Page 23 of Demanding Mob Boss

Mrs. Hart is scared of me as it is. She doesn't need to know that I've got no compunction about getting rid of obstacles, whatever and whoever they are, in whatever way I need to. She can probably guess though. She is the one that told Anna that I'm a mob boss.

"Are you planning to have one of these little chats with Ini?" Mrs. Hart sips her tea and watches me over the rim of the mug.

"Yes."

"Does Anna know you are here?"

"Yes." I already told her that. Maybe she didn't believe me. "Would you like to call her and confirm that?"

"I would."

I just wait. And she realizes I'm not going to stop her making the call, so she does. I only hear Mrs. Hart's side of the conversation.

"Mr. Doyle is here."

Anna speaks.

"No apologies necessary, dear. Ini and I should have realized how important it is to you that you found a place to work where you are comfortable."

Anna says something else, and the old woman laughs.

"Plenty of people work for the mob that aren't criminals, dear. Don't you let it bother you." She gives me a long look and then says, "I think your boss is sweet on you. Are you comfortable with that?"

I don't know what Anna says, but Mrs. Hart's expression turns pained. "You're a very special girl, Anna. Loving and sweet. Any man would be lucky if you returned his interest." She gives me a glare. "And any man worth having you will wait until you're ready."

They hang up.

"Don't you hurt her, Mr. Doyle. She deserves to be happy and as much as it pains me to say, working for you seems to make her that way."

I've already told the woman that I will not hurt Anna, so I don't reply. We drink our tea in silence until the construction team shows up.

I leave them with Mrs. Hart after giving instructions to replace the door on Anna and Ini's apartment as well. "Leave the keys with Mrs. Hart."

"You're not keeping one of the keys for yourself?" she asks with surprise.

"No." I've installed the camera I wanted to here in Mrs. Hart's kitchen already, while she was talking to my men about the new door. They let her pick the color. "But I suggest you give each other keys in case of an emergency."

"You don't mind not having one in that case?" she asks.

"If Anna is in danger, a steel door won't stop me." The walls around the door are made of wood and plaster.

"Why does her safety matter so much to you?"

I don't have an answer for her, so I don't bother replying.

My conversation with her roommate goes pretty much the same, except I don't have to kick down any doors at the pet store where she works.

It's a good thing that Anna's happiness and safety are both her friends' main concerns. Ini didn't like that Anna reverted to her rhyme at home. When I told her she doesn't do it in the office, that cinched it for the other woman.

Chapter 8

ANNA

It takes Cian two hours and twenty-seven minutes to get back after he leaves to talk to Ini and Mrs. Hart. Both of my friends called me while he was there to confirm I knew he planned to talk to them. It was weird.

Why on earth would a president of a multinational company show up if he hadn't been asked to? I mean, I'm not sure why he's so willing to make things better for me, but I’m glad he is. Mrs. Hart thinks Cian is sweet on me.

I want it to be true so badly I cannot allow myself to believe it because I will be devastated if it's not true. Better not to hope than to hope and hurt. I learned that when my parents died. Neither died at the site of the crash; both passed in the hospital.

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