Page 45 of Unwilling Vow (Mafia Marriages 4)

Caruso isn’t a kind or generous man.

I have to hope that Jace can and will forgive me.

“Care to give me any explanation at all?” Jace’s eyes are wide as he pins me with his gaze. He’s waiting for me to say something.

Shock.

It’s the only rational thought that explains why I’ve lost my voice. My heart is pounding wildly. Fear pulsates through me, mixed with a heavy rush of adrenaline.

Is he going to kick me out, force me to be homeless like I’d been before I met him?

I wouldn’t blame him. He deserves to kick me out. Maybe I should suggest that I leave. Wouldn’t that be better? Then, Caruso can’t keep hounding me for information. I can’t give him what I don’t have access to.

“You’ll be angry with me,” I rasp. It takes every ounce of strength to speak the truth.

His gaze is intense, stern. It makes me uncomfortable.

I drop my focus down to the floor. It’s easier not to meet his harsh stare. He grabs my chin and juts it up, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“Explain!” His words are sharp.

A shiver courses through me.

“Luka Caruso,” I whisper the words.

Does he know of the mobster?

Jace is a billionaire. He doesn’t dirty his hands in mafia politics.

“What about him?” Jace sneers.

Is it possible that he’s heard of him? It’s not as though the Caruso’s are a quiet group of mobsters. They rough up neighborhood businesses, force them to pay a protection tax or send their soldiers out to rob the storefronts.

It’s no secret they’re a gangster of trouble.

I exhale a shaky breath, and Jace releases his grip on my chin and my arm, letting me go. He waits for my explanation.

I contemplate running, but how far would I get? I owe him the truth. Maybe he can find a way to protect me if he doesn’t hate me first and hand me over to the authorities for stealing from him.

“I’m waiting.” Jace isn’t the most patient man, especially when it comes to betrayal. He is well within my personal space, and I refrain from taking a step back.

“My ex-husband, John, he borrowed tens of thousands of dollars from the mafia. He took out a loan and never paid it back in full. When John ran off, Luka Caruso kept harassing me for the money. He offered me a payment plan with an exorbitant amount of interest, but if I paid every week, he’d let me live. Six months later, John returns and makes my life even harder. I was managing the payments. I was making ends meet for Austin and myself. But John wanted to come back home. I should never have let him return. He was watching Austin the night of the fire,” I say.

I take in a sharp breath. I won’t elaborate. The memories are still too fresh, too raw.

It’s easier to disassociate. Maybe it’s not healthy, but it’s how I deal with what happened. It’s the only way that I know how.

“John died in the fire. Austin didn’t succumb to his injuries immediately. Instead, he racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills from his burn injuries before he passed. The medical bills kept piling up. The hospital didn’t care that my son and my husband were dead. The mafia didn’t care that I had medical expenses and I couldn’t pay the mortgage. The bank took my house, and the debt collectors took every penny that I earned. There was nothing left for the mafia.”

His tongue darts out and licks the corner of his lips. Jace seems lost in thought. Does he believe me? It’s the truth, everything I’ve said. I’ve never lied to him.

“Luka Caruso is a dangerous man.”

I’m aware of that fact, and it’s why I’m terrified of him. “I know! Do you think I want to be indebted to him?” The man practically owns me. At least he thinks he does. And I can’t just walk away from him. He won’t let me. I’ve tried.

“Did he ask for you to go snooping into my office?” Jace asks. He takes a step back and folds his arms across his chest. His stance, while closed off, is more relaxed than earlier. It’s a strange mixture, like he’s trying to decide something, but I’m not sure what.

“He gave me the flash drive and demanded I copy files from your personal computer.”

There’s no point in lying to him. I’ve already been caught. All I can hope for is his forgiveness, and maybe he can help me out of this mess.

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