Page 37 of Sins of Innocence

He shrugs, like the why doesn't matter, but it does. This man does not strike me as one who trusts easily.

However, no matter how many times I come back around to that, Kieran doesn't give me an answer that makes sense.

I just do is not even a little enlightening.

Then the lightbulb of comprehension flips on in my brain. "You know that if I betrayed you, the underboss would kill me." Just like he did Troy. "And I know it too."

If the fear of Mick Fitzgerald seeing me as a traitor like my husband kept me in New York working for the entitled family from hell for six years, I'm not about to risk overt betrayal and leaving my children orphans.

That's not the same as Kieran trusting me with his secrets because he trusts my integrity and loyalty though.

And I don't know why that should cause a prick of pain in the region of my heart.

Chapter eight

Meeting the Mother-in-Law

WRAITH

Maureen Dougal is a rounder, graying version of her diminutive daughter with a no-nonsense attitude that reminds me of my gran.

We find her in the apartment's living room, knitting while watching a cooking show on television.

"Who's this then?" she asks Áine after the whirling dervishes that are my new daughters hug and greet their grandmother before regaling her with stories of making cookies in a castle's kitchen, eating dinner with their new friends and riding home in a stretch limo.

"It has a refrigerator inside, gran!" Joy informed her. "With juice!"

"There's a cabinet with snacks too," Neeve had offered, not wanting to be left out.

Sadie hadn't commented much on the limo, but she'd been happy to explain that her friend Fitz was the reason they'd been invited to the Long Island mansion.

Memories of why that happened seemed to take hold of her as the girl's eyes grew haunted and she'd grown quiet after that.

I'll get the names of mob approved therapists for Áine as soon as I get back to the Bunker tonight. Tomorrow, I'll be having words with the boys involved in the assault and their parents.

"That's mom's boyfriend," Joy answers her gran before Áine has a chance to.

Neeve asks, "Did you know mom had a boyfriend, gran?"

"We didn't know," Joy informs her.

Sadie takes on the mature mien of the eldest and offers, "His name is Kieran Lleshi."

I've seen Fitz like this with his siblings, like he's another responsible authority figure in the household for the younger children to rely on.

"No, I did not know." Maureen gives Áine a reproving look.

My fiancée's shoulder sag. Her mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

She doesn't want to lie to her mother.

I do it for her, forcing out a more complete explanation than I would have given on my own behalf. "Áine didn't want to introduce me to her family until she knew we were serious." I put my arm across Áine's shoulders, drawing her closer to me. "She's very protective of you all."

Which is one thing I know to be true.

And apparently Maureen does too because the censure in her gaze softens a little. "I understand you not wanting to introduce the girls until you were sure about things, but you should have brought him to meet me before this."

Okay, not so softened.