Page 46 of Nolan (The Doherty Mafia)
The truth was, there was no hope. Nolan would believe me.
I heard Reese’s voice at the door. Nolan kept his voice low, like he’d tried to avoid me overhearing their conversation, but Reese seemed insistent about coming into the apartment.
“Are you trying to hide something from me, Nolan?” By now, her voice was raised.
“I’ll drop by the cabin later and we can talk, okay?”
“There are some things we need to talk about right now. Why won’t you let me come in?” Reese was quite capable of holding her own.
I knew Nolan wasn’t going to hold her away for very long. She eventually pushed her way through into the apartment and her eyes immediately fell on me. I was tied up and sitting in the middle of the living room and she looked completely shocked when she saw me.
“What the hell is going on?” she squeaked.
I said nothing, just like I’d been instructed not to. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved to see her; there wasn’t much she could have done about the situation since I knew she’d always be loyal to the Dohertys—no matter how much we’d bonded in our short span of friendship.
Nolan slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Amelia is a mole. She’s been working for Aldo this whole time. I nabbed her outside his hideout. She’d been in a meeting with him.” Nolan’s voice was snarly and bitter. I heard how much hatred and rage bubbled inside him. He hated me and he hated himself for falling for me. Tears filled my eyes, and they weren’t for myself. I hated seeing him like this…when we’d come so close to something like happiness.
Reese was in complete disbelief. Her mouth hung open, and she placed a hand protectively on her belly like she needed to protect her unborn child from me. I couldn’t blame her. Nobody in the Doherty family would ever trust me again. Not even Reese who would have always taken my side if given the opportunity. But I’d squandered all my opportunities already.
“So what are you going to do now?” Reese asked in a hollow voice, turning to Nolan.
He rubbed a hand angrily over his face.
“I’m going to make her regret every decision she’s made. Aldo is never going to see her again, and she is…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.
Was he talking about ending my life? Would he actually do that? Kill me?
I shuddered and looked away. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I should’ve never messed with the mafia.
“Okay, we need to all take a breather here, and calm down and think,” Reese said, suddenly taking charge of the situation.
“Is that what you’d tell Killian if he was here? What do you think he will do when he finds out about this?” Nolan growled, narrowing his eyes accusingly at his sister-in-law.
Reese stroked her belly protectively again.
“Yes, I’d tell him to calm down and think too. I’m sure there’s an explanation for Amelia’s actions. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this war, it’s that things are rarely what they look on the outside.”
Nolan turned to face me directly. His arms were crossed over his wide muscular chest.
“Have you been working on Aldo and spying on us in the meantime?” he asked.
I’d been silent so far, and I clung to a few more moments of silence, but I knew I’d have to give them an answer eventually. Nolan already knew it, but Reese looked hopeful.
“Yes,” was all I could say. It was the truth. I didn’t need to elaborate.
Reese sighed deeply, like she was utterly disappointed, while Nolan whipped away from me.
“There are no other explanations here. She needs to pay for what she’s done. Aldo would make any of our moles pay.”
The tears streamed freely down my cheeks. With my hands tied up, there was no way for me to avoid them or wipe them away. Reese looked sorry for me, but I knew she wouldn’t actually do anything to save my life. She wouldn’t betray the Dohertys like I had.
The silence in the room was chilling. We were all thinking…
Finally, Reese spoke again.
“I came here to speak with you, Nolan, and I hoped to speak to you in private because this is kind of important. But I’ll say it in front of Amelia now, since our circumstances have changed.”
Nolan seemed disinterested. He went back to staring out of the window.
“Ever since I met you, Amelia,” Reese turned her attention to me, walking towards me slowly. “I couldn’t get one crazy thought out of my head. I tried to dismiss it at first, telling myself it had to be my imagination, but now that I know what I know, it all makes sense.”
I stared at her, confused by everything she said. What could she possibly have uncovered about me that I wasn’t aware of? It seemed like she had a big secret to tell me.
