Page 126 of Brutal Obsession

A mole in a mafia family is almost as bad as an all-out war. Just the rumor of one can lead to a family’s implosion. The only way to stop the madness is to find them, any and all of their accomplices and acolytes, and put them to death.

Nothing sacred is safe until then.

The relief tied to Enzo’s downfall hasn’t even hit me yet, and now I find out the Kings are about to confront an internal crisis of epic proportions, the worst we’ve seen in more than two decades.

I want to ask,what else can go wrong, but I know better than to invoke Murphy’s Law.

“So Harper doesn’t want to work for her old man anymore.” Finn pours himself another drink.

Rory gulps down a few swallows. “Can’t say I blame her.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Scrubbing my palm down my face, I try and fail to wrap my head around this situation.

“Truth is…” Finn takes a fresh swig, “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get out. Start over. Do something different. Something that, I don’t know, helps people.”

My jaw damn near hits the floor.Finn?Heir to this mafia? He’s been groomed to lead his entire life. I’ve never heard him say anything,anythingbefore that even comes close to treason.

Finn clears his throat, like the alcohol went down the wrong way. “That’ll never happen, obviously. But I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about what I’d do if I weren’t heir to the Irish Kings. I’d also be lying if I claimed I wasn’t brainstorming possibilities for the future.”

Rory’s as taken aback as I am. “Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Finn?”

Finn just sips from his glass.

Unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice, I clarify. “You’re saying you’d leave your place in this family?”

“To be with Riley, if necessary?” He gives us a little smile and winks. “In a heartbeat.”

Like it’s nothing.

Like it would be nothing at all for him to walk away from everything he’s ever known to be with her. I’ve never seen Finn so detached and unbothered, like we could be anywhere rightnow, on a plane, at an amusement park. Mars. He must really be serious.

A strange sensation opens in my chest. Almost like hope, wonder, and courage all balled up together.

And then, he fucks me up even more. “You seem surprised. I thought you’d be the first one to understand.”

My mind is so blown that I may never recover.

Rory slams his empty glass down, and that pulls me out of my shock.

“Hold on.” His brow scrunches in confusion. “What the hell are Darren and I supposed to do if you two fuck off to the suburbs?”

Finn snorts.Actually snorts. “Make your own adventure.”

I’m barely listening anymore. Because Finn’s right about me.

I do understand the urge to leave the Kings behind. It’s never come up because I’ve never been in love with someone before now. The world I live in and the job I do? They’re fine, if I’m alone in the world, with no one to miss me and no one to miss. As soon as I picture Harper standing by my side, my feelings do a 180-degree reversal.

The Kings have always had my allegiance, respect, and obedience. But my heart’s never been in it, mostly because I didn’t believe I had a heart. I thought it died the same day my mother did.

It took Harper to resurrect the thing, and now that it’s beating in my chest again, the idea of letting her go is the same as suicide.

Life without her is the bleakest, most depraved, devoid future I can conceive of. I won’t survive it, and I wouldn’t want to.

What I want is simple.

I stand so abruptly, Rory and Finn both jump.

“What’s wrong?” Rory’s alert.

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