Page 65 of Broken Pawn

"Thinking about something, boss?"

I was indeed thinking ofsomething. Sean Mullen had a long-standing grudge against me. Everyone knew the only reason he hadn't attacked until now was because the Mullens were a much smaller family than the Levines. It made no sense unless there was something else going on.

"Something isn't right. They need the support of someone else, another family. They couldn't have been that callous to move on us like that," I told him.

Tristan remained silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I'll make inquiries."

I returned my attention to Vanessa, who was looking sad. I kissed her lips, hoping she'd smile, but she didn't.

"I'm sorry about everything," she said.

"Nonsense," I said, dismissing her apology. "It wasn'tyour fault. This is something I started."

"No," Vanessa replied. I could tell she had something else she wanted to say.

"What is it?" I turned to face her, her hands in mine, urging her to speak to me.

"I didn't thinkit was important to tell you this at the time, but…" Vanessa began, hesitant to finish her statement.

"Tell me what?" I asked. I wasn't worried. Kneeling on the bed with her, I ran through the worst-case scenarios in my head, concluding that there was nothing she could have told me that would have angered me at the time. I was happywith her.

If she had a boyfriend, I knew I could easily scare him away without causing Vanessa any harm.

"Vanessa?" I called her name, but she remained hesitant.

My phone rang again, and her confession was saved. I didn't reach for itand instead waited for her.

"It's Tristan. You should take that," she said to me.

"Tristan,” I said.

“The Mullen family are not making a move on us,” I heard him say. “There have been no talks about it," he informed me.

"They know they are at a disadvantage now, having let us escape yesterday. It isn't a mistake we should allow them forget," I assured Tristan.

"No problem, boss. I'll be assemblingmore trustworthy men. We're readywhenever you are," Tristan responded confidently.

His competence always reassured me and served as a safety net on which I could always rely. I ended the call with him, just as worried as I had been minutes before. Who was associated with the Mullens? I was perplexed. Since taking over as don after my late brother Paul, I'd gained both enemies and supporters. It was difficult to predict when and how an attack would occur if I didn't know who was targeting my family.

I made mental lists and crossed them off based on the likelihood of said enemies being bold enough to attack.I barely had any family names left on my list.

"It'll be fine," Vanessa assured me. I nodded, but I knew it would not be. There would be war, either from the Mullen family or from other families who saw an opportunity to attack and seize our territory for themselves.

"It will be," I reassured her before recalling where we had left off. "What was it you wishedto tell mebefore?"

I knew the news was bad when Vanessa sank onto her bottom.

"I didn't want to tell you earlier because I didn't think it mattered…" she began, pausing to gauge my reaction, but I gave none, "and I was afraid you wouldn't let her go if you knew."

"Who? Your friend?" I asked, unsure of who she was referring to.

"She is affiliated with aRobinson Mafia family. Her father is employed by them. I believe they mighthave a grudge," she said.

I was astounded beyond belief. Vanessa had always appeared to be the innocent damsel in distress, andeven though I knew she was intelligent, I had not expected lies.

You didkidnap her,I reminded myself, but lying next to her, I knew she could see how much we had grown closer since her early dates at the mansion as much as I could. She had even stopped asking to be set free and was enjoying herself and the sex.

Nonetheless, she had kept that secret from me all along. She'd known her friend would bring help along with her.

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