Page 10 of Sins of Innocence

I don't hesitate. With a quick move, I interrupt the older woman's momentum and deposit her on her ass on the shiny parquet floor. But I'm careful not to jar her too badly.

She might be a selfish shrew, but she's still a woman.

And a shrieking one when Áine and I step out into a sudden summer shower.

Well, shit.

I shrug out of my suit jacket fast and hold it over Áine's head to stop the rain from soaking her while I guide her to my SUV.

Chapter two

Communicating with the Taciturn

ÁINE

My heart is thudding so hard, it feels like it's going to beat right out of my chest. What is going on?

Have I done something that would make Mick Fitzgerald think I'm disloyal to the mob?

Six months after my husband, Troy, was killed I was approached by the feds with what I thought was a ridiculous story about him being in the mob. Turns out, the story wasn't so farfetched but I didn't learn that until a few days later.

Even if I had known all along, I wouldn’t have told the feds anything. I'm not stupid. I knew turning rat comes with a death sentence and my girls needed me.

Kenneth Shaughnessy found out about my interview with the feds though. That conversation and the ones that followed it aren't anything I want to live through again. Ever.

After terrifying me with the devastating truth about my husband and how Troy died, Kenneth told me that as long as I stayed loyal to the mob, me and the girls would be safe. But if I ever even thought about talking to law enforcement me and my girls would be dead before I could work out a deal for protective custody.

He didn't say that until the second time we spoke, when he was still trying to come off as benevolent, but his callous ruthlessness showed through.

I believed him. I still do.

The mob has local and state police on their payroll as well as federal agents in all of the alphabets. There's no way they wouldn't find out about it.

I told Kenneth we'd move out of New York and the mob would never have to worry about me telling what I didn't know. Heck, I knew a lot more about my husband after that discussion with Kenneth than I had before.

Only Kenneth vetoed that idea fast, saying that moving would be exhibiting a lack of loyalty, something I could and still cannot afford to do.

Proving my loyalty to the mob is why I work as a maid for him and his wife, rather than using my Associate's Degree in Accounting working somewhere else for more money. He said he had to keep an eye on me to be sure I didn't turn rat.

No amount of pleading or promises could convince him I'm not a threat.

Lately, Kenneth has been implying that I need to spread my legs for him to prove my loyalty.

Even the thought of letting that man touch me makes me want to vomit.

So far, I've been able to put him off, but I know I won't be able to forever. What I don't know is if I will be able to tolerate it when the inevitable happens without taking a butcher knife to his nether regions.

Even for the sake of my daughters.

But how can I do anything else? I love every one of my girls more than my own life.

And today, I had to choose between keeping the job that is my only protection and obeying the underboss of the Shaughnessy Mob, the man who killed my husband.

The fact Sadie is waiting at the mansion for me made the choice an easy one, but no less devastating.

Fear is eating my insides like acid.

"What is Mr. Fitzgerald going to do to me?" I ask, unable to help the quaver of fear in my voice.