Page 91 of Sweet Deception
The unexpected warmth of this whole moment steals my breath.
Who would’ve ever known having connections to the criminal underworld could feel so…nice and normal?
I stick with the twins for a while, the three of us packing our plates with food and finding seats in some chairs off to the side. Not long after, Darren and the twins’ husbands approach our little threesome.
And,bozhe moy,their husbands are big. I snuck glances at the wedding, but I don’t think I noticed just how huge they were until now. Finn’s tall and muscled with deep auburn hair and a glaring, scarred face. Cian’s even taller and could grace the cover of magazines with his pretty face, thick curly hair, and green eyes. We’re eclipsed entirely by the shadow of Finn and Cian as they hover over us, their eyes trained on my face.
“Cian and Finn, this is Veronika.” Darren waves a hand. “Nika, Cian and Finn.”
“H-hello.” No one ever tells you the best way to greet a mafia heir and his friends.
“Baby, you’re scaring the poor girl.” Riley squeezes her husband’s hand. His face instantly softens when he gazes down at her. It’s akin to snow melting.
Finn grunts something that brings a smile to Riley’s face. Clearly, they have a language of their own. Talk about beauty and the beast…
Once I’ve met Darren’s friends and their respective partners, dinner evolves into an easy flow of delicious food and nonintimidating conversation.
Later, Kiara shifts places to sit to my right, where an excited Piro can pace back and forth between our laps.
Rory plops into a chair on the far side of Kiara, and he and Finn poke fun at Darren. He glares between them, stopping only to throw glances my way, which I can’t help laughing at. Kiara’s the newest female member of the Kings, and she doesn’t mince words about the recent demise of her entire family.
When I murmur to her about everything I’ve lost as well, I see only concern, sincerity, and understanding in her deep brown eyes. She bumps shoulders with mine as though to tell me sheseesme.
The conversation shifts into discussing Piro. She seems more obsessed with him than I am and wants to hear all the details of how I came to be his guardian. I can’t keep the smile off my face.
Throughout the night, every time I catch Darren staring at me, my heart thunders in my chest.
I talk with the twins, too, and discover the three of us have a lot in common. I learn that Riley works at the Concrete Rose Women’s Shelter, a place I’m familiar with through my night job, and that Harper tried to escape her family in search of freedom, just like some of the women I help. These surprising commonalities bond us together.
Genuinely connecting with these women gives me hope for the men sitting across from us. Surely Riley, Harper, and Kiara can’t be faking their happy demeanors, which suggests that being romantically involved with these stunning, however deadly creatures, hasn’t backfired yet.
So maybe there’s hope for…
No, no, no, no, Nika. That’s not the point.
The fact that these three women seem satisfied in their relationships implies that these men I’ve been so wary of aren’t that bad. Or at least, not as bad as all the bad things they do.
The craziest part is that I didn’t suffer through this dinner with Darren’s friends. I actually see them all in a new light.
I’m connecting with them, in my own way.
And that’s something I just don’t do.
It’s something I gave up on a long time ago.
So why has it felt so effortless tonight?
The eight of us continue chatting until I realize there’s no more background noise in the room. When I glance around, I discover almost everyone else is gone. It’s just us at this table covered with empty plates and glasses. I was so engrossed in the discussion that I didn’t even notice the place had all but closed down.
Everyone else seems to realize the same thing. And then…the couples start to disappear, two by two. Cian rises and offers his hand to Harper, who grasps it before coiling both arms around one of his ginormous biceps. She gives us a little wave before they depart for the night.
Kiara and Rory take off next.
Kiara and I have agreed that Piro will sleep with her tonight, that we’ll trade off on caretaking duties. Even Rory seems enamored with Piro, and vice versa. The little guy nestles on his forearm as the pair floats toward the dining room with their heads bent together.
Finn and Riley depart next, leaving Darren and me alone in the huge room and staring at each other.
After hours spent surrounded by the energy of other people, the emptiness is stark and heavy, but a comfortable silence soon falls between us. There’s still a small smile on my face, and Darren’s got one too.
