Page 62 of Arranged Addiction

I hurry through the dark and quiet halls. I need to find somewhere to think, but this place is stifling me. It’s too unfamiliar and strange. There are too many secrets here.

Out front, I find the guard Rian from earlier leaning against a black sedan. He’s reading a newspaper and smoking a cigarette.

“I need a ride,” I tell him, trying to sound as authoritative as I can.

He glances over. “That good with your husband?”

“I’m not asking permission. I’m telling you I need a ride.” My heart’s racing. I don’t know if he’ll go along with this, but I have to try. I’m the boss’s wife now, right?

Even if he is a liar.

“Whatever you need, Mrs. Whelan.” Rian stubs out the cigarette and gestures at the car. “Where are we going?”

Ten minutes later, he drops me in front of my house. I head to the front door and expect him to leave, but instead he’s on the phone and watching me carefully. I decide it’s not worth the fight and head inside.

Home again. Except it’s not home anymore. This is Sheila’s house. I live with my husband, Declan Whelan. And he has known me for much longer than I ever realized.

Some of his offhand comments suddenly make more sense.

I find Aunt Sheila in the kitchen. She’s watching a little TV and cleaning dishes. She smiles when I come into the room and starts drying her hands. “What are you doing here, sweetie? I thought you’d be with your husband getting started on your honeymoon.”

“We need to talk.”

Her smile fades away. Maybe it’s my tone or maybe she’s just been expecting this. She gets out two glasses and pours us both some wine. It’s nice and cold, and I drink it down right away.

She gives me a refill.

“Go ahead. I’m guessing you have some questions.”

I have a million. Sheila sits at the table, looking exhausted.

“What deal did my parents make with Declan’s father?”

She sighs and looks at her drink. “How’d you find out about that?”

“He’s sick and not doing well. He mentioned it in front of me earlier.”

“Declan didn’t want me to talk about that. I told him we should tell you. We should’ve told you the second he came into your life.”

“Told me what?” I feel sick. The nerves and the wine mix to make me dizzy. I sit across from her, sweat trickling down my spine. “What deal did my parents make?”

“Your mom and dad were both players in the underworld. They had big plans. At least I think they did. Your mom never told me much about it and I never asked. It was better that way. Let her live how she wanted and I’d live the way I wanted. But I heard things about how they were getting big and powerful over the years and how they wanted more.”

She idly turns the wine glass around in front of her. I have to hug myself to keep from falling apart. Sheila looks ten years older all of a sudden and so tired. Like she’s finally letting go of something.

“I don’t know the details. Like I said, I wasn’t a part of it. But your parents and Declan’s father made a deal. When you were still little, they offered your hand in marriage to their oldest son, and in exchange, your two families would start to merge. They promised you to him before you ever had a say.”

A cold shiver runs down my spine. “Did he know? All this time?”

“I think so. Hard to say what he knew when he was younger, but definitely he knew after your parents passed and you came to me.”

I feel like someone’s pounding against my skull. “You knew too, didn’t you? When you took me in?”

“Not right away. But one day Declan showed up and he told me about it.”

“He’s twenty years older than me. This is so fucked up. I was a little kid.”

“It’s not like he was involved in your life at all. Trust me, if he was that kind of sick fuck, I would’ve killed him myself. But Declan stayed far away from you, at least until you went to college.”