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He shrugs. “He was a good man. Loyal and trustworthy. Wanted what was best for the family business. He was fair and loved his family more than anything. Before he died, he made us boys promise to take care of our sister but to let her choose the path she wanted. Of course, we would have let her either way. Just because she was born into the mafia doesn’t mean she has to stay on that path. It’s different for the men.”
“How so?”
“To us, women are gifts to this world. They aren’t pawns or things we use for negotiations like some other families. Men born into the mafia are expected to follow that path, but for the women, at least in our family, the only requirement is that they let us protect them.”
I stare at him for a long moment, shocked. “What planet did you guys come from? I don’t understand how a mafia family can be more reasonable about things than my own father.”
His eyes darken, and his jaw clenches. “Your father is a piece of garbage. Sorry to say it, baby.”
Normally, I would try to make excuses, but I have none. After our conversation today, I think my eyes are finally wide open to the person he is. I wish it had happened sooner. Maybe it would have saved some unnecessary pain over the years.
“He called me today,” I whisper.
Bash glances over at me for a brief second before he looks back to the road. “What did he say?”
“He said you and Kieran went to see him.” When he doesn’t reply, I keep going. “He told me Bradley isn’t a bad man. He just made a bad choice. Then he told me I was no longer his daughter, to never contact him again, and he hung up on me.”
He lets out a string of words in Gaelic, and based on his tone, they weren’t nice ones. When he reaches over and takes my hand in his, he gives it a gentle squeeze. “He doesn’t deserve you, Chloe. He never did. You belong with us now. You always have, but we’re going to take care of you from now on. Understand?”
The lump in my throat is too thick for me to say anything, so I nod. We stay silent for the remainder of the drive. When he pulls into his garage and the door slides down, closing us into his space, my tummy tightens with anticipation. I have a feeling that after tonight, there’s no turning back.
I reach for the latch to get out of the car, but Bash lets out a low growl, stopping me in my tracks.
“Don’t even think about opening your own door, Little girl.”
My mouth falls open as he gets out and rounds the front to my side. When he opens the door and holds out his hand for me, I shake my head at him, but I can’t stop my smile. He’s so bossy and overbearing, and I love it. I probably won’t always love it, but I’ve never been treated like this by a man. Like I’m precious.
He escorts me into the house, and I look around in awe. All six of the top men, including Bash and my brother, live on one gigantic estate but each has their own mansions. Declan’s is the biggest because it holds all the offices and who knows what else. They’re all spread out, so there’s some level of privacy for the men. I have no idea how they were able to get their hands on such a huge piece of property this close to the city, but I suppose mafia influence can go a long way when it comes to getting what you want. My understanding is that the estate has been here for several generations, so maybe it was before Seattle became a huge metropolitan area.
The dim lights reflect off creamy walls. A cluster of black sculptures perch over the fireplace. As we pass through a living room that smells like Bash’s citrus cologne, I run my hand along the back of the enormous couch and picture him sitting here, watching TV. I want to be part of that. To curl up on his lap.
When he leads me to the foyer and a grand staircase, I can’t help but wonder whether he gets lonely here. Even though it’s cozy and welcoming, it’s so big. I’d think it would feel like living in a museum. Then again, I’m pretty sure the men spend most of their time at Declan’s. They’re a tight group.
“Do you want some dessert or wine before we go up?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m still so full from eating all of my dinner and some of yours.”
He chuckles and places his hand on my lower back. “It pleases me to see you eat. If we hadn’t been at a restaurant, I would have had you on my lap and fed you myself.”
My nipples harden at the thought. I want to experience that. In fact, I think I’d like to eat every meal on Bash’s lap.
“Come on, baby girl.” He leads me up the stairs. “Hold the railing so you don’t fall.”
My eyebrows lift, but as soon as I meet his gaze, I realize he’s not joking. Not even a little bit. So, I reach out and grab onto it.
“Good girl.”
My heart rate goes wild. How can two simple words catch me by such surprise? I want to do whatever it takes to keep hearing them.
We go down a long hallway to a set of double doors. He pushes them open, and I nearly gasp. His bedroom is larger than my entire townhouse. My feet sink into the plush carpet, and I can’t wait to take off my shoes to feel it between my toes.
“The bathroom is in there. Closet is over there. We should have stopped at your place to get your pajamas and duck.”
I grimace and swallow. He’s seen Quackers, but I’d hoped he’d forgotten about my stuffed toy. My eyes lower to the floor, and in an instant, he’s in front of me, gripping my chin to lift it.
“Look at me, Chloe.” He waits until I meet his piercing gaze. “Don’t be embarrassed, do you understand me? I love the innocent side of you. I love that you have a stuffie, that you make miniature dollhouses, and that you wear adorable dresses. I’m a Daddy Dom. I like that shit. So don’t ever feel embarrassed. I’m going to buy you a lot more stuffed animals and little dollhouses and shit like that.”
“You don’t think it’s weird?”
