Page 49 of Crazed

"Hopefully all good," I attempt to joke, but it falls flat. There's no secret he doesn't trust me and believes I'm working for the Abruzzos.

I kind of am.

No, Leo is forcing me.

It still makes his assumptions about me correct.

In a dry tone, Angelo states, "Yes. It seems you have my son wrapped around your finger."

"Papà," Massimo groans.

Angelo locks eyes with him. "Do you want to deny your feelings for this woman?"

"Of course not," Massimo states.

"Well then..." Angelo shrugs then finishes the last bit of alcohol in his tumbler.

"Katiya and I were just leaving," Massimo adds.

Surprise fills Angelo's face. "Oh? Why would you leave your own party? Is something wrong?" he challenges, addressing me.

"I'm the one deciding to leave, not Katiya," Massimo clarifies.

Angelo puts his arm around my shoulder, forcing me to step away from the protection of Massimo's grasp. Angelo sweeps me forward, asserting, "Come, Katiya. Meet the rest of the family. After all, if you're in Massimo's life, you should know who you're dealing with, don't you think?"

My stomach spins, and my skin crawls. Everything about his statement feels like a threat. I don't answer, unsure if he's actually looking for a response. Either way, what would I even say?

"Papà!" Massimo reprimands, staying close on my heels.

Angelo ignores him and leads me to the corner. He motions to each man, introducing them. "This is my son-in-law Killian. And these are my sons Dante and Tristano." He glances around the room. "Where did Gianni run off to?"

"He's with Cara," Massimo states.

"Lass, nice to meet you. What's your name?" Killian questions, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

My insides suddenly feel like a roller coaster. They dive again. Massimo's brothers scowl as I reply, "My name is Katiya."

"She's the librarian," Dante interjects.

My roller coaster drops again.

Killian's smile falls. His eyes grow wider. The green glows hotter, and he pins them on Massimo. "Tell me she's notthatlibrarian."

Massimo protectively tugs me into his body. In a firm voice, he insists, "She isn't responsible for what happened to Arianna."

Red burns Killian's cheeks. He looks at me and accuses, "You gave Donato access to that room where he held my wife hostage, didn't you?"

My throat turns dry. I swallow, and it feels like it's cracking. "I-I—"

"Had no idea what he was going to do. And she wasn't working the night he kidnapped our sister," Massimo defends.

Killian's scowl doesn't fade. He shakes his head at Massimo, steps back, then says, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure my wife is okay."

"Killian," Massimo says, reaching for his shoulder.

"Don't," Killian warns, shaking him off.

All three Marinos glare at me. The air in my lungs turns stale. I blurt out, "I swear I didn't know what Donato would do! And Massimo is right. I wasn't there that night! It was after hours when he took her inside."

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