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Mia sighs. “Ever since he managed to defy death and got over his cancer, he’s been worse than ever. It’s like he believes he’s a God because the doctors all told him he was terminal.”
I nod as Mom mentioned he’d had a pretty serious cancer scare before they met. “It must have been hard on you, thinking he would die.”
She nods. “I’m not going to lie. It was. We didn’t think Dad would pull through.” There’s a tense silence between us before Mia grabs my hand and squeezes. “If you need a friend, I’m happy to meet for coffee or have a meal together. Whatever you want. And don’t forget our shopping trip. I need a prior warning to ensure I have a babysitter for Ronan, or we can do it when he’s at preschool.” She draws in a deep breath. “It sucks that Camilla is so far away, living in fucking Maine. She has her hands full, though, with her twin baby girls, Avery and Callie.”
Out of the siblings, Mia is by far my favorite. “That would be good. All of my friends are so far away.”
Mia sighs. “It must have been tough moving here.” Her brow furrows. “But you’re twenty-one. Why didn’t you stay?”
“My mom made it impossible.”
“How?” she asks.
I swallow hard. “I self-published my first novel a few years ago, and it does quite well. We had little money, so Mom took control of my bank account. I have no way of accessing it.”
“That’s just wrong.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “Now that she’s married, surely she can give you the money back, and you could live wherever you want, right?”
“You’d think it was that simple.” I sigh. “She told me your dad will force me into an arranged marriage.”
Mia rolls her eyes. “God, Dad really can’t drop this arranged marriage shit. Tell them to shove it up their asses.”
I laugh. “I wish I had the guts to say that to your dad. He’s pretty intimidating.”
“Hmm, I guess he might be to someone who doesn’t know him.” She shrugs. “I’m used to him.”
I clear my throat. “Speaking of your dad, what exactly does the Morrone family do for a living?”
Mia gives me a look that worries me. “You don’t want to know the details. Crime. That’s all you need to know.”
I don’t push, as I don’t know Mia at all. “Fair enough. And your husband, too, right?”
She nods, a soft smile on her lips. “Yes, Killian is the brother of the leader of the Irish mob in Chicago.”
“And it doesn’t worry you?”
“Worry me how?”
I press my lips together. “The danger to you and your loved ones.”
She frowns. “I’ve grown up around it, so it seems normal.”
“Fair enough. How old is your son?”
Her face lights up. “Ronan is three years old. He’s at preschool right now.” She glances around the shelves. “It’s why I rushed over here to come and get a few books and return these.” She holds up a couple of romance novels, both I’ve read.
“How did you find them?”
Her brow furrows. “Good, but a little...”
“Too cutesy?” I suggest.
She nods. “Yeah, I think I need a thriller or something now.”
I get up and search the bookshelves. “With romance or without?”
Mia’s brow furrows. “Not sure.”
“Verity is a good book. It’s a thriller, but romance elements are mixed in.” I pull it off the shelf and give it to her.
