Page 23 of King of Temptation

“That bastard.” Head tilting to the side, Aria studied her with eyes that seemed far too sharp, too knowing for Goldie’s comfort. “Do you want him to text you?”

“I think so. Which is probably stupid. I mean, who wants to actually get involved with a mob boss?” Goldie winced. “Shit, no offense.”

“None taken. And technically Brody is Killian’s number two which would make him something like a consigliere if they were Italian, but I don’t know if they actually have a term for it. But I do understand having those conflicting feelings. Do you want my advice?”

“Why do you think I invited you to my inner sanctum?”

“Fair enough,” Aria said with a quick laugh before she sobered, looking more serious than Goldie had ever seen her. “So here’s the thing. Selfishly, I’d love nothing more than to have you become part of the family. But I couldn’t live with myself if I wasn’t completely honest with you. Brody, for all his bossy, dickish ways, was right when he said real life isn’t like your books. It’s dangerous and bloody and heartbreaking. And while I wouldn’t trade the life I have with Killian now for anything, I can’t say it’s the life I would have chosen for myself or my child if I’d known who he was the first time we met. So I guess what I’m saying is just… be careful. Don’t go rushing into this blindly.”

There was something about hearing the truth so bluntly from an O’Rourke bride that hit differently than being warned off by Brody. The latter she could brush off, convince herself he was just being an overbearing asshole.

But Aria had no reason to scare her off. More than that, though, there was something in her eyes, a haunted look that hadn’t been there the first time they’d met that told Goldie she really had seen some things she wished she hadn’t.

And it was that look more than anything that had Goldie nodding in agreement.

“Okay. Yeah, I’ll be careful.”

Brody

* * *

As much as he loathed the idea of not having eyes on Goldie personally, he had to settle for putting her under the watchful eye of one of their men so he could head to Killian’s.

He found his cousin where he expected to, holed up in his office, poring over some report or another with a scowl on his face that told Brody whatever he was looking at wasn’t making him happy. “Bad news?”

“Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t just keep to the illegal shit,” Killian muttered. “The profit margins are certainly better.”

“Maybe. But we all sleep better knowing we’re going legit.”

“Except for Reagan.”

Dropping into one of the plush visitor’s chairs opposite Killian’s desk, Brody frowned. “Still?”

“Still.” With a sigh Brody knew came from his very soul, Killian leaned back in his chair and scrubbed a hand over his face. “And I think it’s gotten worse since we learned Richard Williams killed our parents. Some nights are better than others, but Aria hasn’t been sleeping all that well because of the baby and more often than not Reagan is up with her.”

“Well, hopefully taking care of Williams will give her some peace.”

“Hopefully.” One dark brow raising, Killian raked his gaze over Brody, the corners of his lips twitching. “But I assume you aren’t here to discuss my sister’s insomnia.”

“I’m not. Your wife is on her way home and I wanted to be here to watch the fireworks.”

Even that small hint of amusement fled his cousin’s expression. “I swear I’m going to be fully gray by the time the baby arrives. What was she up to?”

“She met up with the menace.”

“Jesus, that’s just what we need, the two of them conspiring. Did you happen to catch any of what they were talking about?”

“No. They grabbed food from Rev and Roll then went back to Goldie’s apartment.” He didn’t add that he’d sat and watched them for another hour from his hidey-hole across the street. There were some things his cousin didn’t need to know.

“So what I’m hearing is that you did not, in fact, succeed in scaring off your little menace last night.”

The memory of Goldie, her pink bottom draped over his knee while he finger-fucked her to a screaming orgasm popped into his mind. “I suppose I didn’t.”

“Is she going to be a problem for us, Brody?”

He wanted to say no. The O’Rourke name didn’t strike fear into the hearts of even the most hardened criminals for no good reason, and despite his commitment to shedding the less savory aspects of their empire, Killian was a significant part of that reputation.

But he’d never in his life lied to any of his cousins, especially where the family business was concerned, and he wasn’t about to start now. “Maybe. Her father’s a cop.”