Page 8 of The Forbidden Secret
“I’m a contractor. I work for whoever hires me, and your sister wasverypersistent about seeing you safe.” Jaimie examined me. “You remind me nothing of her, by the way.”
“My sisters and I all look alike.”
“You don’t act alike,” she retorted. “You don’t have the same chip on your shoulder.”
I wanted to ask what side of Aria she knew, but it didn’t matter—not with everything else at play here.
“Am I free to leave now?”
She glanced between Zeke and me with an unsettled look. “It wouldn’t be recommended.”
I stiffened. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Jaimie has uncovered some interesting information about the man who bought you, and it has… complicated matters.” Zeke leaned over the table, his expression grave. “We had anticipated that he would stop searching for you within a couple days. We had also planned on using some of Giovanni’s forces to see you safely to your location, but that will no longer be possible.”
“Giovanni has connections to Clide Newton that he can’t risk with this rescue mission,” Jaimie added, likely reading the confusion on my face. “He won’t throw you to the wolves, of course, but you will be stuck with only us as protection.”
I thought about what they had told me about the plan. About what was to be done after the three days we spent together. “I thought that after three days, you were just going to send me wherever I wanted to go?”
“Of course not.”
The frustration that bubbled in my chest felt near explosive as I looked between Jaimie and Zeke. I knew it would not end well if I tried to continue this conversation. They had saved me. They didn’t deserve my wrath.
At least Jaimie didn’t.
My frustrations weren’t limited to the fact that I was in this situation. I also could not fathom how there could be so many unknowns about my situation, especially when I had been in hiding for nearly three days, and Jaimie had spent the entire time gathering intel. Didn’t they think it was important to keep me updated? To tell me what their full plan was?
“Zeke failed to mention that I would have an escort,” I said, shooting daggers his way.
“Zeke’s communication skills are subpar at best,” Jaimie replied. Zeke’s smug smile turned into a scowl. “He’s more brute than brains.”
I bit my lip to keep from chuckling at the comment. “I’ve noticed.”
“What the fuck did I do to both of you?” he scolded.
“We had planned on sending you away after three days, giving the situation time to cool down. We were going to send guards with you as a precaution. But Clide seems to have deeper connections than we realized. Mr. Rissi is gathering information about the man, but Clide is a business associate. His influenceruns deep, and Mr. Rissi would be in a lot of trouble if their ties were severed through disloyalty. Usually, he would have thrown his support at this particular situation, but with the threat of Alonzo, he can’t risk weakening his alliances.”
I considered the ongoing feud between my father and Giovanni Rissi.
Both were bosses of the Italian mafia; they had strained relations for years, only worsened by a recent family death that tore apart the sole marital alliance between our people. I kept my head as far out of the mafia world as possible, but I heard the rumors. I heard that the Rissis and the Bianchis were weeks away from a full feud despite my sister Aria trying to reform the alliance by marrying Giovanni Rissi’s nephew.
It did not matter, though.
I had planned on being gone before the situation came to a head.
I didn’t care that my father was a mob boss, nor did I care about the other bosses or associates. I had my own life and never planned to let my family’s situation become a nuisance. After my father had blatantly refused to let my sisters have lives of their own, I knew I would never talk to anyone about my pregnancy or aspirations.
“Can you stay on my protection detail?” I asked Jaimie.
“So keen on getting rid of me?” Zeke asked, leaning across the table.
I ignored him as Jaimie shook her head. “Zeke is newly employed by Mr. Rissi, and I have deep ties to him. I cannot be involved more than I am now.”
“You went with Zeke to get me out,” I reminded her.
“We didn’t know it was Clide when we got you out. We can’t take that kind of risk again unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”
