Page 76 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“You’re still new to the family,” she explains. “Trust doesn’t come easy to the O’Learys.”

I roll my eyes although she can’t see me.

“Can’t you ask your dad to call them off? I thought once we were married, this would stop. Don’t you think my roommates will get suspicious if they see them? I especially can’t be trailed while I’m working. I’m currently on my way to meet up with a woman to arrest her. The last thing we need is your father believing I’m a cheater. He wanted to kill me for much less. This is fucking ridiculous.”

“My father’s extremely protective of me and has no reason to believe you’re not after the family money, considering your gambling problem. As long as you behave, you have nothing to worry about, because there’ll be nothing to report back. They’ll understand what’s going on between you and that woman whenyou take her to jail.” I can tell she’s enjoying this. Maybe a little too much. “You’re a part of the O’Learys, Liam. If you do anything to hurt me, everyone will know.”

“This is bullshit,” I say between clenched teeth. I thought I had to look over my shoulder because of Johnny, but maybe now the game has changed, and Victoria’s the one holding my life in her hands. She doesn’t seem to care that being trailed is a huge inconvenience for me, but she’ll do whatever the fuck she wants.

She stops me before I can continue. “Also, if I ask him to back off, it’ll sound suspicious, and he’ll think we’re trying to cover up something. The last thing I need is him in our business more than he already is. We don’t want him prying any deeper. A couple of pairs of eyes on you is nothing. You can deal with it.”

I pull into a random parking lot and stop driving, and the assholes who’ve acted as my shadow all morning do the same. As I look in the rearview, I notice two men in the vehicle. I look around to see if they’re the only ones stalking my ass.

“The bottom line is I need space when I’m on a job. I can’t have Tweedledee and Tweedledum messing up anything or blowing my cover when I’m on a stakeout. We need to work out something, Victoria.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” she says, blowing off everything I’ve said. “Anyway, I spoke with my grandmother yesterday, and she was extremely excited about us starting a family,” she singsongs. “She can’t wait for her first grandchild.”

“What? A family?”

“Yes, a family. She adored you, and I’d love to be able to give her a grandbaby after hearing how excited she was about the idea. I’d be the first granddaughter to have one, which means I’d get more than my trust fund. It’d be worth it.”

I try to find my words, but I’m speechless. After I regain my composure, the first thing that comes to mind slips out, and I’munable to walk on eggshells any longer. “What the fuck?No.Not happening. We had a deal, Victoria. Six months is all I agreed to. Six months and that was it. There was no talk about a goddamn baby.”

“Let me remind you that youwilldo whatever I need you to do until I have what I ultimately want. What is your life really worth, Liam? Or your friends’ lives?” Her words are full of venom, but her tone is light, as if she didn’t just passive-aggressively threaten me—confirming everything I thought. Victoria might be more evil than her father.

“This is total and utter bullshit. Children are a hard limit for me, Victoria. It’s not something that can ever be negotiated between us. It’s not fucking happening, ever. I would never make a child for money. The thought is utterly disgusting, and I can’t believe you’re suggesting this.”

The silence draws on, and I don’t have anything else to say. I don’t give two shits if she’s upset, because having a baby with her is not something I’ll ever do. It wasn’t a part of our deal, and it never will be. At some point, I have to put my foot down or she’ll walk all over me because she knows she has control. This whole thing is a sham. Of course, I owe her for saving my life, but to have a kid because more money is involved? It’s irresponsible and sickening.

“Anyway…” she lingers as if she didn’t just drop a huge bomb on me. “We need to discuss our next meetup. It looks like I’ll need you here at the end of August or early September. My father’s returning from overseas and will be flying in to check on everything. I don’t have the exact dates yet, but I wanted you to be aware and ready to jump on a flight.”

“Alright.”

This conversation is pretty much over. I’m done talking to her. I should be in shock by how nonchalantly she moves from one insane topic to the next, but I’m not. It just showshow immature she really is and how she wants a baby for the wrong reasons. Money drives and motivates her, and she has no problem doing whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means becoming a mother.

“Please make sure to pack the Armani suits and your Rolex so you look like my perfect husband. Were you able to fully spend the twenty grand I gave you?”

I try not to bite off my tongue as I remember the whole experience. It was more than obvious I didn’t belong when I arrived at the tailor appointment Victoria had set up for me. It was strange as hell carrying large quantities of cash and spending it on such useless shit. I hate having to pretend to be something I’m not, and it’s already wearing me down. “Yes. I bought everything you said. The suits, watches, ties, and shoes.”

She giggles. “Good. I know you didn’t want the money because you don’t like handouts, but I care about you, Liam. I genuinely want you to fit in with my family and lifestyle while I’m still in the business. Speaking of, please make sure you get a haircut before you come too. I can’t have you looking sloppy around my father.”

If I don’t end this call soon, I’m going to end up saying something I might regret. “Listen, I hate to cut you off, but I really gotta go. I need to get back to work.”

“Why are you even still working?”

Thankfully, she can’t see the aggravated look on my face because she asked the dumbest fucking question I’ve ever heard. “I need to make money to pay my bills,” I deadpan.

“You can work for the family. Or move here and live with me. My offer to give you an allowance still stands.”

I suck in a deep breath, not wanting any more handouts from her after she saved my life. I don’t even know why she’d want me involved in her life, considering she wants her freedomand out of the business. It doesn’t quite add up, but I don’t have time to analyze it right now.

“And I’ve already declined. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

I don’t give her time to respond before I end the call.

Slamming my fists against the steering wheel, I let out a roar of a groan. This is so fucked up, and I wish I could go back in time and refuse to play with JJ’s money. Six months should fly by, but it seems like right now everything is happening in slow motion. Between Victoria calling all the shots and me being forced to sit back as Maddie goes on dates with players, I’m losing all the control I once had.

Once I’ve calmed down a bit, I shift into drive, then press on the gas. I make a quick U-turn and pass the Suburban, looking at the two men who’ve been following me all morning. They turn their heads, wearing dark sunglasses, but I see enough of their faces to be able to recognize them in public.Fuckers.