Page 41 of Nolan (The Doherty Mafia)
“Just spit it the fuck out,” I growled.
“It’s her. Your girl. Amelia Rhodes.”
It sounded so ridiculous to me, I laughed. He had to be kidding me. Was this part of some kind of practical joke the family was pulling on me?
“Amelia? Fuck off. Just fuck right off.” My smile drooped and my voice turned heavy. “This is not funny to me, and it shouldn’t be to you.”
“No, there’s nothing funny about it. Think about it, Nolan. What do you really know about this girl? And now that I think about it, she seemed very curious to find out more about Aldo over dinner. She wanted us to keep talking about him. How did you two meet?”
My mind raced with images and conversations while my brother spoke. I didn’t want to believe it. Amelia was…she couldn’t be working for Aldo. She would’ve despised someone like him. But did I really know her?
All the thoughts running through my head now pointed in the same direction. Colin was right—the circumstances of our meeting were too coincidental for comfort.
“You can’t rule it out, can you? She’s stormed into your life out of nowhere and now she’s settling in, getting invites to family dinners, cozying up to the women in the family especially, who fell for her act.”
“Shut up. Shut the fuck up!” I growled, lunging at him again.
Colin didn’t flinch when I grabbed his collar and shook him.
“She wouldn’t…there’s just no way.”
He placed his hands on mine and peeled them off him.
“Then go see for yourself. Go check up on her. Talk to her. Do whatever the fuck you need to do and figure it out. We may still be able to control the damage if we find this mole fast enough. At least help me rule her out before I have to go to the others with this information.”
He almost looked sorry for me as he walked to the door. This was the last thing I needed. If it was true, it’d be the final nail in my coffin. My family would never be able to trust me or my judgement ever again.
Twenty-One
Amelia
I was absentminded at work, which was my constant state of mind these days. Ever since Aldo came into my life and introduced me to Nolan and the rest of his family.
I couldn’t get any of them off my mind.
From the moment I met Nolan, my life had taken a turn I couldn’t control. I wanted to spend every waking and sleeping moment with him. I wanted him to mend his problem with his family so they’d all be happy together. And against all my better judgement and the stories Aldo had told me, I’d really liked his family.
I couldn’t imagine them being unfair and cruel, of committing the kind of crimes Aldo had spoken about.
So where did that leave me with Aldo?
I had some information he could use—namely, that the Dohertys were very close to finding him and he needed to leave. My warning could be a matter of life and death for him, and a few days ago—I’d have told him already.
But now, I hesitated. If I told Aldo what the Dohertys had told me, then I’d betray their trust. I’d be deceiving Nolan.
But wasn’t Aldo the closest thing to a family that I had? Wouldn’t my mother have wanted me to help him, possibly save his life?
By protecting Nolan and not revealing his family’s plan, wasn’t I choosing a side?
I could barely focus on my work and the others around me noticed. Aldo called me at the opportune moment, just when Ruby came to speak to me. In all likelihood, to ask what was wrong with me. Why I wasn’t being as attentive to the customers as I was supposed to be?
“How are you, my dear?” Aldo sounded calm on the phone.
I stepped out of the salon and pressed my eyes close as I held the phone.
“I’m fine. Listen, Aldo, we need to see each other again. We need to talk,” I said.
“Do you have something for me?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk on the phone.”
“Okay, you think you can find your way here?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there in under an hour.”
I went back into the salon after ending the call. Ruby and the others looked perplexed when I said I needed to leave early. Lately, I’d been slacking and I knew I was walking on thin ice with this job. But what choice did I have?
“I can’t pay you for all the hours you’re missing,” Ruby warned as I rushed out of the salon.
“Yeah, I know, whatever. Right now, I have to go,” I replied and left.
I needed to talk to Aldo myself one more time before I betrayed the whole Doherty family.
Tensions seemed high at Aldo’s hideout.
I was ushered into the house quickly while the men outside looked suspiciously around to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
