Page 233 of Kissing the Villain

She gasped. “You’re Alexandrea Wellington?” Rhiannon’s face illuminated. “I live in Beacon Bay. I know the Salvatores.”

My mouth dropped in shock. “What’s your last name?”

“O’Shea.”

I’d heard all about the O’Shea family. Her father was the leader of the Irish Mob. Originally from Dublin, Conor O’Shea was a badass motherfucker who ran guns and drugs. They had ties to the Italian Mafia and other criminal organizations and were allies of the Salvatores.

My eyebrows rose at her confession. “You’re Sonny’s cousin?”

“Unfortunately.” Rhiannon laughed. “He’s such a pain in my ass. Sonny calls every Sunday to check on me and tells me I’m not allowed to date.”

I laughed. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.” She shook her head and smiled. “He’s an overprotective idiot. If you ask Sonny, I’ll never be old enough to date.”

“I’m guessing your family is looking for you.”

She covered her mouth with her hand and yawned, looking as if she were seconds from falling asleep. “Knowing my dad, he’s already started a war to get me back.”

“I overheard the men discussing getting rid of Luca and their associates. I think we’re here because these men are trying to lure our friends and families to the auction to kill them.”

Her pale blue eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s what they said?”

I nodded. “I thought I was here because Luca killed the wife of an Albanian crime lord. But the men who brought me here stole me from them. The men on this boat are from New York.”

She bit her lip. “If it’s someone our families know, we’re not getting out of here unless they come for us.”

“Luca told me they don’t hold the auction in the same place. He called itIl Circo. It means The Circus in Italian.”

“I’ve heard of it,” she chimed. “My dad was arguing with his men about it the night before they took me.”

“Luca and Marcello will come for me,” I assured her.

She grinned. “Marcello is good at his job.”

I nodded in agreement. “Do you know him well?”

Rhiannon rolled her shoulders against the wall. “We go way back. There’s a long history between us.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What kind of history?”

“He saved me once.” She blew out a deep breath between her teeth. “But it’s complicated. Our families would never approve of us.”

“You dated Marcello?”

“Nah.” She waved her hand and chuckled. “Nothing that serious. His dad would never allow him to date someone like me. Arlo only pretends to like my father and uses him for favors.”

“Someone like you?”

“A mobster’s daughter,” she clarified.

“Arlo and his sons aren’t exactly on the up and up.”

She snorted. “Yeah, but they’re old money.”

“Not really. The Wellingtons are old money. Luca and Marcello are only the third generation.”

“Compared to my family,” she sighed. “Anyway, Marcello is way out of my league. I knew it would never work between us.”

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