Page 95 of Arranged Addiction

“I always knew we’d end up here, but I never pictured it would look like this.” She smiles to herself and stares out into the night.

“Really? You knew a crazy murderer would try to burn down your house?”

“Well, that part was a nice surprise.”

I laugh and shake my head. “I’m not sure ifniceis really the right word.”

“Okay, good point. I didn’t think we’d end up here like this, but I knew Declan would get his way with you sooner or later.”

“Do you think it’s a bad thing?”

“I wasn’t sure what to think at first. Declan’s very… intense.”

“You’re really good at using all the wrong words tonight.”

“You know what I’m trying to say. Declan comes off like he’s a controlling asshole without any substance, but…” She trails off with a slight frown.

“But there’s more beneath the surface.”

“It’s the pressure his family puts on him, I think, but I don’t know the man well enough to say.”

She’s right about that. Declan’s been the heir to his family’s empire for a very long time, and that has molded him into a certain shape. While his younger brothers all have a kind of selfish streak to them, doing whatever they want and living however they see fit, Declan has been steady. That’s what they expect, and that’s what he lives up to.

But there’s a whole ocean underneath his skin. There’s more emotion in that man than he lets on. I think the longer we’re together, the more likely it is that we’ll finally unlock it all, but I’m still worried about what the weight of this succession battle might do to him.

“That’s the thing with this whole crime world,” Sheila says quietly, shaking her head. “There’s what you see on the surface and there’s everything else. All the lies they tell. All the truths they keep buried away.”

“You told me one time that my parents kept secrets.”

“More than you realize.”

“I was looking into them, and I haven’t been able to find many of their old associates. And those that are still around won’t talk to me.” I don’t mention my little Senesi mistake. That would only upset her. “Do you know why?”

“I have guesses. Nothing concrete.”

“Give me something. I’m getting kind of desperate. If I’m going to help Declan with Senesi, I need everything possible.”

She hesitates, clearly debating something with herself. I’m not sure what, but eventually she finishes off her wine and empties the last of the bottle into her glass. She swirls it and seems to come to a decision.

“When your mother died, there was a part of her will that I haven’t told anyone. Not even Declan knows about it.”

My eyebrows raise. “Really? You never talked about my mom’s will.”

“She made me swear never to talk about it. There was a letter. Your mother could be peculiar sometimes, but she was smart. If she tells me to keep a secret, I’m going to keep that secret until my dying day, but maybe it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

Sheila stands and finishes her glass. “Stay here. I’ll be back.” She walks off and disappears inside.

I watch her go, feeling confused and on edge. Anything that has to do with my parents is always really painful. It feels like there’s always another secret and a new problem to deal with. I wish Sheila would’ve told me everything so much sooner, but I can almost appreciate why she didn’t.

I had a good childhood. I mean, aside from losing both of my parents and becoming an orphan, life’s been surprisingly good. Sheila took great care of me, mostly thanks to Declan’s money and influence. But I didn’t know any of that. All I saw were soccer games, good schools, close friends, solid internships, and dozens of happy memories.

Now it’s all foggy and slightly twisted in my head, but still. All that good stuff happened. All that happiness was there. I can’t act like it wasn’t.

Sheila comes back a few minutes later. She sets an envelope down in front of me and collapses into her chair with a sigh. “One of the few things I saved from the fire,” she says and finishes off her wine.

“What is this?” I open the envelope and take out a small, simple key. It doesn’t look like it would unlock a door, though.