Page 24 of The Mafia's Quadruplets

“Either way, your brother’s going away for a long time,” I say, watching her carefully. “I’m sorry, Claire.”

She takes a shuddering breath then resumes the massage with mechanical precision. “I know,” she says flatly. “It doesn’t surprise me. At least he won’t be messing up our lives anymore.”

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by her ability to accept it so easily. “You seem resigned to this.”

Claire’s voice softens while she continues working the muscles of my back. “I just want to pay off his debt so my family can move on. Get past all of this.”

I roll onto my side, propping myself up on one elbow to look at her directly. Her face is a mask of forced calm, but I see the pain in her eyes. “And how are you holding up with all of this?”

She bites her lip, avoiding my gaze. “I’m fine. It’s not like this is the first time Jay’s been in trouble.”

“But it’s never been this serious before,” I press gently.

Claire’s composure cracks for a moment. “No,” she whispers. “It hasn’t.” She takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “I can’t fall apart now. My parents need me to be strong.”

I reach out, gently catching her wrist. “And who’s being strong for you?”

Her gaze clashes with mine, eyes wide with surprise at the question. For a moment, I see the vulnerability she’s trying so hard to hide. Then she pulls away, her professional mask sliding back into place.

“I don’t need anyone to be strong for me,” she says firmly. “I can handle this on my own.”

There’s a certainty in her words that grabs me. She’s willing to endure whatever it takes to protect her family. I study her, lightly brushing my fingers over her wrist before she pulls away to resume the massage. “You don’t always have to be so strong,” I say gently. “You can be angry at him, you know. You don’t have to hide it around me.”

Claire pulls her arm away, eyes flashing with defiance. “I’ll be angry when I want to,” she snaps. Without another word, she turns and walks out, leaving the massage unfinished.

I watch her go, my curiosity about her only deepening. The door closes behind her with a soft click, leaving me alone with mythoughts. Sitting up, I roll my shoulders, feeling the lingering warmth from Claire’s hands on my skin, along with the lingering traces of massage oil. Her abrupt departure leaves me unsettled. I’m not used to people walking away from me, especially not mid-conversation. It’s...refreshing, in a way.

I stand, stretching my arms above my head. The tension in my muscles has eased, despite the unfinished massage. I walk to the window, gazing out at the Philadelphia skyline. I don’t really see it, preoccupied as I am with a stubborn massage therapist, who refuses to bend to my will.

A knock at the door interrupts my musings. “Come in,” I call, not turning from the window.

Dmitri enters, his footsteps nearly silent on the plush carpet. “Boss, we’ve got a situation.”

I turn to face him, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of situation?”

“Our guys at the port intercepted a courier. He was carrying documents detailing the next three shipments.” Dmitri hands me a folder. “It looks like Matvey’s getting sloppy.”

I flip through the papers, a smile tugging at my lips. “Or he’s setting a trap. This is too convenient.”

Dmitri nods. “My thoughts exactly. What do you want to do?”

I close the folder, tapping it against my palm. “Set up surveillance on all the locations mentioned, but don’t interfere. Let’s see what Matvey’s game is.”

“Got it, boss.” He hesitates, his gaze flicking to the massage table. “Everything okay with the girl?”

I follow his gaze, remembering Claire’s defiant exit. “She’s...interesting. Didn’t take the news well about her brother.” I fill him in but realize it was more her reaction to my offer to let herself be genuine about her feelings in my presence that prompted her to scurry out. Not that I’m going to share that with Dmitri.

He nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. I return to the window, thoughts once more turning to my reluctant house guest. Claire Bennett is proving to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. The question is, do I enjoy the challenge or eliminate it?

The thought of Claire brings a smile to my face. Her fire, her determination... It’s been a long time since someone challenged me like this. Part of me wants to break her, to show her the futility of resisting me, but another part, a part I thought long buried, admires her strength.

As I prepare for bed, I look forward to my next encounter with Claire Bennett. She may think she can handle everything on her own, but she has no idea what she’s up against. I always get what I want in the end.

9

Claire

Ipace the length of my room, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The memory of Valerian’s touch lingers on my skin, sending an unwelcome surge of desire through me. I stop abruptly, pressing my palms against my temples.

---