Page 40 of Demanding Mob Boss

"Why?"

"He's kind. When my friends wanted me to quit my job, he talked to them for me."

"Cian spoke to your friends on your behalf?" Mrs. Doyle sounds like she's choking on something.

"He did. And he got Mrs. Hart and Ini and me new, safer doors for our apartments." I don’t tell her that her son makes everything less overwhelming. She'll think I'm weird like my family does and I want Mrs. Doyle to like me.

"That didn't upset them, these friends of yours, that my son just showed up out of the blue to talk to them?"

"Mrs. Hart said she was scared at first, but they had tea together and she doesn't try to talk me into quitting anymore."

"Why did your friends want you to quit?"

"Because your son is a mob boss."

The elevator doors open and we step out into the lobby.

Mrs. Doyle grabs my arm and I try hard not to jerk away, but it feels like ants are crawling on my skin. "My son told you that?" she demands.

"Mrs. Hart told me." I hurry to get in the line for coffee, pulling my arm from her grip.

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion upstairs," Mrs. Doyle says when she joins me.

I take a step sideways, creating more distance between us. "Okay."

We get her coffee. She offers to get me something, but I decline. I don't drink caffeinated beverages. My stomach growls when we reach the cashier though and she insists on getting me a sandwich. I end with a bottle of water as well. She gets several more sandwiches and bottles of water forher boys.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You should have a scone. It will help soak up the acid from the coffee and your stress," I tell her and then snap my mouth shut.

She probably doesn’t want my advice.

But she adds a scone to the order and changes her coffee to a hot tea.

The elevator is crowded and if I were alone, I would wait for the next empty car, but I'm not. So, I force myself to cram into the mass of people in the tiny box. I'm jostled from all sides but the front, where Mrs. Doyle stands. Sully is in front of her and creates some kind of invisible bubble around her so people aren't pressing into Cian's mom.

I wish I could create magic space bubbles like that.

Chapter 13

ANNA

By the time we reach the ninth floor, I want to crawl out of my own skin. I need a shower. Too many people touched me. I can still feel them.

Cian isn't there when we get into the waiting room. I'm glad his sister's visit is going well, but I want to see him.

Maybe I should have taken Lachlan up on the offer of sending me home. Cian probably doesn't need me. Why would he? He has his mom here and his men.

Lachlan comes into the room looking like thunder. Mrs. Doyle tries to get him to eat a sandwich, but he brusquely refuses and I rethink asking him for a ride home.

"I'll just join Cian in Shea's room, then," Mrs. Doyle says after Lachlan leaves. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Anna. I only wish it hadn't been on such a terrible day for all of us."

I nod and manage not to jump away when she hugs me. I even put my arms around her and squeeze back a little. When she lets go, I sag into the nearest chair. The men are back at their posts, eating their sandwiches and watching. For what? Maybe they think whoever hurt Shea will come to the hospital and try to hurt Mrs. Doyle? Or even Shea again.

Do they think what happened to Shea is because of her connection to the mob? Only things like that happen on college campuses. Fraternity parties are big on alcohol and low on security. My oldest cousin used to brag about how many drunk girls he banged when his frat hosted parties.

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