Page 69 of Accidentally Mine
I took a deep breath and let it out.I knew Claudia’s opinion, but I trusted her to trust my own judgement, as much as she babied me.“She was the woman.The woman who saved me.”
Claudia’s eyes widened before filling with rage.“You mean she was the one who almost killed you and left you to die?Oh, my god!”She clenched her teeth and ripped her napkin off her lap.“Are you kidding me?You knew that, and you still wanted to date her?”
“I’d had my suspicions, but I didn’t know it for sure until right at that moment, in the limo, when I saw the way she reacted when you said she should go to jail.”
She pressed her lips together.“Right.I did say that.”She pounded the table again.“I still think she should.Oh, my god, baby brother.She’s a criminal.Why didn’t you turn her in?”
I gave her aget-reallook over my menu.“What would you say if you knew she was running away from someone that night?Someone who was trying to kill her?”
Claudia smoothed her napkin over her lap again, and her eyes snapped to mine.“Was she?”
“An ex-boyfriend.In the mafia,” I said, nodding.“That’s why she’s keeping her distance from me.She’s afraid that this ex will find her again.And she doesn’t want to get involved with someone else and complicate things.”
“Holy shit,” Claudia said, her face paling.“Are you serious?”
I nodded.
Claudia hugged herself, and questions started bubbling out.Once Claudia got started with questions, she usually didn’t stop.“God, she must be so scared.Who is this asshole?If she ran away, why did she come back?”
“Anthony Markin, and he was arrested after my accident but is due to be released any day now.I think she came back because her father died, and she needed to settle his affairs then learned that her aunt was sick.”I shrugged.“Again, I don’t know any of this for sure.Just what I’ve pieced together.”
Claudia clutched at her heart.“Ugh.Who knew a girl who looked so angelic could be hidingthat?And he’s mafia?Really?How did she ever get involved with a guy like that?”
I hitched my shoulders.“Don’t know.All I know is she grew up here, but I think he threatened her, and she felt like she had to leave.She’s been in hiding, I guess.Like I said, she’s been closing me off.She feels like she has to go before that guy gets out.I want to help her, but I don’t want to push her.She’s been through enough.”
“Push her?”Claudia sighed.“You should stay away from her, baby brother.If she has mafia on her, and you get involved, don’t you think you could end up their next target?”
The hair stood up on the back of my neck.There was noif.She absolutely had mafia after her.
“Forget me.If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.It’s easy for me to be selfish and want her to stay, but I want her to be safe, first.So if she thinks the only way she can be is by leaving, then I guess she leaves.What I want her to know is that I’ll do anything to help her with that.”
Claudia leaned forward, raising her eyebrow suspiciously.“Even leaving with her?”
Leave with Roselynn.Protect her.Love her.
I met my sister’s gaze and nodded.“Yeah.I’d do anything.”
She closed her eyes.“No!How could you?Your company is here.Your life.You can’t just leave with her and be fugitives on the run like that.Brent!”She dropped her hands on the table with a crash.“Please.Promise me you won’t just up and leave with her like that.”
I threw up my hands.I wasn’t about to promise anything.But yes, if it came to that, if Roselynn took me into her confidence and told me she wanted me with her, I’d have a fucking hard time looking into those turquoise eyes and saying no.To just about anything.
“Look.We have time.Her boyfriend’s sentence was overturned, but he’s being held for the moment on new charges.Somebody got smart.Right now, I’m letting her work out the things with her father’s estate before I talk to her.”
“Can’t the police do anything?Your friend, Kyle?”
I shook my head.“Kyle will arrest her for leaving the scene of an accident.Then the mob really will know where to find her.”
“God,” Claudia said, shaking her head.If I knew Claudia, she was replaying every last thing she’d done in Roselynn’s presence and feeling guilty for judging her.Claudia was a soft heart and wanted everyone to like her.“I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a long drink of my water.“Hopefully, you’ll never have to be.”
She pouted and looked down at her menu.“Well, I’ve lost my appetite.Why couldn’t you just find a nice, normal uncomplicated girl to date?”
I snorted.“Now, what fun would that be?”
20
Roselynn
