her priority will always be to protect her family.

“I…” Victoria glances at me, and I have the overwhelming urge to catch the teardrops forming on her bottom lashes and kiss every inch of her. “I’m doing this for Abigail.” She sucks on her bottom lip, and she literally has no idea how fucking sexy it is.

“They kissed,” Abigail chimes in.

Mom’s smile comes easy to her. “That’s what people do when they’re in love, Abigail. What’s your favorite fairytale?”

“Beauty and the Beast.”

“Good choice.” Mom crouches in front of her. “I’ll let you in on a secret: that was my favorite fairytale too when I was a little girl. And I was quite disappointed when the beast turned back into a prince.”

Victoria chuckles. “We prefer the beast too, don’t we, Abigail?”

“We like him when he’s happy.” For a moment, Abigail sounds like a regular five-year-old, and a surge of protective energyflushes through me. If anyone dares touch her, I swear I’ll cut off their fingers myself.

Mom straightens. She’s still holding Victoria’s hand, and I watch her gaze settle on the empty ring finger. Without warning, she slides her engagement ring from her own finger and slips it over Victoria’s finger.

“What?” Victoria shakes her head, her eyes wide with panic. “No. No, I couldn’t possibly wear your ring.” She tries to tug it over her knuckle, but Mom stops her.

“You want folks to believe that you’re in love, you gotta do this properly.”

“But…” Victoria turns her gaze to me, imploring me to give the ring back. “This is your ring, Moira.”

It’s the first time I’ve ever looked at the ring Terry gave Mom when he proposed to her.Really looked at it. It’s a huge emerald surrounded by diamonds on a fine platinum band, and, when Victoria holds it up to the light streaming through the windows, it sends shimmering green and gold patterns pirouetting across the living room.

“It’s no secret that my engagement ring would go to my eldest son’s future wife, Victoria. But as Caleb has beaten Kyle to it, no one would question you wearing the ring. In fact, if you weren’t wearing it, they would question why not. Such is the way of the world, and if we’re doing this, we’re doing this properly.”

I smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

She dismisses the thank you with a wave of her hand. “Is Victoria going with you tomorrow evening?”

Tomorrow evening?Don Dragonetti’s birthday dinner. Kyle and I both received invitations, and it’s common knowledge that the police commissioner and mayor are also on the guest list, along with Dmitri Petrov, Sen Jozen—head of the Japanese mob—and Brandon Weiss.

“Tomorrow evening?” Victoria’s question echoes my own thoughts.

“Sure, why not?”

“Caleb, I don’t know about?—”

“You have nothing to worry about, Victoria.” Mom takes over, leading Victoria towards the coffee maker in the kitchen. “I’ll tell you all you need to know.”

I watch my mom operating the coffee machine and pulling cups out of the cabinet, chatting away as if they’d known each other all their lives, and I realize that perhaps this is what my mom has been waiting for, her sons to settle down so that she can welcome daughters-in-law and grandchildren into her life.

And I have to go and ruin it for her with a fake marriage and no wedding.

11

VICTORIA

There’s somuch to take in.

You don’t think about other people’s lives until you’re thrown into the middle of them. Sure, I was aware that Caleb Murray was wealthy—I mean, you only have to walk past the Wraith at night and see the prestige vehicles being parked up by the valets, and the guests in their expensive suits and diamonds to understand the kind of wealth associated with the Murrays—but I never considered what that meant in everyday terms.

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