Page 54 of Dirty Padraig: Dirty Dusters

She places a manicured finger on my chest before dragging its blood-red tip slowly down to the top of my sweatpants.

“And speaking of fools, I wonder what ever happened to Molly. One minute, she was Eoin’s fiancée, and the next minute, she was replaced by Jaine. She seems to have vanished into thin air. It’s all a little suspicious, don’t you think?” She raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow at me before removing her finger, turning, and walking toward the door. “Think about it, husband.” She calls over her shoulder. “You know Luciano doesn’t appreciate it when his plans are thwarted. It will just see him take his bad mood out on the unfortunate people you tried so hard to protect.”

“If I agree to do this, then in return, I want an annulment on the basis that the marriage was forced.”

“We’ll see.” She turns and smirks before opening the door and leaving.

* * *

“Sophia wantsme to get her pregnant.” I lean back on the sectional and stare into space, my phone balanced against my ear.

Fuck. My. Life.

“Isn’t that traditionally the next step, Paddy? You court, you marry, you procreate, and your children repeat the process to continue the family line.”

“I don’t want to taint our blood with theirs. Theirs is toxic.”

“Well, since we’re mobsters, I’m not sure ours is much better.”

“We have values, Dylan. We treat our people fairly. The Ruoccos have no values. They simply trample over others to get what they want.”

“What do you mean?”

“They talk down to their people, humiliate them, and torture them emotionally and physically just because they can. I witnessed it with my own eyes. I half-expected Luciano to mistreat them, but I witnessed my own wife behaving in the same manner and, in many instances, toward innocent young children.

“I don’t want to be bringing a little one into the world and have them raised to behave that way toward others. Trust me, as much as the child would be an O’Connell in name, that loathsome pair would ensure it has the heart of a Ruocco.”

“But how will you be able to stop her from getting pregnant? She just has to stop taking birth control. Unless you’re going to insist on wearing a rubber.”

“I’ve never consummated the marriage,” I mumble the admittance.

A pause.

“Did I hear you right? Did you say you’ve never touched your wife intimately since you married?” He sounds shocked.

“That’s exactly what I said, Dyl.”

“Jesus Christ. I mean, not that your sex life was front and center in our family discussions, but we all assumed that Luciano would have insisted on you getting your dick wet. That he would have held a gun to your head if you’d even attempted to resist his little sister’s advances.”

It’s time for me to admit the truth. If I can’t tell, Dyl, who can I tell?

“Between you and me, mine and Sophia’s marriage is in name only.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s all a front. We don’t even live together. As for Luc, he wasn’t bothered. I was simply a trophy husband—someone who could give him access to a strong alliance. When we were out of sight and mind in Sicily, it didn’t matter because no one was to know. I’m guessing now we’ve returned to New York, questions are being asked. Why Sophia and I aren’t being seen out and about together? Why we’ve not taken things to the next stage? After twelve months, most would have expected her to return with a babe in arms or at least be heavily pregnant.

“As we know, most factions are family-run businesses. With Luciano unmarried and Sophia and I estranged, it doesn’t promote the right image to entice family-minded members to sign on the dotted line of their new organization, hence why I’m now being put under pressure.”

There’s a pause as he digests everything.

“But how will you get out of… you know… having to perform?”

“I’ve offered Sophia my own personal fortune in exchange for an annulment.”

He lets out a low whistle. “That’s a hefty price to pay.”

“My freedom is priceless, Dyl.”

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