Page 36 of Twisted Secrets
“Sure.” It dawned on her that if he was willing to open up about his family and the “hard stuff,” then he was going to expect her to do the same. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. To distract herself, she looked over the menu. “You said they have amazing lobster rolls?”
“The best.” He hadn’t even picked up the laminated plastic menu.
She set hers aside. “That’s enough of a recommendationfor me. I’ll get that.”
The waitress must have been keeping her eye on them, because she swooped in, took their drink and food order, and was gone inside of thirty seconds. Then there was nothing standing between Olivia and all the questions she had for Cillian. Nothing except knowing she’d have to respond in kind. She used her straw to stir the ice around in her water glass. “Now that we’re here, I’m not sure what to say.”
“Should I have picked a fancy restaurant with unpronounceable entrées?”
She gave a brief smile in acknowledgment of the shared joke, but it fell away when faced with the reality of their situation. “I promised myself I’d never get involved with someone like you.”
“Sweetheart, there is no one like me.” He held up a hand when she burst out laughing.
“How about I give you the basics, and if you have any questions, you can ask them?”
He was actually offering to open up to her. It blew her mind. The Romanovs were all about their secrets and never letting the left hand know what the right hand was doing. She was pretty sure the only one with all the information was Dmitri. Everyone else was expected to take orders and keep their mouths shut. Olivia took a deep breath.Cillian isn’t Dmitri—or Sergei. How many times do I have to remind myself of that before it actually sinks in?Apparently one more than she already had. “That sounds great.”
“So you know I’m an O’Malley and that we’re one of three families that run the majority of Boston. There are other players in the city, but they ultimately have to answer to one of us.” He took a drink of water. “A year ago, we were on the brink of war because of, well, a variety of things. We managed to hash out analliance with the Sheridans, and we’re also on pretty good terms overall with the Hallorans.”
She frowned. “The Hallorans being the same men who were beating you in a back alley less than two weeks ago?”
“Yeah, well, nothing is ever simple. The people in charge might have decided on peace, but that doesn’t mean that everyone feels that way. They did it without their boss’s consent.”
“You know that for sure?”
He shrugged. “I’ve passed word along and been assured that it will be dealt with. Since my sister is currently engaged to the guy in charge, I’m willing to take his word for it.”
She blinked. There were a whole lot of undercurrents to what he just said, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to delve deeper. “It sounds like things are good in Boston.”
“As good as they can be.” He straightened the paper-napkin-wrapped silverware. “That almost-war left a lot of scars and bullshit for us to work through. Our family still hasn’t managed to get past most of it.”
From the pain in his voice, she wasn’t sure if he was talking about his family in general or him specifically. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. None of it is your fault. It’s just a by-product of the life we live.” His mouth twisted. “Or that’s the line my father likes to use.”
“I’ve heard similar.”
His dark eyes focused on her. “In that case, sweetheart, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”
Chapter Eleven
Cillian saw the exact moment she shut down. Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and wouldn’t quite meet his eyes.Damn it, I pushed too hard. He sat back. “You know what? Never mind. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”
Her shoulders went even tighter. “No, it’s okay.”
“Obviously it’s not.” Which only made him even more curious. What was this woman hiding that she froze up at the mere mention of her past? He wanted to know. Fuck, heneededto know. If that meathead Russian was any indication, there was at least an abusive boyfriend in her past, but if it was something more complicated, it could be putting more than her in danger. “Look, Olivia, we all have secrets. It’s okay.”
“I just…” She still wouldn’t look directly at him. “I grew up in a really rough family, and it took all the strength I had to get out—some days I wake up and wonder if I ever actually escaped or if it just bought me a stay of execution. It’s hard to talk about.”
“Then we won’t talk about it.”
She finally looked at him. “Just like that.”
“Just like that. If you haven’t noticed, I’m not looking for a quick fuck and run—not now. I’m willing to wait until you’re ready to tell me.” He kept his voice calm and easy, feeling like he was approaching a wild animal that would spook at any sudden moves. Not a deer or anything so mundane, but some kind of big cat—all claws and growls, but just as likely to run from what she thought was dangerous as she was to fight. He had a feeling that when her kid came into it, though, there was no hesitation. She’d go for his throat. “Tell me about your daughter.”
She smiled, though it was a little shaky around the edges. “She’s the best kid there ever was. I’m sure every parent says that, but Hadley is just…She’s a little ray of sunshine. It doesn’t matter what life throws at us, she bounces back with a grin on her face and so much energy I seriously wish I could bottle the stuff.”
His chest gave a funny thump at the way her face lit up when she talked about her daughter. “How old is she?”
